State pushing colleges to grant more degrees faster

Increasing the number of Hoosiers who earn college degrees and decreasing the time it takes to complete those degrees are two points of emphasis in a broad and ambitious “success agenda” put forth by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

The plan, “Reaching Higher, Achieving More,” challenges the state’s colleges and universities to double the number of degrees and certificates completed annually from the current level of about 60,000 to 120,000 by 2025. It looks to dramatically increase the number of Indiana residents who hold a two- or four-year degree from about a third of the state’s population to 45 percent by 2018 and 60 percent by 2025.

Indiana currently ranks 42nd in the country in its percentage of residents who hold associate’s or bachelor’s degrees.