Who’s Going to College? A new report from the Louisiana Department of Education shows how many students from the class of 2012 enrolled in college after high school. For the Class of 2012 (OPSB & RSD combined):
- 58% of graduates enrolled in college right after high school.
- By the fall of 2013, college enrollment went up 10 points to 68% of graduates.
- This is 2 points higher than the state average of 66%.
Class of 2012 College Enrollment
| High School | Class of 2012 Total Graduates | % Enrolled in College 1st Fall (2012-13) after Graduation | % Enrolled in College within 16 Months of Graduation |
|
Benjamin Franklin High School
|
158 | 91% | 93% |
|
Lusher Charter School
|
94 | 85% | 89% |
|
Sci Academy
|
48 | 77% | 85% |
|
Edna Karr High School
|
220 | 75% | 82% |
| Sophie B. Wright Learning Academy | 26 | 73% | 77% |
| Warren Easton Senior High School | 208 | 73% | 82% |
| Eleanor McMain Secondary School | 109 | 72% | 83% |
|
Orleans Parish (OPSB)
|
1,137
|
71%
|
79%
|
| Lake Area New Tech Early College High School | 122 | 67% | 80% |
| N.O. Charter Science and Mathematics HS | 103 | 67% | 79% |
|
OPSB & RSD Combined
|
2,271 | 58% | 68% |
| Louisiana Statewide | 36,705 | 56% | 66% |
| McDonogh #35 Senior High/College Prep | 182 | 53% | 65% |
| Dr. Martin Luther King Charter School for Sci/Tech | 27 | 52% | 63% |
| Miller-McCoy | 72 | 44% | 47% |
|
Recovery School District (RSD)
|
1,134
|
44%
|
57%
|
| Walter L. Cohen High School | 68 | 43% | 56% |
| Algiers Technology Academy | 64 | 41% | 56% |
| John McDonogh Senior High School | 83 | 41% | 51% |
| O.Perry Walker Senior High School | 266 | 41% | 52% |
| Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School | 75 | 40% | 61% |
| Mc 35 Career/Arch, Design & Engineering High | 63 | 33% | 40% |
| Sarah Towles Reed Senior High School | 108 | 31% | 50% |
| G.W. Carver High School | 90 | 22% | 40% |
This data includes enrollment in two-year and four-year colleges and universities, both in-state and out-of-state. The citywide totals (OPSB and RSD) include all 2011-12 graduates, although the list of schools includes only those high schools with 10 or more graduates and schools that were open in 2013-14.
View all New Orleans college enrollment data, including percentages at two- and four-year colleges and universities, or download the state’s report on all Louisiana high schools.
Who’s Graduating from College?
Unfortunately, most of the students who enroll in college will leave without getting a degree – either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. In this New York Times article, Paul Tough explains that whether a student graduates or not seems to depend almost entirely on just one factor – how much money his or her parents make. If you compare college students with the same standardized-test scores, you find that their educational outcomes reflect their parents’ income, not their test scores. At the University of Texas in Austin, they are successfully increasing their graduation rates with simple programs that help to build the confidence of low-income and minority students who are capable of graduating but may not believe it themselves. While this article is long, Educate Now! urges school leaders, charter board members and others to read it.
Tennessee Promise
Texas isn’t the only state that is working to increase the number of college graduates. Tennessee just passed a law that will provide free community college tuition to every high school graduate in the state. A third of Tennesseans have a college degree, and they hope to raise that to 55 percent. Tennessee will use $34 million a year from lottery funds to cover tuition for a two-year degree, which Tennessee’s governor says is a long-term investment in the state. Workers with a two-year degree earn about $57,000, while those with only a high school diploma make $35,000.