Trends in High School Dropout 

and Completion Rates in the 

United States: 2019

Compendium Report

NCES 2020-117 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Trends in High School Dropout 

and Completion Rates in the 

United States: 2019

Compendium Report

JANUARY 2020

Joel McFarland

Project Officer

National Center for Education Statistics

Jiashan Cui

Juliet Holmes

Xiaolei Wang

American Institutes for Research

NCES 2020-117

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
U.S. Department of Education

Betsy DeVos

Secretary

Institute of Education Sciences

Mark Schneider

Director

National Center for Education Statistics

James L. Woodworth 

Commissioner

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Suggested Citation

McFarland, J., Cui, J., Holmes, J., and Wang, X. (2019). Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in 

the United States: 2019 (NCES 2020-117). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for 

Education Statistics. Retrieved [date] from https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.

Content Contact 

Joel McFarland

(312) 730-1483

joel.mcfarland@ed.gov
SELECTED FINDINGS

This report provides the most recent year of data 

available for each dropout and completion rate, 

summarizes long-term trends, and examines the 

characteristics of high school dropouts and completers. 

Five rates are presented to provide a broad perspective 

on high school dropouts and completers in the United 

States: the event dropout rate, the status dropout rate, the 

status completion rate, the adjusted cohort graduation 

rate, and the averaged freshman graduation rate. 

The following selected findings are drawn from each 

section of the report. 

Indicator 1: Current Population Survey (CPS) Event 

Dropout Rate

• Between October 2016 and October 2017, the 

number of 15- to 24-year-olds who left school 

without obtaining a high school credential was 

approximately 523,000. These event dropouts 

accounted for 4.7 percent of the 11.1 million 

youth enrolled in grades 10 through 12 in 2016 

(figure 1.1 and table 1.1).

• In 2017, the event dropout rate for Hispanic 15- to 

24-year-olds was higher than the rate for White 

15- to 24-year-olds (6.5 percent vs. 3.9 percent), but 

not measurably different from the rate for 15- to 

24-year-olds who were Black (5.5 percent), Asian 

(4.7 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native 

(4.4 percent; figure 1.1 and table 1.1). There were 

no measurable differences in event dropout rates 

between 15- to 24-year-olds who were Black, Asian, 

American Indian/Alaska Native, and White.1

Indicator 2: American Community Survey (ACS) and 

Current Population Survey (CPS) Status Dropout Rate

• The status dropout rate is the percentage of 16- to 

24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and 

have not earned a high school credential. In 2017, 

the ACS status dropout rate for all 16- to 24-yearolds was 5.4 percent (figure 2.1 and table 2.1).

• Based on data from ACS, the 2013–2017 

5-year-average status dropout rate2 for Hispanic 

1

 Reliable estimates were not available for 15- to 24-year-olds who were Pacific 

Islander or of Two or more races in 2017.

2

 This estimate is derived from a sample collected over a period of 5 years 

(from 2013 to 2017). The use of a 5-year average increases the sample size, 

thereby reducing the size of sampling errors and producing more stable 

estimates.

16- to 24-year-olds was 9.9 percent, while status 

dropout rates by Hispanic subgroup ranged from 

1.5 percent for individuals of Bolivian descent to 

24.5 percent for individuals of Guatemalan descent 

(figure 2.4 and table 2.2).

• The 2013–2017 average status dropout rate for 

Asian 16- to 24-year-olds was 2.3 percent, while 

status dropout rates by Asian subgroup ranged 

from 1.1 percent for individuals of Korean descent 

to 23.2 percent for individuals of Burmese descent 

(figure 2.5 and table 2.2).

• Based on CPS data, status dropout rates have 

trended downward over the past 40 years, declining 

from 14.1 percent in 19773 to 5.8 percent in 2017 

(figure 2.8 and table 2.4). During the most recent 

10-year period of available data (2007 to 2017), the 

status dropout rate decreased from 8.7 percent to 

5.8 percent. 

Indicator 3: Current Population Survey (CPS) Status 

Completion Rate

• The status completion rate is the percentage of 

18- to 24-year-olds who have left high school and 

who hold a high school credential.4 For the first 

time in 40 years,5 the status completion rate for 

Black 18- to 24-year-olds was not measurably 

different from that of White 18- to 24-yearolds (table 3.2). From 1977 to 2016, the status 

completion rate for White 18- to 24-year-olds was 

consistently higher than the rate for Black 18- to 

24-year-olds. 

• Among Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds, the status 

completion rate for those who were foreign born 

was 78.1 percent, which was lower than the rates 

for those who were first generation (91.7 percent) 

and those who were second generation or higher 

(90.8 percent; figure 3.4 and table 3.1). The status 

completion rate for first-generation Hispanic 18- to 

24-year-olds was not measurably different from 

the rate for Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds who were 

second generation or higher.

3

 Because of changes in data collection procedures, use caution when 

comparing data for 1992 and later years to earlier data. For more information 

on the data collection changes, see Kaufman, Alt, and Chapman (2004).

4

 A high school diploma or an alternative credential, such as a GED.

5

 Because of changes in data collection procedures, use caution when 

comparing data for 1992 and later years to earlier data. For more information 

on the data collection changes, see Kaufman, Alt, and Chapman (2004).

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | iii
Indicator 4: Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR)

• The adjusted cohort graduation rate provides 

information about the percentage of U.S. public 

high school students who graduate on time (i.e., 

4 years after starting 9th grade for the first time) 

with a regular diploma.6 The U.S. average ACGR 

for public high school students increased over the 

first 7 years it was collected, from 79 percent in 

2010–11 to 85 percent in 2016–17 (table 4.1). 

• In 2016–17, the ACGR ranged from 71 percent 

in New Mexico to 91 percent in Iowa. More than 

three-quarters of states (40) reported ACGRs that 

were 80 percent or higher and less than 90 percent 

(table 4.1).7

• In 2016–17, the ACGRs for American Indian/

Alaska Native (72 percent),8 Black (78 percent), 

and Hispanic (80 percent) public high school 

students were below the U.S. average of 85 percent. 

The ACGRs for White students (89 percent) and 

Asian/Pacific Islander students (91 percent)9 were 

above the U.S. average ACGR (figure 4.2 and 

table 4.1).

6

 Those students who were awarded an alternate credential, such as a GED, are 

not included as graduates in the ACGR calculations.

7

 Based on unrounded graduation rates.

8

 The U.S. average ACGRs for American Indian/Alaska Native include 

estimated data for Alabama, since the state did not report ACGR rates to the 

U.S. Department of Education for this subgroup. Estimated data for Alabama 

were based on data published on the Alabama State Education Agency 

website.

9

 Reporting practices for data on Asian and Pacific Islander students vary by 

state. Asian/Pacific Islander data in this indicator represent either the value 

reported by the state for the “Asian/Pacific Islander” group or an aggregation 

of separate values reported by the state for “Asian” and “Pacific Islander.” 

“Pacific Islander” includes the “Filipino” group, which only California reports 

separately.

• In 2016–17, the U.S. average ACGRs for 

economically disadvantaged students (78 percent), 

limited-English-proficient students (66 percent), 

and students with disabilities (67 percent) were 

lower than the U.S. average ACGR of 85 percent 

(table 4.1).10

Indicator 5: Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate 

(AFGR)

• The national averaged freshman graduation rate, 

an estimated 4-year graduation rate calculated 

using aggregated enrollment and diploma counts, 

was 82 percent in 2012–13, the most recent 

year for which data are available (figure 5.1 and 

table 5.1).11

• In 2012–13, the AFGR across states ranged from 

68 percent in Nevada and Mississippi to 93 percent 

in Nebraska and Wisconsin (table 5.2).

10 The U.S. average ACGRs for students with disabilities, limited-Englishproficient students, and economically disadvantaged students include 

estimated data for Alabama, since the state did not report ACGR rates to 

the U.S. Department of Education for these subgroups. Estimated data for 

Alabama were based on data published on the Alabama State Education 

Agency website.

11 The AFGR is available for school years 1969–70 through 2012–13. See 

Digest of Education Statistics 2015, table 219.10.

Selected Findings

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to recognize the time and effort volunteered by household respondents to the Current 

Population Survey and to the American Community Survey. The report also relies on data submitted to the U.S. 

Department of Education through the EDFacts collection. The authors would like to recognize the efforts of staff in 

state and local education agencies who collect and submit these data.

