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High School Graduation Rates by State

Four-year state high school graduation rates for all students, low income students and children with disabilities.

EM_degrees graduation
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States record varying high school graduation rates, which also differ significantly across student demographic groups.

The U.S. Department of Education computes an adjusted graduation rate for states by dividing the number of public school students earning a regular diploma by an "adjusted cohort" for the graduating class -- the number of ninth graders four years ago, plus students transferring in, minus those who transferred, emigrated or passed away during the four school years.

Adjusted cohort high school graduation rates were first published for the 2010-11 school year, with the most recent data covering the 2014-2015 school year. Please note that data is unavailable for a few states (see notes below).



State High School Graduation Rates for All Public School Students


State2014-152013-142012-132011-122010-11
 United States83.2%82.3%81.4%80%79%
Alabama89.3%86.3%80.0%75%72%
Alaska75.6%71.1%71.8%70%68%
Arizona77.4%75.7%75.1%76%78%
Arkansas84.9%86.9%84.9%84%81%
California82.0%81.0%80.4%79%76%
Colorado77.3%77.3%76.9%75%74%
Connecticut87.2%87.0%85.5%85%83%
Delaware85.6%87.0%80.4%80%78%
District of Columbia68.5%61.4%62.3%59%59%
Florida77.9%76.1%75.6%75%71%
Georgia78.8%72.5%71.7%70%67%
Hawaii81.6%81.8%82.4%81%80%
Idaho78.9%77.3%---
Illinois85.6%86.0%83.2%82%84%
Indiana87.1%87.9%87.0%86%86%
Iowa90.8%90.5%89.7%89%88%
Kansas85.7%85.7%85.7%85%83%
Kentucky88.0%87.5%86.1%--
Louisiana77.5%74.6%73.5%72%71%
Maine87.5%86.5%86.4%85%84%
Maryland87.0%86.4%85.0%84%83%
Massachusetts87.3%86.1%85.0%85%83%
Michigan79.8%78.6%77.0%76%74%
Minnesota81.9%81.2%79.8%78%77%
Mississippi75.4%77.6%75.5%75%75%
Missouri87.8%87.3%85.7%84%81%
Montana86.0%85.4%84.4%84%82%
Nebraska88.9%89.7%88.5%88%86%
Nevada71.3%70.0%70.7%63%62%
New Hampshire88.1%88.1%87.3%86%86%
New Jersey89.7%88.6%87.5%86%83%
New Mexico68.6%68.5%70.3%70%63%
New York79.2%77.8%76.8%77%77%
North Carolina85.6%83.9%82.5%80%78%
North Dakota86.6%87.2%87.5%87%86%
Ohio80.7%81.8%82.2%81%80%
Oklahoma82.5%82.7%84.8%--
Oregon73.8%72.0%68.7%68%68%
Pennsylvania84.8%85.3%85.5%84%83%
Rhode Island83.2%80.8%79.7%77%77%
South Carolina80.3%80.1%77.6%75%74%
South Dakota83.9%82.7%82.7%83%83%
Tennessee87.9%87.2%86.3%87%86%
Texas89.0%88.3%88.0%88%86%
Utah84.8%83.9%83.0%80%76%
Vermont87.7%87.8%86.6%88%87%
Virginia85.7%85.3%84.5%83%82%
Washington78.2%78.2%76.4%77%76%
West Virginia86.5%84.5%81.4%79%78%
Wisconsin88.4%88.6%88.0%88%87%
Wyoming79.3%78.6%77.0%79%80%

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts/Consolidated State Performance Reports

