2008-2009 Indiana College Guidebook - (Page 2) About Indiana’s Independent Colleges and Universities What Makes Independent Higher Education Special? Flexibility, responsiveness, and innovation. These are personal characteristics that make individuals successful in the fast-changing 21st-century marketplace. They also are traits that have made private, independently-governed, regionally-accredited colleges and universities special places of learning for more than 350 years. Each in its own special tradition, the independent colleges and universities of Indiana emphasize the development of an openness to new ideas and experiences, a sense of personal and societal responsibility, and a capacity for lifetime self-education. But what distinguishes independent colleges and universities even more is their ability to shape lives and build futures. They are places where individuals nurture and develop their personal skill sets. For this reason, students who enroll at independent colleges and universities are more likely to: • Graduate in four, five, or six years than students at larger, state-operated institutions (in Indiana, independent colleges and universities graduate 60 percent of their students in four years, compared to only 29 percent for state institutions); • Experience significant interaction with faculty members both in and out of the classroom; • Find and make use of a mentor in their academic pursuits; • Be satisfied with the quality and focus of their instructional programs; and • Be found among leaders in advanced professions like business, law, medicine, and theology. HigHer graduation rates. ICI member institutions graduate more than 60 percent of their students in four years, compared to only about 29 percent at state institutions. graduation rates at iCi institutions 80 70 60 Graduates of Baccalaureate Programs (%) 50 40 30 20 10 0 4 Years 5 Years 6 Years 69 60 48 29 70 52 ICI Institutions State Institutions Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Graduation Rate Survey 2006. 2 For more information: www.indianacollegechoices.org http://www.indianacollegechoices.org
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