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | v
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CONTENTS

Page

Selected Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v

List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Indicator 1: Event Dropout Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Indicator 2: Status Dropout Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Indicator 3: Status Completion Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Indicator 4: Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Indicator 5: Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Appendix A—Guide to Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Appendix B—Technical Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Appendix C—Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

 

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | vii
LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

A . Summary table of high school dropout, completion, and graduation rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1 .1 . Among 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in grades 10 through 12, percentage who dropped out (event dropout 

rate), and number and percentage distribution of 15- to 24-year-olds in grades 10 through 12, by selected 

characteristics: Selected years, 2007 through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

1 .2 . Among 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in grades 10 through 12, percentage who dropped out (event dropout 

rate), by sex and race/ethnicity: 1972 through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

2 .1 . Total number of 16- to 24-year-old high school dropouts (status dropouts) and percentage of dropouts 

among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate), by selected characteristics: 2006 through 2017 . . . . . . . . 46

2 .2 . Number of 16- to 24-year-old high school dropouts (status dropouts) and percentage of dropouts among 

persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate), by race/ethnicity and racial/ethnic subgroup: 2013, 2017, 

and 2013–2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

2 .3 . Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate), by race/

ethnicity and state: 2013–2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

2 .4 . Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate), by sex and race/

ethnicity: Selected years, 1960 through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

2 .5 . Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate) and percentage 

distribution of status dropouts, by labor force status and years of school completed: Selected years, 1970 

through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

3 .1 . Number and high school completion rate of 18- to 24-year-olds not enrolled in high school (status 

completion rate), by selected characteristics: Selected years, 2007 through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

3 .2 . High school completion rate of 18- to 24-year-olds not enrolled in high school (status completion rate), by 

sex and race/ethnicity: 1972 through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

4 .1 . Public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), by selected student characteristics and 

state: 2010–11 through 2016–17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

5 .1 . High school graduates, by sex and control of school; public high school averaged freshman graduation rate 

(AFGR); and total graduates as a ratio of 17-year-old population: Selected years, 1869–70 through 2028–29 . . . . . 55

5 .2 . Public high school averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR), by sex, race/ethnicity, and state or 

jurisdiction: 2012–13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | viii
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

1 .1 . Percentage of grade 10–12 dropouts among persons 15 to 24 years old (event dropout rate), by selected 

characteristics: October 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

1 .2 . Percentage of grade 10–12 dropouts among persons 15 to 24 years old (event dropout rate): October 1977 

through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2 .1 . Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), 

by selected characteristics: 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2 .2 . Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), 

by race/ethnicity and sex: 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

2 .3 . Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), 

by race/ethnicity and nativity: 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2 .4 . Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), 

by selected Hispanic subgroups: 2013–2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

2 .5 . Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), 

by selected Asian subgroups: 2013–2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

2 .6 . Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), 

by state: 2013–2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

2 .7 . States in which status dropout rates for Black and Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds are higher than, not 

measurably different from, or lower than the status dropout rate for White 16- to 24-year-olds: 2013–2017 . . . . . 21

2 .8 . Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), 

by race/ethnicity: October 1977 through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

2 .9 . Percentage distribution of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropouts), 

by labor force status: Selected years, October 1977 through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

2 .10 . Percentage distribution of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropouts), 

by years of school completed: Selected years, October 1977 through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

3 .1 . Status completion rates of 18- to 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity, sex, and disability status: October 2017 . . . . . . . 27

3 .2 . Status completion rates of 18- to 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity: October 1977 through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

3 .3 . Status completion rates of 18- to 24-year-olds, by sex: October 1977 through 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

3 .4 . Status completion rates of 18- to 24-year-olds, by recency of immigration and ethnicity: October 2017 . . . . . . . . . 30

4 .1 . Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) of public high school students, by state: 2016–17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

4 .2 . Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) of public high school students, by race/ethnicity: 2016–17 . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

4 .3 . Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) of Black and White public high school students, by state: 2016–17 . . . . . 35

4 .4 . Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) of Hispanic and White public high school students, by state: 2016–17 . . 37

5 .1 . Averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR) for public secondary schools in the United States: 

Selected years, 1990–91 through 2012–13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | ix
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INTRODUCTION

Dropping out of high school is related to a number of 

negative outcomes. According to data from the Census 

Bureau’s 2017 Current Population Survey (CPS), 

the median earnings of adults ages 25 through 34 

who worked full time, year round and who had not 

completed high school were lower than the earnings 

of those with higher levels of educational attainment.1

For example, median earnings for full-time workers 

ages 25 through 34 who had not completed high school 

($26,000) were lower than those of workers whose 

highest education level was high school completion 

($32,000), an associate’s degree ($39,000), or a bachelor’s 

or higher degree ($55,000). Among 25- to 34-year-olds 

in the labor force, the unemployment rate for high 

school dropouts (13 percent) was higher than the 

unemployment rate of those whose highest level of 

educational attainment was a high school credential 

(7 percent).2 In addition, dropouts age 25 and older were 

reported being in worse health than adults who were not 

dropouts, regardless of income (Pleis, Ward, and Lucas 

2010). Dropouts also make up disproportionately higher 

percentages of the nation’s institutionalized population 

than of the nation’s noninstitutionalized population.3

Relative to individuals who complete high school, 

the average high school dropout costs the economy 

approximately $272,000 over his or her lifetime in terms 

of lower tax contributions, higher reliance on Medicaid 

and Medicare, higher rates of criminal activity, and 

higher reliance on welfare (Levin and Belfield 2007).4

This report builds upon a series of National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES) reports on high school 

dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. It 

provides the most recent year of data available for each 

of the dropout and completion rates, summarizes longterm trends, and examines the characteristics of high 

school dropouts and completers. Five rates are presented 

to provide a broad perspective on high school dropouts 

and completers in the United States: the event dropout 

rate, the status dropout rate, the status completion rate, 

the adjusted cohort graduation rate, and the averaged 

freshman graduation rate. Each rate contributes unique 

information. 

1

 See Digest of Education Statistics 2018, table 502.30. 2

 See Digest of Education Statistics 2018, table 501.80. 3

 See discussion in Indicator 2 for more details. 4

 Levin and Belfield estimate costs at $209,000 as of 2004. The estimate here 

is adjusted for inflation between March 2004 and March 2017 using March 

2004 and March 2017 consumer price index adjustments.

Rates Featured in This Report 

• The event dropout rate (Indicator 1) is the 

percentage of 15- to 24-year-olds in grades 10 

through 12 who leave high school between the 

beginning of one school year and the beginning 

of the next without earning a high school diploma 

or an alternative credential such as a GED. This 

report presents a national event dropout rate for 

students attending public or private schools using 

data from the CPS. Event dropout rates can be 

used to track annual changes in the dropout 

behavior of students in the U.S. education system. 

The state-level event dropout rates for public high 

school students published as part of the Common 

Core of Data (CCD) were not available in time for 

use in this report.5

• The status dropout rate (Indicator 2) reports 

the percentage of individuals in a given age range 

who are not in school (public or private) and have 

not earned a high school diploma or an alternative 

credential. This report presents status dropout 

rates calculated using both CPS data and data 

from the American Community Survey (ACS). 

Over 40 years of data are available for the CPS. 

The ACS, on the other hand, is available only for 

more recent years, although it covers a broader 

population and can be used to compute dropout 

rates for smaller population subgroups. Because the 

status dropout rate focuses on an overall age group 

(as opposed to individuals enrolled in school during 

a particular year), it can be used to study general 

population issues.

• The status completion rate (Indicator 3)

measures the percentage of individuals in a given 

age range who are not currently enrolled in high 

school and who have earned a high school diploma 

or an alternative credential, regardless of when 

or where the credential was earned.6 The rate is 

calculated using CPS data. It focuses on an overall 

age group, as opposed to individuals in the U.S. 

education system; thus, it can be used to study 

general population issues.7

5

 CCD event dropout rates for 2011–12 and prior years can be accessed 

through reports available at https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/pub_dropouts.asp. 6

 The status completion rate is not the inverse of the status dropout rate (i.e., 

the status completion rate does not equal 100 minus the status dropout rate). 

The rates are based on different age ranges, and whereas the status completion 

rate excludes high school students from its denominator, the status dropout 

rate includes high school students in its denominator.

7

 Seastrom et al. (2006a) refer to this rate as the “Current Population Survey 

High School Completion Indicator.”

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 1
• The adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) 

(Indicator 4) is the percentage of public high 

school students in a specific cohort who graduate 

with a regular diploma within 4 years of starting 

9th grade. Students who enter 9th grade (or the 

earliest high school grade) for the first time form 

a cohort that is “adjusted” by adding any students 

who subsequently transfer into the cohort and 

subtracting any students who subsequently transfer 

out, emigrate to another country, or die. The 

ACGR is calculated by state education agencies 

(SEAs) and submitted to the U.S. Department of 

Education through the EDFacts submission system. 

• The averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR) 

(Indicator 5) provides an estimate of the cohort 

graduation rate for public high school students. 

The AFGR uses aggregated counts of students by 

grade and the overall diploma count, as opposed 

to individual student-level data, to estimate an 

on-time graduation rate. NCES calculates the 

AFGR using enrollment and diploma counts 

submitted by SEAs through the CCD collection. 

While the AFGR is not as accurate as the ACGR, 

it can be estimated annually as far back as the 

1960s.8

More information about data sources and calculations 

is provided briefly in the body of the report, with more 

detail provided in appendixes A and B.

Data Sources

As noted above, the data presented in this report are 

drawn from the annual October CPS, ACS, EDFacts, 

and CCD collections. CPS data are collected through 

household interviews and are representative of the 

civilian, noninstitutionalized population in the United 

States, including students attending public and private 

schools. The ACS collects data on the U.S. resident 

8

 The AFGR indicator in this edition of the report is a repeat of the AFGR 

indicator in the previous edition since more recent data were unavailable.

population through interviews with households and 

persons in group quarters facilities. The individuals in 

group quarters facilities surveyed in the ACS include 

incarcerated persons, institutionalized9 persons, and 

the active duty military who are residing in the United 

States. The CCD and EDFacts data collections are 

administrative datasets that contain aggregated data for 

all U.S. public schools, local education agencies (LEAs), 

and SEAs. 

