Some Indiana colleges could be forced to enroll more in-state students

Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill that would mandate the state’s public colleges and universities enroll at least half of their first-year students from in-state.

Sen. Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute, is carrying Senate Bill 448. In a Jan. 22 meeting of the Senate Committee for Education and Career Development, Goode said he wants to encourage colleges and universities to admit and enroll students from Indiana.

“We invest billions of dollars on campuses and construction,” said Goode, who previously worked for Indiana State University, “and I have heard some frustration from individuals who have sons and daughters who have very competitive scores that are denied at some of our universities.”

If the legislation is passed as written, it would most likely affect Purdue University and Indiana University Bloomington, as these two state schools attract the most out-of-state students. As of fall 2024, 55% of IU Bloomington’s first-year class was from Indiana, while 41% of Purdue’s first-year class were Indiana residents.

The committee seemed generally supportive of the legislation but did not vote on the bill. Goode said the in-state student quota will likely change and that he plans to meet with universities over the coming week to workshop the provision. It’s possible, for instance, he’ll eliminate the quota and find another way to incentivize the universities to enroll more Indiana students.

“I’m also very mindful that the universities are talent magnets, that individuals want to come to Indiana to learn,” Goode said. “Can we encourage our institutions and say, ‘let’s make educating in-state students a priority?’”

If approved, the bill’s changes would take effect beginning with the 2026-27 school year.

Kendra Leatherman, Purdue University’s director of government relations, expressed concern about the 50% in-state quota. She said Purdue actually admits a higher percentage of Indiana residents who apply versus the percentage it admits of out-of-state residents who apply. But, she stressed, the university can’t fully control whether more in-state students enroll.

“We don't think it's best policy to require holding the university accountable for a choice that's not totally within our control,” Leatherman said.

IU did not testify on the bill. Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery, as well as representatives from the Indy Chamber, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana Bankers Association, generally spoke in favor of the legislation, though some indicated that the 50% in-state quota needed to be changed.

Other components of the bill include:

• Requiring the state to submit a plan on how to increase credentials in high-demand industries
• Mandating that public institutions submit information about compensation and job placement when adding a new degree or academic program
• Requiring the state to review degree programs every 10 years

The bill is priority legislation for the Commission for Higher Education and the state’s Department of Education as leaders work to get more Hoosier students into higher education. Just 53% of Indiana high school seniors enrolled directly in college in 2022, according to the most recent state data.

The bill would not impact enrollment at private colleges and universities.

Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire at claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org or on Instagram/X/Bluesky @clairerafford.

This article first appeared on Mirror Indy and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.