The data sets used for this display are from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) for higher education enrollment and the ISBE Student Information System for high school graduation. The graph displays school, district, and state information for comparison.

The National Student Clearinghouse captures data from more than 95% of institutions nationwide and its data is commonly used across states. While there is room for a small amount of inaccuracy, National Clearing House is the best data source available for this important metric.

Young adults who earn college credit are more likely to be employed and stay employed. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2012 the employment rate for young adults was 87% for those with at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 75% for those who completed some college, and 64% for high school graduates.

• Why More Education? (Illinois Board of Higher Education)

• College: What It's All About and Why it Matters (Big Future)

• The Rising Cost of Not Going to College (Pew Research)

• Higher Education and the Economy