As with all data collections, those used in this report are 

useful for calculating some types of estimates but poorly 

suited for calculating other types. For example, CPS data 

do not provide information about military personnel or 

individuals residing in institutionalized group quarters, 

such as prison inmates or patients in long-term medical 

or custodial facilities. Data from CPS cannot produce 

estimates below regional levels of geography for the age 

groups used in this report. ACS data are not available 

for long-term trend analyses, but include individuals 

living in a wider range of living quarters than the CPS 

data. Data from the CCD are appropriate for studying 

public school students in a given year, but do not provide 

information on private school students or young people 

who did not attend school in the United States. Datasets 

that track individual student records over time can 

provide more detailed information on the processes and 

precise timelines associated with completing high school 

or dropping out.10 

The CPS and ACS data are limited in terms of their 

ability to identify alternative credential holders. 

Therefore, alternative credential recipients are not 

included in dropout counts and are not separated from 

regular diploma holders in the status completion rates. 

Table A summarizes the different rates reported in this 

compendium.

9

 Institutionalized includes those in correctional institutions or nursing homes. 

Members of the military living in nonfamily housing such as military barracks 

or aboard ship are included in the noninstitutionalized population.

10 Many states have student-level administrative record systems that follow 

student progress over time; these systems can be used for this kind of analysis. 

NCES is supporting the development of similar systems across additional 

states (see http://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds for details) and periodically 

conducts national-level longitudinal studies of high school students that can 

be used for such analysis (e.g., the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009).

Introduction

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 2
Introduction

Table A. Summary table of high school dropout, completion, and graduation rates 

Rate

Current 

statistic (year) Age group/Grades Description Data sources

Event dropout rate 

(Indicator 1)

4.7 percent 

(2017)

Civilian 

noninstitutionalized 

youth, ages 15–24

Percentage of 15- to 24-year-olds in 

grades 10–12 who left school between 

the beginning of one school year and 

the beginning of the next without 

earning a high school diploma or 

alternative credential

Current 

Population 

Survey (CPS)

Status dropout rate 

(Indicator 2)

5.4 percent 

(2017)

Noninstitutionalized 

and institutionalized 

youth, ages 16–24

Percentage of all 16- to 24-year-olds 

who are not enrolled in school and do 

not have a high school credential

American 

Community 

Survey (ACS) 

and

Current 

Population 

Survey (CPS)

Status completion 

rate (Indicator 3)

93.3 percent 

(2017)

Civilian 

noninstitutionalized 

youth, ages 18–24

Among 18- to 24-year-olds who are 

not enrolled in high school or a lower 

education level, the percentage 

who hold a high school diploma or 

alternative credential

Current 

Population 

Survey (CPS)

Adjusted cohort 

graduation rate 

(Indicator 4)

85 percent 

(2016–17)

Public school 

students in grades 

9–12

Percentage of public high school 

students who graduate with a regular 

diploma within 4 years of starting 9th 

grade

EDFacts

Submission 

System

Averaged freshman 

graduation rate 

(Indicator 5)

82 percent 

(2012–13)

Public school 

students in grades 

9–12

Estimated percentage of public high 

school students who graduate with a 

regular diploma 4 years after starting 

9th grade

Common Core 

of Data (CCD)

NOTE: See technical notes in appendix B for more information. See the glossary in appendix C for definitions of institutionalized and noninstitutionalized 

populations.

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 3
Standard Errors

Comparisons of estimates from sample surveys such as 

the CPS and ACS require consideration of several factors 

before they become meaningful. When using data from 

a sample, some margin of error will always be present in 

estimations of characteristics of the total population or 

subpopulation because the data are available from only 

a portion of the total population. Consequently, data 

from samples can provide only an approximation of the 

true or actual value. The margin of error of an estimate, 

or the range of potential true or actual values, depends 

on several factors such as the amount of variation in the 

responses, the size and representativeness of the sample, 

and the size of the subgroup for which the estimate is 

computed. The magnitude of this margin of error is 

measured by what statisticians call the “standard error” 

of an estimate.

When data from sample surveys are reported, a standard 

error is calculated for each estimate. The standard 

errors for all estimated totals, means, or percentages are 

reported in the reference tables.

In order to caution the reader when interpreting findings 

in the indicators, estimates from sample surveys are 

flagged with a “!” when the coefficient of variation (the 

standard error expressed as a percentage of the estimate) 

is between 30 and 50 percent, and suppressed with a “‡” 

when the coefficient of variation is 50 percent or greater 

or there are too few cases for a reliable estimate.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

When estimates are from a sample, caution is warranted 

when drawing conclusions about one estimate in 

comparison to another, or about whether a time series 

of estimates is increasing, decreasing, or staying the 

same. Although one estimate may appear to be larger 

than another, a statistical test may find that the apparent 

difference between them is not reliably measurable due 

to the uncertainty around the estimates. In this case, 

the estimates will be described as having no measurable 

difference, meaning that the difference between them is 

not statistically significant.

Whether differences in means or percentages11 are 

statistically significant can be determined using the 

standard errors of the estimates. In these indicators and 

other reports produced by NCES, when differences 

are statistically significant, the probability that the 

difference occurred by chance is less than 5 percent, 

according to NCES standards.

For all indicators that report estimates based on samples, 

differences between estimates (including increases and 

decreases) are stated only when they are statistically 

significant. To determine whether differences reported 

are statistically significant, two-tailed t tests at the .05 

level are typically used. In this report, the t test formula 

is not adjusted for multiple comparisons. When the 

variables to be tested are postulated to form a trend, 

the relationship is tested using linear regression. For 

more information on data analysis, please see the NCES 

Statistical Standards, Standard 5-1, available at http://

nces.ed.gov/statprog/2012/pdf/Chapter5.pdf.

A number of considerations influence the ultimate 

selection of the data years to feature in the indicators. 

To make analyses as timely as possible, the latest year of 

available data is shown. The choice of comparison years 

is often also based on the desire to show the earliest 

available survey year. In the case of surveys with long 

time frames, such as the CPS, the beginning year of the 

indicator is set to 1977 to provide a 40-year trend line. 

In the figures and tables of the indicators, intervening 

years are selected in increments in order to show the 

general trend. The narrative for the indicators typically 

compares the most current year’s data with those from 

the initial year and then with those from a more recent 

period. Where applicable, the narrative may also note 

years in which the data begin to diverge from previous 

trends.

Data presented in the indicators do not investigate more 

complex hypotheses, account for interrelationships 

among variables, or support causal inferences. We 

encourage readers who are interested in more complex 

questions and in-depth analyses to explore other NCES 

resources, including publications, online data tools, and 

public- and restricted-use datasets at http://nces.ed.gov. 

11 Throughout this report, percentages are based on unrounded counts.

Introduction

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 4
Introduction

Symbols

In accordance with the NCES Statistical Standards, 

many tables in this volume use a series of symbols 

to alert the reader to special statistical notes. These 

symbols, and their meanings, are as follows:

— Not available. 

† Not applicable. 

# Rounds to zero. 

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation 

(CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few 

cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation 

(CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater.

Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 5
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INDICATORS
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 8

Indicator 1: 

EVENT DROPOUT RATE 4.7% (2017)

Source: Current Population Survey

Event Dropout Rate

Definition: The percentage of 15- to 24-year-olds in 

grades 10 through 12 who left high school between the 

beginning of one school year and the beginning of the 

next (e.g., October 2016 to October 2017) without earning 

a high school diploma or an alternative credential, such 

as a GED. 

Population: Civilian, noninstitutionalized 15- to 24-yearolds who attended either public or private high schools in 

the United States.

Credentials: Recipients of an alternative credential such 

as a GED are not counted as dropouts.

Data Source: Current Population Survey (CPS)

The event dropout rate is the percentage of 15- to 

24-year-olds in grades 10 through 12 who leave high 

school between the beginning of one school year and 

the beginning of the next without earning a high school 

diploma or an alternative credential such as a GED. 

The event dropout rate provides information about 

the rate at which U.S. high school students are leaving 

school without receiving a high school credential. The 

measure can be used to study student experiences in the 

U.S. secondary school system in a given year. The status 

dropout rates presented in Indicator 2, on the other 

hand, focus on the educational attainment of the overall 

16- to 24-year-old population in the United States, 

regardless of when or where they attended school.

The event dropout rates presented in this indicator 

are based on data from the Census Bureau’s Current 

Population Survey (CPS). CPS data have been collected 

annually for decades, allowing for the analysis of longterm trends. Many of the event dropout rate estimates 

are based on responses from a relatively small number 

of survey respondents. As a result, some differences that 

seem substantial are not statistically significant. 

Total event dropout rates 

Between October 2016 and October 2017, the number 

of 15- to 24-year-olds who left school without obtaining 

a high school credential was approximately 523,000. 

