Education in Indiana
Indiana educates roughly 1 million public K–12 students across about 290 school corporations (Indiana's term for school districts), plus charter schools, overseen by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and a Secretary of Education.
Indiana is one of the nation's most school-choice-heavy states: its Choice Scholarship voucher — already the largest such program in the country — becomes universal for the 2026–27 school year. Indiana also runs the well-known 21st Century Scholars free-tuition pledge, funds High Ability (gifted) programs, and has a very flexible homeschool framework. This guide walks through it all — for the student, the family, the school, and the educator — and points to the official source throughout.
Who must attend school
Indiana requires children ages 7 to 18 to attend school. Students may withdraw at 16 only through a formal exit interview with parent and principal consent (often tied to specific circumstances). Attendance can be met through a public school, a private school, or homeschooling (which Indiana treats as a nonaccredited nonpublic school).
- Start age7
- End of compulsory age18 (early exit at 16 via exit interview)
- Districts~290 "school corporations" + charters
- Satisfying itPublic, private, or homeschool
Pre-K in Indiana
Indiana does not offer a universal pre-K program. State-funded early education is targeted through On My Way Pre-K — a program providing preschool for income-eligible 4-year-olds in participating counties — along with Build, Learn, Grow scholarships, the child-care assistance program, and Head Start. Private preschools serve many families.
Because state pre-K is income-targeted and county-dependent, availability varies — families should check On My Way Pre-K eligibility and local options early. See our Kindergarten Readiness and Early Childhood toolkits.
School corporations & charters
Indiana's largest school corporations include Indianapolis Public Schools, Fort Wayne Community Schools, Evansville Vanderburgh, and fast-growing suburban districts such as Carmel Clay and Hamilton Southeastern. Indiana has a substantial charter-school sector (authorized by entities including the Indianapolis Mayor's Office and universities), and many corporations allow inter-district transfers.
Indianapolis in particular has an extensive choice landscape, including Innovation Network Schools within IPS. Find Indiana public and charter schools in our schools directory.
Private & independent schools in Indiana
Indiana has a large private-school sector — enrollment has grown with the state's expansive voucher program — spanning:
- Catholic & parochial schoolsA large network across the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and dioceses statewide (such as Cathedral High School, Brebeuf Jesuit, and Bishop Chatard)
- Independent schoolsNonprofit, board-governed schools such as Park Tudor School, The Orchard School, and the International School of Indiana (Indianapolis), and Canterbury (Fort Wayne)
- Other religious schoolsLutheran, Christian, and other faith-based schools
- Specialty schoolsMontessori and schools for specific learning needs
Indiana regulates private schools only lightly overall, and accreditation is voluntary — many independent schools belong to ISACS or are accredited through Cognia. Because Indiana's Choice Scholarship voucher funds private-school tuition (going universal), participating schools must be accredited/state-approved and take on accountability requirements. Families should ask about a school's accreditation, curriculum, and outcomes directly.
The Choice Scholarship & other options
Indiana's Choice Scholarship (voucher) program — launched in 2011 and already the largest in the nation (serving 70,000+ students) — becomes universal for 2026–27: the state removed income limits, so every Indiana K–12 resident is eligible regardless of household income. Key details:
- Award amountThe lesser of the school's tuition/fees or 90% of the state per-student funding for the student's home corporation — averaging about $6,500
- EligibilityIndiana resident, ages 5–22 by Oct 1, entering K–12 — no income test, no prior-public-school requirement
- ESAAn Education Scholarship Account for students with disabilities
- Career Scholarship & SGOA Career Scholarship Account and tax-credit (SGO) scholarships
Families apply through their chosen participating private school (the IDOE oversees the program), and reapply annually. Combined with charters and transfers, Indiana offers unusually broad choice.
Homeschooling in Indiana
Indiana has a very flexible homeschool framework. Legally, a homeschool is a nonaccredited nonpublic school, which means minimal oversight:
- No notification requiredYou need not notify the state to begin (though you may optionally report enrollment to the IDOE)
- No testing or approvalNo standardized testing, curriculum approval, or teacher-qualification requirement
- Provide 180 daysOffer instruction for at least 180 days and keep attendance records
- Equivalent instructionTeach in a manner "equivalent" to that of the public schools
Indiana homeschool parents set their own curriculum and graduation requirements and issue their own diplomas. The main formal obligation is maintaining attendance records (which the state may request). See our Homeschooling toolkit, and review Indiana's nonpublic-school guidance via the IDOE.
