Hoosier Higher Education

An Interactive Landscape Analysis

This dashboard provides a geospatial and quantitative overview of enrollment trends across Indiana’s postsecondary institutions. As an education professional, who is very interested in Institutional Research, I developed this tool to bridge the gap between complex federal datasets and actionable local insights.

The Goal: To visualize the footprint of higher education in Indiana, allowing stakeholders to compare institution types, geographic density, and enrollment scale at a glance.

Methodology & Technical Stack

To build this, I moved beyond basic spreadsheets to ensure data integrity and scalability:

Data Sourcing (IPEDS): raw institutional data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), specifically focusing on the 2024-25 provisional release for enrollment and geospatial variables.
Data Cleaning & SQL: using DB Browser for SQLite, data were cleaned and joined (Institutional Characteristics + Enrollment) using SQL.
Dashboard Engineering: utilized Looker Studio

Discussion and Key Takeaways

Institutional Landscape and Market Distribution

The Hoosier post-secondary landscape is characterized by a high degree of market concentration within a few leaders in terms of enrollments. While the state boasts a diverse array of public and private institutions (106 institutions), the public sector (16 institutions) remains the engine of enrollment. The research focused universities and Ivy Tech account for a massive majority of the state's total student headcount.

Student Intensity and Institutional Mission

A granular analysis of student intensity reveals a stark divide between institutional types. While traditional four-year research universities maintain a predominantly full-time residential population, Associate’s and Mixed Baccalaureate institutions show a strong lean toward part-time enrollment, which is a reflection of mission. These institutions serve as the primary access points for Indiana’s adult learners and working professionals, providing the flexibility required by students who are often balancing education with full-time employment.

Important Notes

To ensure transparency, this dashboard utilizes the IPEDS Fall Enrollment (EF) component. It is important to note two critical technical caveats:

The Fall Snapshot: These data represent a "census" snapshot taken in Fall 2024, providing a standardized look at enrollment during the peak of the academic cycle.
The Ivy Tech Reporting Nuance: As the state's largest single enrollment entity, Ivy Tech Community College reports as a consolidated system. While the dashboard places a primary marker in Indianapolis, it is crucial to recognize that this represents a statewide infrastructure spanning over 40 locations. In short: the dot is in Indy, but the impact is everywhere.
Purdue Global: This represents a separate, primarily online entity. Its enrollment is national in scope and operates under a different reporting structure than the physical, residential campus in West Lafayette.

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