These event dropouts accounted for 4.7 percent of the 

11.1 million 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in grades 10 

through 12 in 2016 (figure 1.1 and table 1.1). The event 

dropout rate in 2017 was lower than the rate in 1977 

(when it was 6.5 percent)1; however, the 2017 rate was 

higher than the rate in 2007 (when it was 3.5 percent; 

figure 1.2 and table 1.2).
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 9

Indicator 1: 

EVENT DROPOUT RATE

Figure 1.1. Percentage of grade 10–12 dropouts among persons 15 to 24 years old (event dropout rate), by selected 

characteristics: October 2017

 

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

NOTE: The event dropout rate is the percentage of youth ages 15 to 24 who dropped out of grades 10–12 between one October and the next (e.g., October 

2016 to October 2017). Dropping out is defined as leaving school without a high school diploma or an alternative credential such as a GED. Race categories 

exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Individuals identified as having a disability reported difficulty with at least one of the following: hearing, seeing even 

when wearing glasses, walking or climbing stairs, dressing or bathing, doing errands alone, concentrating, remembering, or making decisions. Age is at the 

time of data collection. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons 

living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October 2017. See table 1.1.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 10

Indicator 1: 

EVENT DROPOUT RATE

Event dropout rates by race/ethnicity

In 2017, the event dropout rate for Hispanic 15- to 

24-year-olds was higher than the rate for White 15- to 

24-year-olds (6.5 percent vs. 3.9 percent), but not 

measurably different from the rate for 15- to 24-yearolds who were Black (5.5 percent), Asian (4.7 percent), 

and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.4 percent; figure 

1.1 and table 1.1). There were no measurable differences 

in event dropout rates between 15- to 24-year-olds who 

were Black, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, and 

White.2

Figure 1.2. Percentage of grade 10–12 dropouts among persons 15 to 24 years old (event dropout rate): October 1977 

through 2017

 

1

 Includes other racial/ethnic categories not separately shown.

NOTE: The event dropout rate is the percentage of youth ages 15 to 24 who dropped out of grades 10–12 between one October and the next (e.g., October 

2016 to October 2017). Dropping out is defined as leaving school without a high school diploma or an alternative credential such as a GED. Race categories 

exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. White and Black exclude persons of Two or more races after 2002. Because of changes in data collection procedures, 

data for 1992 and later years may not be comparable with figures for prior years. Some estimates differ from those in previously published reports because of 

data updates. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in 

institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1977 through 2017. See table 1.2. 

The event dropout rate for White 15- to 24-year-olds 

declined from 6.1 percent in 1977 to 3.9 percent 

in 2017 (figure 1.2 and table 1.2), but there was no 

measurable difference between the event dropout rates 

in 1977 and 2017 for either Black or Hispanic 15- to 

24-year-olds. In addition, while the event dropout 

rate for White 15- to 24-year-olds increased from 

2.2 percent in 2007 to 3.9 percent in 2017, there was 

no measurable difference between the rates in 2007 and 

2017 for either Black or Hispanic 15- to 24-year-olds. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 11

Indicator 1: 

EVENT DROPOUT RATE

Event dropout rates by sex

In 2017, the event dropout rate for 15- to 24-year-old 

males (5.4 percent) was higher than the rate for females 

(3.9 percent; figure 1.1 and table 1.2); however, there 

generally have not been measurable differences between 

the event dropout rates for male and female 15- to 

24-year-olds over the past 40 years (table 1.2). During 

this period, the only other years in which there were 

measurable differences between male and female event 

dropout rates were 1978, 2000, and 2001. As in 2017, 

in each of these three years the event dropout rate for 

males was higher than the rate for females. 

Event dropout rates by disability status

The 2017 event dropout rate for 15- to 24-year-olds 

with disabilities (6.2 percent) was not measurably 

different from the rate for their peers without 

disabilities (4.6 percent; figure 1.1 and table 1.1).

Event dropout rates by age

Event dropout rates by age group—4.5 percent for 

15- to 16-year-olds, 4.1 percent for 17-year-olds, 

5.2 percent for 18-year-olds, 6.1 percent for 19-yearolds, and 5.8 percent for 20- to 24-year-olds—were not 

measurably different from each other in 2017 (table 1.1).

Event dropout rates by region 

For the most part, the event dropout rates in the four 

U.S. geographic regions defined by the U.S. Census 

Bureau were not measurably different from each 

other in 2017. The only exception was that the event 

dropout rate for 15- to 24-year-olds in the Midwest 

(3.2 percent; table 1.1) was lower than that in the South 

(5.2 percent). Event dropout rates were 5.1 percent in 

the West and 4.9 percent in the Northeast in 2017. 

Endnotes 

1 Because of changes in data collection procedures, use caution when comparing data for 1992 and later years to earlier data. For more 

information on the data collection changes, see Kaufman, Alt, and Chapman (2004).

2 Reliable estimates were not available for 15- to 24-year-olds who were Pacific Islander or of Two or more races in 2017.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 12

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE 5.4% (2017)

Source: American Community Survey and 

Current Population Survey

Status Dropout Rate

Definition: The percentage of all 16- to 24-year-olds who 

are not enrolled in school and do not have a high school 

diploma or an alternative credential, such as a GED.

Population: 

American Community Survey (ACS) – Individuals 

ages 16 to 24 residing in the United States regardless of 

whether they attended public schools, private schools, 

or schools outside of the United States. Includes those 

in active duty military service and those living in 

institutionalized settings.

Current Population Survey (CPS) – Civilian, 

noninstitutionalized youth ages 16 to 24 residing in 

the United States, regardless of whether they attended 

public schools, private schools, or schools outside of 

the United States.

Credentials: Recipients of an alternative credential such 

as a GED are not counted as dropouts.

Data Source: American Community Survey (ACS), Current 

Population Survey (CPS) 

The status dropout rate is the number of 16- to 24-yearolds who are not enrolled in school and have not earned 

a high school diploma or an alternative credential, such 

as a GED, as a percentage of the total number of 16- to 

24-year-olds in the population. The status dropout rate 

is different from the event dropout rate (see Indicator 1) 

because the status dropout rate includes all dropouts 

in a particular age range, regardless of when or where 

they last attended school, including individuals who 

may have never attended school in the United States, 

whereas the event dropout rate includes individuals in a 

particular age range who left a U.S. high school within 

a particular 1-year period.

In this indicator, status dropout rates are estimated 

using both the American Community Survey (ACS) 

and the Current Population Survey (CPS). The ACS 

covers a broad population, including individuals 

living in households, as well as individuals living in 

noninstitutionalized group quarters (such as college or 

military housing) and institutionalized group quarters 

(such as correctional or nursing facilities).1 The ACS 

can provide detail on small demographic groups 

because it has a large number of respondents. The CPS 

household survey covers a narrower population and has 

fewer respondents, but it has been collected annually for 

decades and can be used to examine long-term trends in 

the civilian, noninstitutionalized population. 

Status dropout rates from the American Community 

Survey

2017 status dropout rates by institutional status

In 2017, the ACS status dropout rate for all 16- to 

24-year-olds was 5.4 percent (figure 2.1 and table 2.1). 

The rate was 5.1 percent for the noninstitutionalized 

population, which includes individuals living in 

households and noninstitutionalized group quarters, 

such as college and university housing, military 

quarters, facilities for workers and religious groups, and 

temporary shelters for the homeless. In contrast, the rate 

was 32.4 percent for the institutionalized population, 

which includes individuals in adult and juvenile 

correctional facilities, nursing facilities, and other 

healthcare facilities.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 13

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

Figure 2.1. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), by 

selected characteristics: 2017

 

1 Includes data from respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

2 Persons living in households as well as persons living in noninstitutionalized group quarters. Noninstitutionalized group quarters include college and 

university housing, military quarters, facilities for workers and religious groups, and temporary shelters for the homeless.

3 Persons living in institutionalized group quarters, including adult and juvenile correctional facilities, nursing facilities, and other health care facilities.

4 Includes those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas, as 

well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents.

NOTE: “Status” dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they 

left school and whether they ever attended school in the United States. People who received an alternative credential such as a GED are counted as high 

school completers. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population of 16- to 24-year-olds 

residing within the United States. Estimates may differ from those based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) because of differences in survey design and 

target populations. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2017. See table 2.1. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 14

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

2017 status dropout rates by race/ethnicity 

The status dropout rate varied by race/ethnicity in 

2017. American Indian/Alaska Native youth had the 

highest status dropout rate (10.1 percent) of all racial/

ethnic groups, including youth who were Hispanic 

(8.2 percent), Black (6.5 percent), of Two or more races 

(4.5 percent), White (4.3 percent), Pacific Islander 

(3.9 percent), and Asian (2.1 percent; figure 2.1 and 

table 2.1). In addition, the status dropout rate for 

Hispanic youth was higher than the rate for Black 

youth. Hispanic and Black youth also had higher status 

dropout rates than youth of Two or more races, White, 

Pacific Islander, and Asian youth. In contrast, Asian 

youth had the lowest status dropout rate of all racial/

ethnic groups except for Pacific Islander youth, whose 

status dropout rate was not measurably different from 

the rate for Asian youth.

2017 status dropout rates by sex and race/ethnicity

In 2017, the ACS status dropout rate for female 16- to 

24-year-olds (4.4 percent) was lower than the rate for 

their male peers (6.4 percent; figure 2.2 and table 2.1). 

