What does this measure?
The self-reported post-graduation plans of high school graduates as reported to the state.
Why is this important?
Higher education is associated with greater earnings and standard of living. Post-graduate plans are also an indirect measure of the educational strength of the region's schools.
How does our county compare?
In 2020, 57% of high school graduates in Lancaster County planned to attend college at either a 2- or 4-year program, a decrease of 6 percentage points from 2008. The Lancaster rate in 2020 was lower than the state rate of 60%, which saw a decrease of 9 percentage points (69% to 60% in that same time period).
Lancaster County's 2- or 4-year college going rate was below other surrounding counties, but close to Berks (59%), Lebanon (56%), and York (57%). Dauphin (49%) was the only county well below Lancaster.
Notes about the data
The plans of a high school graduate may not come to fruition for many reasons, including finances, lack of admission opportunities, or a change of plans between the time of reporting and enrollment. For purposes of the listed reports, a high school graduate is a student who has received a diploma. Students earning high school credentials by obtaining a General Educational Development (GED) diploma are not considered graduates for the purpose of the data as reported by the state of Pennsylvania.
| 2 or 4 Year College | Non-Degree Granting School | Other | Specialized Associate Degree Program | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 60% | 2% | 36% | 2% |
| Lancaster County | 57% | 1% | 39% | 3% |
| School District of Lancaster | 43% | 2% | 51% | 4% |
| Manheim Central School District | 59% | 2% | 39% | 0% |
| Warwick School District | 61% | 0% | 31% | 8% |
| Conestoga Valley School District | 49% | 0% | 51% | 0% |
| Lampeter-Strasburg School District | 64% | 2% | 23% | 11% |
| Columbia Borough School District | 29% | 0% | 67% | 3% |
| Hempfield School District | 67% | 1% | 29% | 4% |
| Donegal School District | 62% | 0% | 38% | 0% |
| Cocalico School District | 57% | 0% | 41% | 2% |
| Manheim Township School District | 74% | 0% | 24% | 2% |
| Eastern Lancaster County School District | 48% | 1% | 50% | 0% |
| Penn Manor School District | 66% | 1% | 31% | 2% |
| La Academia Partnership Charter School | 57% | 0% | 43% | 0% |
| Ephrata Area School District | 55% | 1% | 39% | 4% |
| Pequea Valley School District | 46% | 8% | 42% | 3% |
| Elizabethtown Area School District | 60% | 3% | 37% | 0% |
| Solanco School District | 36% | 1% | 63% | 0% |
| York County | 57% | 2% | 39% | 2% |
| Berks County | 59% | 1% | 38% | 2% |
| Lebanon County | 56% | 1% | 41% | 2% |
| Dauphin County | 49% | 3% | 46% | 2% |
| Chester County | 69% | 3% | 28% | 1% |
| Cumberland County | 63% | 1% | 35% | 1% |
| 2 or 4 Year College | Non-Degree Granting School | Other | Specialized Associate Degree Program | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 75,022 | 2,408 | 45,570 | 2,228 |
| Lancaster County | 2,745 | 59 | 1,906 | 145 |
| School District of Lancaster | 291 | 12 | 346 | 27 |
| Manheim Central School District | 146 | 6 | 96 | 0 |
| Warwick School District | 197 | 0 | 101 | 26 |
| Conestoga Valley School District | 154 | 0 | 161 | 0 |
| Lampeter-Strasburg School District | 152 | 4 | 55 | 27 |
| Columbia Borough School District | 28 | 0 | 64 | 3 |
| Hempfield School District | 364 | 4 | 156 | 20 |
| Donegal School District | 136 | 0 | 84 | 1 |
| Cocalico School District | 113 | 0 | 80 | 4 |
| Manheim Township School District | 310 | 0 | 101 | 9 |
| Eastern Lancaster County School District | 111 | 3 | 114 | 1 |
| Penn Manor School District | 250 | 3 | 116 | 9 |
| La Academia Partnership Charter School | 13 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Ephrata Area School District | 159 | 4 | 114 | 13 |
| Pequea Valley School District | 54 | 10 | 50 | 4 |
| Elizabethtown Area School District | 183 | 10 | 112 | 1 |
| Solanco School District | 84 | 3 | 146 | 0 |
| York County | 2,897 | 104 | 1,963 | 111 |
| Berks County | 2,859 | 57 | 1,867 | 101 |
| Lebanon County | 764 | 16 | 549 | 25 |
| Dauphin County | 1,764 | 103 | 1,663 | 56 |
| Chester County | 4,895 | 184 | 1,976 | 88 |
| Cumberland County | 1,376 | 15 | 772 | 25 |
| INDICATORS | TREND |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten Participation | Increasing |
| Student Performance on Grade 3 English | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance on Grade 3 Math | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance on Grade 8 English | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance on Grade 8 Math | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance in Grade 11 English | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance in Grade 11 Math | Decreasing |
| Per-Student Spending | Maintaining |
| Students Receiving Special Education Services | Increasing |
| Rate of Foster Care Admissions | Maintaining |
| Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity | Not Applicable |
| Disengaged Youth | Maintaining |
| Plans of High School Graduates | Not Applicable |
| Enrollment in Local Colleges | Decreasing |
| College Graduation Rates | Decreasing |
| Brain Drain/Gain | Increasing |
| Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity | Not Applicable |