ILEARN, IREAD-3 & the SAT
Indiana public schools use ILEARN (the Indiana Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network) in English language arts and mathematics (grades 3–8) and science (grades 4 and 6, plus Biology), with through-year ILEARN Checkpoints. Indiana also administers IREAD-3 — a grade-3 reading test tied to promotion — and uses the SAT in grade 11 as its high school assessment (it replaced the former ISTEP+).
Homeschooled students are not part of state testing. See the IDOE assessment pages for current details.
Earning an Indiana high school diploma
For current students, Indiana's standard diploma is Core 40 — a 40-credit college- and career-preparation curriculum (with Academic Honors and Technical Honors designations available). Indiana has adopted a redesigned high school diploma — featuring "Readiness Seals" (recognizing enrollment, employment, and enlistment readiness) — that phases in beginning with the class of 2029. Indiana also requires civics education.
- Core 4040 credits (current standard diploma)
- Honors optionsAcademic Honors & Technical Honors diplomas
- New diploma (2029)Base diploma + Readiness Seals phasing in
- CivicsRequired civics education
Special education & high ability
Indiana serves students with disabilities under the federal IDEA (and Indiana's Article 7 rules), providing eligible students a free appropriate public education through an IEP in the least restrictive environment, with oversight from the IDOE and full procedural safeguards (mediation and due process). Students with disabilities may also use the Education Scholarship Account (ESA).
Indiana refers to gifted education as High Ability, and it is comparatively well supported: districts are required to identify high-ability students and provide programming, backed by a dedicated state High Ability grant. See our Special Education and Gifted & Talented toolkits, and verify with the IDOE.
How Indiana rates schools
Indiana has long used A–F school letter grades, but the state paused those grades and is developing a new accountability system. In the meantime, Indiana publishes rich school data through its Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) dashboard — which reports measures such as academic proficiency and growth, attendance, graduation, and readiness (work ethic, credentials, and postsecondary indicators).
Because the accountability framework is in transition, use the GPS dashboard for current data, and remember a rating is a starting point, not the whole story (see our Choosing the Right School toolkit). Explore Indiana school data through the IDOE (GPS dashboard), and find schools in our directory.
Immunizations & school entry
To enroll in an Indiana school, students must show proof of required immunizations per the schedule set by the Indiana Department of Health, or a valid exemption. Requirements follow the state schedule, with additional doses at certain grades (including 6th- and 12th-grade entry).
Indiana allows medical exemptions and religious exemptions (via a written statement of religious objection) — it does not offer a broad personal-belief/philosophical exemption. Confirm current requirements with the Indiana Department of Health and your school corporation before enrolling.
21st Century Scholars & state aid
Indiana's signature program is 21st Century Scholars — income-eligible students who pledge in 7th or 8th grade (and meet requirements) can earn up to four years of paid tuition at participating Indiana public colleges. Indiana also offers the need-based Frank O'Bannon Grant, the Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant (free training in high-demand fields), and other programs, administered by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
Students apply by filing the FAFSA by Indiana's state deadline (typically mid-April) and meeting program requirements. Use our Net Price, SAI Estimator, and Award Letter tools to plan costs, and see programs via the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
Colleges & universities in Indiana
Indiana's public universities include Indiana University (the Bloomington flagship, IU Indianapolis, and regional campuses), Purdue University (West Lafayette, plus Purdue Global and regional campuses), Ball State University, Indiana State University, and the University of Southern Indiana. On the two-year side, Ivy Tech Community College is one of the largest single-accredited community-college systems in the country, joined by Vincennes University — offering associate degrees, workforce training, and transfer pathways.
Indiana is also home to notable private institutions (Notre Dame, Butler, DePauw, Rose-Hulman, and more). Explore Indiana's colleges and universities in our directory.
Becoming a teacher in Indiana
Indiana licenses teachers through the IDOE Office of Educator Licensing, and candidates must pass the required Indiana CORE Assessments (Indiana's content and pedagogy tests) — not the Praxis — after completing an approved preparation program, applying through the online LVIS (Licensing Verification and Information System). Indiana issues an Initial Practitioner license that advances with experience and professional growth.
Indiana offers alternative licensure routes for career changers and reciprocity for many out-of-state educators. See our Teacher Certification, Praxis, and Job & Interview Tips for Educators toolkits, and the IDOE licensing pages for specifics.
Where to get the authoritative details
Requirements change — this guide is a well-organized starting point, not the final authority. For the current, official word, go straight to the source:
Also essential: your local school corporation office (for enrollment and transfers), the Choice Scholarship program (for vouchers), your school counselor, and the K12 Academics toolkits linked throughout this page.