For 16- to 24-year-olds who were White, Black, 

Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, and of Two 

or more races, the status dropout rates were higher 

for males than for females. Among these groups, the 

male-female gap in status dropout rates ranged from 

1.2 percentage points for White 16- to 24-year-olds to 

3.6 percentage points for Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds. 

There were no measurable differences by sex in the status 

dropout rates for Asian and Pacific Islander individuals.

Figure 2.2. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), by 

race/ethnicity and sex: 2017

 

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

1 Includes data from respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

NOTE: “Status” dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they 

left school and whether they ever attended school in the United States. People who received an alternative credential such as a GED are counted as high 

school completers. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population of 16- to 24-year-olds 

residing within the United States. Estimates may differ from those based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) because of differences in survey design and 

target populations.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2017. See table 2.1. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 15

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

2017 status dropout rates by nativity and race/

ethnicity

Data from the ACS also enable comparisons between 

the status dropout rates of U.S.-born2 and foreign-born 

individuals in the noninstitutionalized population.3

Overall, the status dropout rate was lower for U.S.-born 

16- to 24-year-olds (5.0 percent) than for their foreignborn peers (8.9 percent; figure 2.3 and table 2.1). 

Following a similar pattern, status dropout rates were 

lower for U.S.-born individuals than for their foreignborn counterparts in the Hispanic (6.3 vs. 15.2 percent) 

and Asian (1.5 vs. 2.8 percent) racial/ethnic groups. 

However, status dropout rates were higher for U.S.-born 

individuals than for their foreign-born counterparts 

who were White (4.3 vs. 3.5 percent) and Black (6.6 vs. 

5.1 percent). The status dropout rates for U.S.-born 

16- to 24-year-olds who were Pacific Islanders and of 

Two or more races were not measurably different from 

the rates for their foreign-born peers.

Figure 2.3. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), 

by race/ethnicity and nativity: 2017

 

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

1 Includes data from respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

2 Includes those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas, as 

well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents.

NOTE: “Status” dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they 

left school and whether they ever attended school in the United States. People who received an alternative credential such as a GED are counted as high 

school completers. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population of 16- to 24-year-olds 

residing within the United States. Estimates may differ from those based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) because of differences in survey design and 

target populations. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2017. See table 2.1. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 16

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

2017 status dropout rates by disability status

The status dropout rate also differed by disability status4

in 2017. The status dropout rate was 12.1 percent for 

youth with a disability versus 5.0 percent for youth 

without a disability in 2017 (table 2.1). 

2013–2017 average status dropout rates by Hispanic 

and Asian subgroup 

While this indicator presents overall high school status 

dropout rates for Hispanic and Asian 16- to 24-yearolds, there is much diversity within each of these 

groups. ACS data on status dropout rates are available 

for many specific Asian and Hispanic subgroups, 

including, for example, 16- to 24-year-olds of Chinese, 

Vietnamese, Mexican, and Puerto Rican descent. 

Detailed data by national origin were not available 

for other racial/ethnic groups. This indicator presents 

average status dropout rates based on five years of ACS 

data in order to obtain more stable estimates for small 

population groups, including Hispanic and Asian 

subgroups. 

The 2013–2017 5-year-average status dropout rate5 for 

Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds was 9.9 percent overall, 

while status dropout rates by Hispanic subgroup ranged 

from 1.5 percent for individuals of Bolivian descent 

to 24.5 percent for individuals of Guatemalan descent 

(figure 2.4 and table 2.2). Status dropout rates for 

Hispanics of Guatemalan (24.5 percent), Honduran 

(17.6 percent), and Salvadoran descent (13.5 percent) 

were higher than the total Hispanic status dropout 

rate. In contrast, status dropout rates for Hispanics 

of Puerto Rican (9.2 percent), Other Hispanic 

(8.5 percent), Dominican (7.9 percent), Ecuadorian 

(7.6 percent), Nicaraguan (6.9 percent), Cuban (5.7 

percent), Uruguayan (5.2 percent), Other Central 

American (4.6 percent), Spaniard (4.5 percent), Chilean 

(4.2 percent), Costa Rican (3.7 percent), Colombian 

(3.2 percent), Panamanian (2.8 percent), Peruvian 

(2.8 percent), Venezuelan (2.6 percent), Paraguayan 

(2.5 percent), Argentinian (2.0 percent), and Bolivian 

descent (1.5 percent) were lower than the total Hispanic 

status dropout rate. The status dropout rates for 

individuals of Mexican descent were not measurably 

different from the total Hispanic rate.6
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 17

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

Figure 2.4. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), 

by selected Hispanic subgroups: 2013–2017

 

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

1 If the estimation procedure were repeated many times, 95 percent of the calculated confidence intervals would contain the true status dropout rate for the 

population group.

NOTE: “Status” dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when 

they left school. People who received an alternative credential such as a GED are counted as high school completers. This figure presents 2013–2017 5-yearaverage status dropout rates. Use of a 5-year average increases the sample size, thereby reducing the sampling error and producing more stable estimates. 

Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population of 16- to 24-year-olds residing within the United States, including both noninstitutionalized 

persons (e.g., those living in households, college housing, or military housing located within the United States) and institutionalized persons (e.g., those 

living in prisons, nursing facilities, or other healthcare facilities). Estimates may differ from those based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) because of 

differences in survey design and target populations. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2013–2017. See table 2.2.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 18

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

The 2013–2017 average status dropout rate for Asian 

16- to 24-year-olds was 2.3 percent overall, while status 

dropout rates by Asian subgroup ranged from 1.1 to 

23.2 percent (figure 2.5 and table 2.2). The status 

dropout rates for Asians of Burmese (23.2 percent), 

Bhutanese (19.3 percent), Nepalese (9.9 percent), 

Cambodian (6.5 percent), Thai (5.8 percent), Laotian 

(5.0 percent), Southeast Asian (4.4 percent), Hmong 

(4.2 percent), and Bangladeshi descent (4.2 percent) 

were higher than the total Asian rate. Status dropout 

rates for individuals of Asian Indian (1.8 percent), 

Chinese (1.3 percent), Japanese (1.3 percent), and 

Korean (1.1 percent) descent were lower than the total 

Asian rate. Status dropout rates for individuals of 

Filipino and Pakistani descent were not measurably 

different from the total Asian rate.7
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 19

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

Figure 2.5. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), 

by selected Asian subgroups: 2013–2017

 

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

1

 If the estimation procedure were repeated many times, 95 percent of the calculated confidence intervals would contain the true status dropout rate for the 

population group.

NOTE: “Status” dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when 

they left school. People who received an alternative credential such as a GED are counted as high school completers. This figure presents 2013–2017 5-yearaverage status dropout rates. Use of a 5-year average increases the sample size, thereby reducing the sampling error and producing more stable estimates. 

Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population of 16- to 24-year-olds residing within the United States, including both noninstitutionalized 

persons (e.g., those living in households, college housing, or military housing located within the United States) and institutionalized persons (e.g., those 

living in prisons, nursing facilities, or other healthcare facilities). Estimates may differ from those based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) because of 

differences in survey design and target populations. Asian subgroups exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2013–2017. See table 2.2.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 20

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

2013–2017 average status dropout rates by state

Averaged data from five years of the ACS can also be 

used to calculate status dropout rates for 16- to 24-yearolds in each state. The average 2013–2017 status 

dropout rates ranged from 3.8 percent in Massachusetts 

to 9.6 percent in Louisiana (figure 2.6 and table 2.3). 

In all, 16 states—most of which were located either in 

the South (10 states) or the West regions (5 states)—had 

higher status dropout rates than the national average 

for 16- to 24-year-olds (6.0 percent). Twenty-two 

states and the District of Columbia had ACS status 

dropout rates lower than the national average. The 

remaining 12 states had status dropout rates that were 

not measurably different from the national average. (See 

figure 2.6, which presents the status dropout rates for 

the 50 states and the District of Columbia.)

Figure 2.6. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), by 

state: 2013–2017

 

NOTE: “Status” dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when 

they left school. People who received an alternative credential such as a GED are counted as high school completers. This figure presents 2013-2017 5-yearaverage status dropout rates. Use of a 5-year average increases the sample size, thereby reducing the sampling error and producing more stable estimates. 

Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population of 16- to 24-year-olds residing within the United States, including both noninstitutionalized 

persons (e.g., those living in households, college housing, or military housing located within the United States) and institutionalized persons (e.g., those 

living in prisons, nursing facilities, or other healthcare facilities). Estimates may differ from those based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) because of 

differences in survey design and target populations.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2013–2017. See table 2.3.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 21

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

2013–2017 average White-Black gap of status dropout 

rate by state

Based on 5 years of ACS data, the 2013–2017 average 

status dropout rate for White 16- to 24-year-olds 

(4.5 percent) was 3.0 percentage points lower than 

the rate for their Black peers (7.5 percent) (table 2.3). 

In total, 33 states had statistically significant WhiteBlack gaps, and in each of these states the White 

status dropout rate was lower than the Black status 

dropout rate (figure 2.7). Among these 33 states, the 

White-Black gap ranged from 1.1 percentage points 

in Alabama to 7.1 percentage points in Nebraska. 