State2014-152013-142012-132011-122010-11
Alabama84.7%81.5%71.8%66%62%
Alaska66.6%59.6%59.5%59%56%
Arizona73.1%69.9%69.4%71%73%
Arkansas81.7%82.7%80.3%79%75%
California78.0%76.0%74.8%73%70%
Colorado65.5%64.2%63.7%61%62%
Connecticut75.9%75.9%72.1%70%63%
Delaware76.0%81.0%74.2%72%71%
District of Columbia68.2%60.1%58.9%70%58%
Florida70.4%67.8%67.0%65%60%
Georgia74.5%62.5%63.8%61%59%
Hawaii75.9%77.6%78.2%78%75%
Idaho72.0%71.3%N/AN/AN/A
Illinois77.9%78.5%73.0%73%75%
Indiana84.2%85.4%82.7%85%79%
Iowa84.8%84.1%80.4%80%78%
Kansas77.3%76.9%76.6%76%73%
Kentucky84.8%84.0%85.4%N/AN/A
Louisiana70.8%68.8%67.7%66%64%
Maine75.6%77.8%76.9%76%73%
Maryland78.6%77.8%75.8%75%74%
Massachusetts78.2%76.0%73.6%72%70%
Michigan67.5%65.6%63.9%64%63%
Minnesota67.2%65.9%63.8%59%58%
Mississippi70.5%70.9%70.2%70%69%
Missouri80.7%80.4%78.0%76%75%
Montana76.9%75.4%74.5%73%71%
Nebraska81.4%82.4%80.9%80%78%
Nevada63.7%63.6%64.0%58%53%
New Hampshire76.7%77.2%75.7%73%72%
New Jersey81.7%79.6%77.1%75%71%
New Mexico63.5%62.3%64.7%65%56%
New York71.0%68.8%67.5%68%69%
North Carolina79.6%78.0%76.1%75%71%
North Dakota71.0%72.0%72.0%74%76%
Ohio68.7%69.2%69.6%68%65%
Oklahoma77.5%78.2%79.7%N/AN/A
Oregon66.4%64.2%60.4%61%61%
Pennsylvania75.9%76.5%76.5%74%71%
Rhode Island75.6%71.1%69.3%66%66%
South Carolina73.7%72.5%70.5%68%67%
South Dakota67.0%65.0%67.0%67%67%
Tennessee83.5%82.2%80.7%82%80%
Texas85.6%85.2%85.2%85%84%
 United States76.1%74.6%73.3%72%70%
Utah76.7%73.5%72.9%70%65%
Vermont78.0%78.0%75.0%77%77%
Virginia75.4%75.1%74.0%72%70%
Washington68.1%66.8%65.0%66%66%
West Virginia82.9%80.1%73.7%72%69%
Wisconsin77.3%77.9%76.6%75%74%
Wyoming66.0%65.0%64.0%65%66%

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts/Consolidated State Performance Reports

State High School Graduation Rates for Children with Disabilities


State2014-152013-142012-132011-122010-11
Alabama72.4%64.4%76.9%54%30%
Alaska57.0%42.0%43.0%46%40%
Arizona64.4%63.3%63.3%65%67%
Arkansas81.9%83.1%80.4%79%75%
California65.0%62.0%61.9%61%59%
Colorado53.8%54.6%53.8%54%53%
Connecticut65.6%65.2%64.7%64%62%
Delaware66.0%68.0%60.0%57%56%
District of Columbia46.0%41.0%41.0%44%39%
Florida56.8%55.1%52.3%48%44%
Georgia54.3%36.5%35.1%35%30%
Hawaii60.0%59.0%61.0%60%59%
Idaho58.0%59.0%N/AN/AN/A
Illinois70.5%71.8%70.1%69%66%
Indiana70.9%73.4%69.3%71%65%
Iowa77.0%76.4%72.7%73%70%
Kansas77.3%76.7%77.8%77%73%
Kentucky66.0%70.8%52.0%N/AN/A
Louisiana44.3%42.8%36.7%33%29%
Maine74.0%71.0%70.0%70%66%
Maryland63.9%63.5%60.0%57%57%
Massachusetts69.9%69.1%67.8%69%66%
Michigan57.1%55.1%53.6%54%52%
Minnesota61.1%58.4%58.2%56%56%
Mississippi30.7%28.1%22.5%32%23%
Missouri76.6%75.3%73.4%70%69%
Montana75.0%76.0%76.0%81%69%
Nebraska71.0%72.0%71.0%72%70%
Nevada29.0%27.6%26.4%24%23%
New Hampshire73.0%72.0%71.0%70%69%
New Jersey78.0%76.6%75.9%74%73%
New Mexico59.3%56.5%60.1%56%47%
New York52.9%51.8%47.2%48%48%
North Carolina67.3%64.4%62.3%60%57%
North Dakota68.0%70.0%70.0%68%67%
Ohio67.0%68.4%69.2%68%67%
Oklahoma75.6%77.2%78.5%N/AN/A
Oregon52.7%51.1%37.2%38%42%
Pennsylvania71.5%70.9%75.0%70%71%
Rhode Island68.0%60.0%59.0%59%58%
South Carolina49.0%43.2%43.2%40%39%
South Dakota60.0%59.0%60.0%64%64%
Tennessee70.0%69.0%67.3%73%67%
Texas78.2%77.5%77.8%77%77%
 United States64.6%63.1%61.9%61%59%
Utah67.9%68.2%67.4%64%59%
Vermont72.0%70.0%68.0%71%69%
Virginia52.6%53.2%51.5%49%47%
Washington58.0%55.8%54.6%58%56%
West Virginia69.0%70.3%62.1%60%60%
Wisconsin67.5%69.0%68.7%69%67%
Wyoming59.0%62.0%59.0%59%57%

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts/Consolidated State Performance Reports

About the data

While adjusted cohort graduation rates shown are more comparable than previously published rates, the Education Department notes that some states still implement requirements differently, resulting in potential differences in how rates are computed.

Data was not applicable or unavailable for a few states with missing figures. Idaho did not begin to report adjusted cohort graduation rates until the 2013-14 school year.
Mike Maciag is Data Editor for GOVERNING.
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