HONOLULU — More graduates of Hawaii’s public high schools are enrolling in college, according to a report released Monday.
HONOLULU — More graduates of Hawaii’s public high schools are enrolling in college, according to a report released Monday.
The college-going rate for public high school graduates was 56 percent in 2014, up from 54 percent each of the previous two years and from 50 percent five years ago, said the report by Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education. The nonprofit organization focuses on early childhood to college.
The organization’s College and Career Readiness Indicators report shows that nearly 6,300 graduates of last year’s graduating class enrolled in either a two- or four-year college in the fall. Two-thirds of those students enrolled at a University of Hawaii campus.
“Students are way more prepared now for college-level coursework than ever before,” said Hawaii P-20 Executive Director Karen Lee. She said not only are more students going to college, there’s an overall drop in the number of students requiring remedial math and English courses.
The high schools with the highest growth are Kalaheo, Waimea, Waialua, Waipahu and Waianae.
The increase moves Hawaii closer to the state Department of Education’s goal of a 71 percent college-going rate by 2018.
The national college-going rate for last year’s graduating class is 66 percent.