There was no measurable difference between the status 

dropout rates of White and Black 16- to 24-year-olds 

in 8 states, and reliable estimates were unavailable for 

one of the two subgroups in 9 states and the District 

of Columbia. (See figure 2.7 for listings of states in 

which the Black status dropout rate was higher than 

the White status dropout rate, states in which the two 

rates were not measurably different, and states in which 

reliable estimates were unavailable for one of these two 

subgroups.)

Figure 2.7. States in which status dropout rates for Black and Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds are higher than, not 

measurably different from, or lower than the status dropout rate for White 16- to 24-year-olds: 2013–2017

Status dropout rate for Black youth

Higher than the rate for 

White youth

Not measurably different from 

the rate for White youth

Lower than the rate for 

White youth

Not available/does not meet 

reporting standards

AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, 

IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, 

NE, NV, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, 

TN, TX, VA, WA, WI

DE, KY, NM, OR, RI, SD, UT, WV None AK, HI, ID, ME, MT, NH, ND, 

VT, WY

Status dropout rate for Hispanic youth

Higher than the rate for 

White youth

Not measurably different from 

the rate for White youth

Lower than the rate for 

White youth

Not available/does not meet 

reporting standards

AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, 

IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, 

MS, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, 

ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, 

UT, VA, WA, WI, WY

AK,HI, ME, MT, WV None VT

NOTE: “Status” dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when 

they left school. People who received an alternative credential such as a GED are counted as high school completers. Race categories exclude persons of 

Hispanic ethnicity. This figure presents 2013–2017 5-year-average status dropout rates. Use of a 5-year average increases the sample size, thereby reducing 

the sampling error and producing more stable estimates. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population of 16- to 24-year-olds residing within the 

United States, including both noninstitutionalized persons (e.g., those living in households, college housing, or military housing located within the United 

States) and institutionalized persons (e.g., those living in prisons, nursing facilities, or other healthcare facilities). Estimates may differ from those based on 

the Current Population Survey (CPS) because of differences in survey design and target populations. Status dropout rate gaps between White students and 

Black and Hispanic students in DC could not be calculated because the dropout rates for White students were suppressed in DC. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2013–2017. See table 2.3. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 22

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

2013–2017 average White-Hispanic gap of status 

dropout rate by state

Based on 5 years of ACS data, the 2013–2017 average 

status dropout rate for White 16- to 24-year-olds 

(4.5 percent) was 5.5 percentage points lower than the 

rate for their Hispanic peers (9.9 percent, table 2.3). 

In total, 44 states had statistically significant WhiteHispanic gaps, and in each of these states the White 

status dropout rate was lower than the Hispanic status 

dropout rate (figure 2.7). Among these 44 states, the 

White-Hispanic gap ranged from 2.9 percentage points 

in New Mexico to 10.5 percentage points in Oklahoma. 

In 5 states, there was no measurable difference between 

the status dropout rates of White and Hispanic 16- to 

24-year-olds, and in Vermont and the District of 

Columbia, reliable estimates were unavailable for one of 

the two subgroups. (See figure 2.7 for listings of states 

in which the Hispanic status dropout rate was higher 

than the White status dropout rate and states in which 

the two rates were not measurably different).

Status dropout rate trends from the Current 

Population Survey 

Total status dropout rate trends

Based on data from the CPS, which is available for 

a longer time period than the ACS, status dropout 

rates have trended downward over the past 40 years, 

declining from 14.1 percent in 19778 to 5.8 percent 

in 2017 (figure 2.8 and table 2.4). During the most 

recent 10-year period of available data (2007 to 2017), 

the status dropout rate decreased from 8.7 percent to 

5.8 percent. 

Figure 2.8. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status dropout rate), by 

race/ethnicity: October 1977 through 2017

 

1 Includes other racial/ethnic categories not separately shown. 

NOTE: “Status” dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they 

left school. People who received an alternative credential such as a GED are counted as high school completers. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic 

ethnicity. White and Black exclude persons of Two or more races after 2002. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, 

which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Because of changes in data collection procedures, 

data for years 1992 and later may not be comparable with figures for years prior to 1992. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1977 through 2017. See table 2.4. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 23

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

Status dropout rate trends by race/ethnicity 

Between 1977 and 2017, status dropout rates decreased 

for White, Black, and Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds 

(figure 2.8 and table 2.4). During this time period, the 

White status dropout rate decreased from 11.9 percent 

to 4.6 percent, the Black status dropout rate decreased 

from 19.8 percent to 5.7 percent, and the Hispanic 

status dropout rate decreased from 33.0 percent to 

9.5 percent. Between 2007 and 2017, status dropout 

rates decreased for Black and Hispanic 16- to 24-yearolds (from 8.4 percent to 5.7 percent and from 

21.4 percent to 9.5 percent, respectively), while the rate 

for White 16- to 24-year-olds showed no measurable 

change. 

The status dropout rate for White 16- to 24-yearolds was consistently lower than the rate for their 

Black peers between 1977 and 2015 (figure 2.8 and 

table 2.4). The White-Black gap in status dropout 

rates was 7.9 percentage points in 1977 and it fell to 

3.1 percentage points in 2007. After 2007, the White 

status dropout rate remained lower than the Black rate 

until 2016 and 2017, two years in which there was no 

measurable gap between the White and Black status 

dropout rates. In addition, the White status dropout 

rate was consistently lower than the Hispanic rate 

between 1977 and 2017, although the gap decreased 

from 21.1 percentage points to 4.8 percentage points 

over that period. During the most recent 10-year 

period of available data (2007 to 2017), the WhiteHispanic gap in the status dropout rate decreased from 

16.2 percentage points to 4.8 percentage points. 

Status dropout rate trends by sex

The downward trend in the overall status dropout rate 

from 1977 to 2017 was observed for both male (from 

14.5 to 6.6 percent) and female 16- to 24-year-olds 

(from 13.8 to 5.0 percent; table 2.4). Between 2007 and 

2017, the status dropout rate for male 16- to 24-yearolds fell from 9.8 percent to 6.6 percent, and the status 

dropout rate for female 16- to 24-year-olds fell from 

7.7 percent to 5.0 percent. From 1977 to 2017, the male 

status dropout rate was generally higher than the female 

status dropout rate; however, in certain years during 

the period (1977–1979, 1987, 1990–1993, 1995–1996, 

2013, and 2015) there was no measurable difference 

between the male and female status dropout rates.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 24

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

Figure 2.9. Percentage distribution of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status 

dropouts), by labor force status: Selected years, October 1977 through 2017

 

NOTE: “Status” dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when 

they left school. People who received an alternative credential such as a GED are counted as high school completers. Data are based on sample surveys of 

the civilian noninstitutionalized population. The rates reported in this figure are not the same as official employment and unemployment rates released by 

Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), selected years, October 1977 through 2017. See table 2.5.

Trends in the labor force status of status dropouts

Among 16- to 24-year-olds who were status 

dropouts in 2017, some 46.7 percent were employed, 

44.9 percent were not in the labor force, and 8.3 

percent were unemployed (figure 2.9 and table 2.5). 

These percentages are not comparable to the Bureau 

of Labor Statistics unemployment rates, which exclude 

individuals who were not in the labor force. The 

percentage of status dropouts who were employed in 

2017 (46.7 percent) was lower than the percentage 

in 1977 (52.9 percent). Similarly, the percentage 

of status dropouts who were unemployed in 2017 

(8.3 percent) was also lower than the percentage in 1977 

(13.6 percent). The percentage of status dropouts who 

were not in the labor force increased from 33.3 percent 

in 2007 to 44.9 percent in 2017. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 25

Indicator 2: 

STATUS DROPOUT RATE

Figure 2.10. Percentage distribution of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24 years old (status 

dropouts), by years of school completed: Selected years, October 1977 through 2017

 

NOTE: “Status” dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they 

left school. People who received an alternative credential such as a GED are counted as high school completers. Data are based on sample surveys of the 

civilian noninstitutionalized population.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), selected years, October 1977 through 2017. See table 2.5.

Trends in the years of school completed by status 

dropouts

In 2017, some 21.0 percent of status dropouts had 

completed fewer than 9 years of school, 9.8 percent 

had completed 9 years, 20.3 percent had completed 

10 years, and 49.0 percent had completed 11 or 12 years 

(figure 2.10 and table 2.5). Between 1977 and 2017, 

the percentage of status dropouts who had completed 

9 years decreased by 12.0 percentage points. Similarly, 

the percentage of status dropouts who had completed 

10 years of school decreased by 7.0 percentage points. 

By contrast, the percentage of status dropouts who had 

completed 11 or 12 years increased by 22.4 percentage 

points. Between 2007 and 2017, the percentage of 

status dropouts who had completed 9 years of school 

decreased by 7.2 percentage points, while the percentage 

of status dropouts who had completed 11 or 12 years 

increased by 10.0 percentage points and the percentage 

of status dropouts who had completed 10 years showed 

no measurable change. 

Endnotes 

1 While useful for measuring overall educational attainment among young adults in the United States, the status dropout rate is limited as an 

indicator of the performance of U.S. schools because it includes individuals who never attended school in the United States.

2 U.S.-born individuals include those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin 

Islands, and the Northern Marianas, as well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents.

3 The noninstitutionalized population includes persons living in households as well as persons living in noninstitutionalized group quarters. 

Noninstitutionalized group quarters include college and university housing, military quarters, facilities for workers and religious groups, and 

temporary shelters for the homeless.

4 In this indicator, a disability is a long-lasting physical, mental, or emotional condition that can make it difficult for a person to do activities 

such as walking, climbing stairs, dressing, bathing, learning, or remembering. The condition can also impede a person from being able to go 

outside the home alone or to work at a job or business. For more details, see https://www.census.gov/topics/health/disability/about/glossary.html.

5 These estimates are derived from a sample collected over a period of 5 years (from 2013 to 2017). The use of a 5-year average increases the 

sample size, thereby reducing the size of sampling errors and producing more stable estimates. 

6 A reliable estimate was not available for Other South American 16- to 24-year-olds.

7 Reliable estimates were not available for Taiwanese, Sri Lankan, Indonesian, and Malaysian 16- to 24-year-olds.

8 Because of changes in data collection procedures, use caution when comparing data for 1992 and later years to earlier data. For more 

information on the data collection changes, see Kaufman, Alt, and Chapman (2004).
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 26

Indicator 3: 

STATUS COMPLETION RATE 93.3% (2017)

Source: Current Population Survey

Status Completion Rate

Definition: Among 18- to 24-year-olds who are not 

enrolled in high school or a lower education level, the 

percentage who hold a high school diploma or an 

alternative credential, such as a GED. 

Population: Civilian, noninstitutionalized youth ages 

18 to 24 years old, including those who attended public 

schools, private schools, or schools outside of the United 

States.

Credentials: A high school diploma or an alternative 

credential, such as a GED.

Data Source: Current Population Survey (CPS)

Data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) can 

be used to calculate the status completion rate, the 

percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds not enrolled in high 

school or a lower education level who hold a high school 

diploma or an alternative credential, such as a GED. 

This rate includes all civilian, noninstitutionalized 

individuals 18 to 24 years old who have completed 

high school, including individuals who completed 

their education outside of the United States. While 

the graduation rates in Indicators 4 and 5 focus on a 

particular cohort of students in the U.S. secondary 

school system who graduated with a high school 

diploma, the status completion rate, presented in this 

indicator, describes the educational attainment of 

individuals in a given age range. Moreover, the status 

completion rate counts both high school diploma 

recipients and alternative credential recipients as high 

school completers.

The status completion rate is not the opposite of the 

status dropout rate, and the two rates do not add up 

to 100 percent. The rates are based on different age 

ranges: the status dropout rate is reported for 16- to 

24-year-olds, and the status completion rate is reported 

for 18- to 24-year-olds. The denominator of the status 

completion rate excludes current high school students, 

whereas the denominator of the status dropout rate 

includes high school students.

Total status completion rates

Of the 27.6 million 18- to 24-year-olds who were not 

enrolled in high school in October 2017, approximately 

25.8 million (93.3 percent) held a high school diploma 

or an alternative credential (figure 3.1 and table 3.1). 

This percentage represents a 9.7 percentage point 

increase, compared to 83.6 percent in 1977,1 40 years 

earlier (figure 3.2 and table 3.2). More recently, the 

status completion rate increased by 4.4 percentage points 

over the past 10 years, from 89.0 percent in 2007. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 27

Indicator 3: 

STATUS COMPLETION RATE

Figure 3.1. Status completion rates of 18- to 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity, sex, and disability status: October 2017

 

NOTE: The status completion rate is the number of 18- to 24-year-olds who are high school completers as a percentage of the total number of 18- to 24-yearolds who are not enrolled in high school or a lower level of education. High school completers include those with a high school diploma, as well as those 

with an alternative credential such as a GED. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Individuals identified as having a disability reported 

difficulty in at least one of the following: hearing, seeing even when wearing glasses, walking or climbing stairs, dressing or bathing, doing errands alone, 

concentrating, remembering, or making decisions. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons 

in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October 2017. See table 3.1.

Status completion rates by race/ethnicity 

In 2017, the status completion rate for 18- to 24-yearolds was higher for those who were Asian (98.6 percent) 

than for those of any racial/ethnic group except 

those who were of Two or more races (96.4 percent) 

and Pacific Islanders (89.2 percent), with whom no 

measurable differences were observed. In addition, the 

rates were higher for 18- to 24-year-olds who were of 

Two or more races, White (94.8 percent) and Black 

(93.8 percent) than for those who were Hispanic 

(88.3 percent) and American Indian/Alaska Native 

(86.3 percent). The rate for Pacific Islander 18- to 

24-year-olds was not measurably different from the rate 

for any racial/ethnic group. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 28

Indicator 3: 

STATUS COMPLETION RATE

Figure 3.2. Status completion rates of 18- to 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity: October 1977 through 2017

 

1 Includes other racial/ethnic categories not separately shown.

NOTE: The status completion rate is the number of 18- to 24-year-olds who are high school completers as a percentage of the total number of 18- to 24-yearolds who are not enrolled in high school or a lower level of education. High school completers include those with a high school diploma, as well as those 

with an alternative credential such as a GED. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. White and Black exclude persons of Two or more races 

after 2002. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in 

institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Because of changes in data collection procedures, data for years 1992 and later may not be comparable with 

figures for years prior to 1992.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1977 through 2017. See table 3.2.

The general upward trend in status completion rates 

from 1977 to 2017 observed in the overall 18- to 

24-year-old population was also found among White, 

Black, and Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds (figure 3.2 

and table 3.2). During this period, the White 

status completion rate increased from 86.7 percent 

to 94.8 percent, the Black status completion rate 

increased from 73.9 percent to 93.8 percent, and the 

Hispanic status completion rate rose from 58.6 percent 

to 88.3 percent. During the most recent ten year 

period, the White status completion rate increased 

from 93.5 percent to 94.8 percent, the Black status 

completion rate increased from 88.8 percent to 

93.8 percent, and the Hispanic status completion 

rate increased from 72.7 percent to 88.3 percent. The 

status completion rates for Asian 18- to 24-year-olds 

are not available prior to 1989. Between 2007 and 

2017, the Asian status completion rate increased from 

92.8 percent to 98.6 percent. 

For the first time in 40 years, the status completion 

rate for Black 18- to 24-year-olds was not measurably 

different from that of White 18- to 24-year-olds 

(table 3.2). From 1977 to 2016 the status completion 

rate for White 18- to 24-year-olds was consistently 

higher than the rate for Black 18- to 24-year-olds. In 

addition, the status completion rates for White and 

Black 18- to 24-year-olds were consistently higher 

than for Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds. Gaps in status 

completion rates between some racial/ethnic groups 

narrowed during this period. Specifically, the WhiteBlack gap was 12.8 percentage points in 1977, but no 

longer statistically significant in 2017, and the WhiteHispanic gap narrowed from 28.1 percentage points 

in 1977 to 6.4 percentage points in 2017. In addition, 

the Black-Hispanic gap narrowed from 15.3 percentage 

points in 1977 to 5.5 percentage points in 2017.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 29

Indicator 3: 

STATUS COMPLETION RATE

Figure 3.3. Status completion rates of 18- to 24-year-olds, by sex: October 1977 through 2017

 

NOTE: The status completion rate is the number of 18- to 24-year-olds who are high school completers as a percentage of the total number of 18- to 24-yearolds who are not enrolled in high school or a lower level of education. High school completers include those with a high school diploma, as well as those 

with an alternative credential such as a GED. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the 

military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Because of changes in data collection procedures, data for years 1992 and later 

may not be comparable with figures for years prior to 1992.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1977 through 2017. See table 3.2. 

Status completion rates by sex

In 2017, the status completion rate was higher for 

female 18- to 24-year-olds (94.3 percent) than for their 

male peers (92.3 percent; figure 3.1 and table 3.1). 

Between 1977 and 2017, the status completion rate for 

male 18- to 24-year-olds increased from 82.8 percent to 

92.3 percent, and the rate for female 18- to 24-year-olds 

increased from 84.4 percent to 94.3 percent (figure 

3.3 and table 3.2). More recently, between 2007 and 

2017 the status completion rate increased from 87.4 to 

92.3 percent for male 18- to 24-year-olds and from 

90.6 to 94.3 percent for female 18- to 24-year-olds. 

Status completion rates by race/ethnicity and sex

In 2017, the overall pattern of higher status completion 

rates for female 18- to 24-year-olds than for male 

18- to 24-year-olds was also observed for Hispanic 

(90.7 vs. 85.9 percent) 18- to 24-year-olds. There was 

no measurable difference between female and male 

status completion rates for 18- to 24-year-olds who were 

White, Black, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, 

or of Two or more races (table 3.1).2

Status completion rate by disability status

In 2017, the status completion rate for 18- to 24-yearolds with disabilities was lower than that of their peers 

without disabilities (84.8 vs. 93.6 percent; figure 3.1 

and table 3.1).
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 30

Indicator 3: 

STATUS COMPLETION RATE

Figure 3.4. Status completion rates of 18- to 24-year-olds, by recency of immigration and ethnicity: October 2017

 

NOTE: The status completion rate is the number of 18- to 24-year-olds who are high school completers as a percentage of the total number of 18- to 24-yearolds who are not enrolled in high school or a lower level of education. High school completers include those with a high school diploma, as well as those 

with an alternative credential such as a GED. United States refers to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. 

Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas. Children born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents are counted as born in the United States. Individuals defined as “first 

generation” were born in the United States, but one or both of their parents were born outside the United States. Individuals defined as “second generation 

or higher” were born in the United States, as were both of their parents. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, 

which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October 2017. See table 3.1.

Status completion rates by recency of immigration

Status completion rates of foreign-born and U.S.-born 

18- to 24-year-olds can also be compared.3 Among 

Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds, the status completion 

rate for those who were foreign born was 78.1 percent, 

which was lower than the rates for those who were 

first generation (91.7 percent) and those who were 

second generation or higher (90.8 percent; figure 

3.4 and table 3.1). The status completion rate for 

first-generation Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds was not 

measurably different from the rate for Hispanic 18- to 

24-year-olds who were second generation or higher. 

Among non-Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds, the status 

completion rate for those who were foreign born 

(94.7 percent) was lower than the rate for those 

who were first generation (97.9 percent) but was not 

measurably different from the rate for those who were 

second generation or higher (94.5 percent). The status 

completion rate for those who were first generation was 

higher than for those who were second generation or 

higher. The status completion rate for those who were 

first generation was also higher than the U.S. total 

(93.3 percent).

Among 18- to 24-year-olds who were foreign born, 

first generation, and second generation or higher, status 

completion rates were lower for Hispanics than for 

non-Hispanics. 

Status completion rates by region

In 2017, individuals in the Northeast had a higher 

status completion rate (94.9 percent) than their peers 

in the South (92.8 percent; table 3.1). The status 

completion rates between the other U.S. geographic 

regions defined by the U.S. Census Bureau were not 

measurably different from one another. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 31

Indicator 3: 

STATUS COMPLETION RATE

Endnotes 

1 Because of changes in data collection procedures, use caution when comparing data for 1992 and later years to earlier data. For more 

information on the data collection changes, see Kaufman, Alt, and Chapman (2004).

2 Reliable estimates were not available for male and female Pacific Islanders. 

3 The following recency of immigration categories are used in this analysis: (1) individuals born outside the United States (those who were born 

abroad to U.S.-citizen parents are counted as born in the United States); (2) first-generation individuals (those who were born in the United 

States but have at least one parent born outside of the United States); and (3) individuals who are second generation or higher (those who were 

born in the United States and whose parents were both born in the United States).
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 32

Indicator 4: 

ADJUSTED COHORT 

GRADUATION RATE

85% (2016–17)

Source: EDFacts

Adjusted Cohort 

Graduation Rate (ACGR)

Definition: The percentage of first-time ninth-graders in 

public high schools who graduate with a regular diploma 

within 4 years. 

Population: Public high school students who form the 

adjusted cohort for the graduating class (the number of 

first-time 9th-graders plus students who subsequently 

transfer in minus students who subsequently transfer out, 

emigrate, or die during 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade).

Credentials: A regular high school diploma or a 

diploma that recognizes some higher level of academic 

achievement.

Data Source: The ACGR is calculated by state education 

agencies and submitted to the U.S. Department of 

Education through the EDFacts submission system.

The adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) provides 

information about the percentage of United States 

(U.S.) public high school students who graduate on 

time with a regular diploma.1 Specifically, the ACGR 

is the number of students who graduate in 4 years 

with a regular high school diploma divided by the 

number of students who form the adjusted cohort for 

the graduating class. From the beginning of 9th grade 

(or the earliest high school grade), students who are 

entering that grade for the first time form a cohort that 

is “adjusted” by adding any students who subsequently 

transfer into the cohort and subtracting any students 

who subsequently transfer out, emigrate to another 

country, or die. In this indicator, data for the United 

States include public schools in the 50 states and the 

District of Columbia, except for the Bureau of Indian 

Education schools. State education agencies calculate 

the ACGR using detailed data that track each student 

over time. The ACGR is considered the most accurate 

measure available for reporting on-time graduation 

rates (Seastrom et al. 2006b). However, the ACGR is 

a relatively new graduation rate measure, and in many 

states the student-level data required to calculate the 

ACGR have only become available in recent years.

ACGRs are more comparable across states than the 

graduation rates previously compiled by the U.S. 

Department of Education. However, there has been 

some variation in the way that individual states have 

implemented ACGR requirements.2 In addition, 

graduation requirements for obtaining a regular public 

high school diploma vary across states.

The ACGR is different from the averaged freshman 

graduation rate (AFGR) presented in Indicator 5. The 

AFGR uses aggregated public school enrollment data 

and diploma counts to approximate a 4-year graduation 

rate. The AFGR estimate is not as accurate as the 

ACGR, but the AFGR can be estimated annually as far 

back as the 1960s. The ACGR has only been available 

nationally since 2010–11. 

The ACGR is also different from the high school status 

completion rate, which is presented in Indicator 3. The 

status completion rate measures the percentage of all 

civilian, noninstitutionalized 18- to 24-year-olds living 

in the United States who have a high school credential 

(i.e., a regular high school diploma or alternative 

credential, such as a GED) obtained from a public or 

private school or institution, including credentials from 

foreign schools or institutions. In contrast, the ACGR 

focuses on regular high school diploma recipients 

among a single cohort of U.S. public high school 

students. In addition, the status completion rate is 

not sensitive to the timing of when students obtained 

their credentials, while the ACGR counts as graduates 

only those students who obtain a regular high school 

diploma within 4 years of starting 9th grade. 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 33

Indicator 4: 

ADJUSTED COHORT GRADUATION RATE

Figure 4.1. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) of public high school students, by state: 2016–17

 

NOTE: The adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) is the percentage of public high school freshmen who graduate with a regular diploma within 4 years 

of starting 9th grade. Students who are entering 9th grade for the first time form a cohort for the graduating class. This cohort is “adjusted” by adding any 

students who subsequently transfer into the cohort and subtracting any students who subsequently transfer out, emigrate to another country, or die. The 

Bureau of Indian Education and Puerto Rico were not included in the United States 4-year ACGR. The graduation rates displayed above have been rounded to 

whole numbers. Categorizations are based on unrounded percentages.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Consolidated State Performance Report, 2016–17. See table 4.1.

Total ACGR

The U.S. average ACGR for public high school students 

increased over the first 7 years it was collected, from 

79 percent in 2010–11 to 85 percent in 2016–17 

(table 4.1). That is, of the students who were first-time 

ninth-graders in 2013–14, more than four out of five 

had completed high school within 4 years (by the end 

of SY 2016–17). In 2016–17, the ACGR ranged from 

71 percent in New Mexico to 91 percent in Iowa. More 

than three-quarters of states (40) reported ACGRs that 

were 80 percent or higher and less than 90 percent.3
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 34

Indicator 4: 

ADJUSTED COHORT GRADUATION RATE

Figure 4.2. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) of public high school students, by race/ethnicity: 2016–17

 

1

 Includes other race/ethnicity categories not separately shown. 

NOTE: The adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) is the percentage of public high school freshmen who graduate with a regular diploma within 4 years 

of starting 9th grade. Students who are entering 9th grade for the first time form a cohort for the graduating class. This cohort is “adjusted” by adding any 

students who subsequently transfer into the cohort and subtracting any students who subsequently transfer out, emigrate to another country, or die. The 

Bureau of Indian Education and Puerto Rico were not included in the United States 4-year ACGR. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. 

Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Consolidated State Performance Report, 2016–17. See table 4.1.

ACGR by race/ethnicity

In 2016–17, the ACGRs for American Indian/Alaska 

Native (72 percent),4 Black (78 percent), and Hispanic 

(80 percent) public high school students were below 

the U.S. average of 85 percent. The ACGRs for White 

students (89 percent) and Asian/Pacific Islander 

students (91 percent)5 were above the U.S. average 

ACGR (figure 4.2 and table 4.1). Across states, ACGRs 

for White students ranged from 76 percent in New 

Mexico to 95 percent in New Jersey; additionally, in 

37 states and the District of Columbia, the rates for 

White students were higher than the U.S. average 

ACGR. The rates for Black students ranged from 

65 percent in Minnesota to 87 percent in West Virginia. 

Alabama, Maryland, Texas, and West Virginia were 

the only four states in which the ACGRs for Black 

students were higher than the U.S. average ACGR. The 

ACGRs for Hispanic students ranged from 66 percent 

in Minnesota to 92 percent in West Virginia; in six 

states (Alabama, Arkansas, Maine, Texas, Vermont, 

and West Virginia), ACGRs for Hispanic students were 

higher than the U.S. average ACGR. For Asian/Pacific 

Islander students, ACGRs ranged from 78 percent in 

the District of Columbia to 95 percent or higher in 

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New 

Jersey, Texas, and West Virginia; in 43 states, ACGRs 

for Asian/Pacific Islander students were higher than 

the U.S. average ACGR. ACGRs for American Indian/

Alaska Native students ranged from 50 percent in 

South Dakota to 92 percent in New Jersey, and in six 

states (Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, 

Tennessee, and Texas) the rates were higher than the 

U.S. average ACGR.6 (See table 4.1 for additional statelevel data.) 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 35

Indicator 4: 

ADJUSTED COHORT GRADUATION RATE

Figure 4.3. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) of Black and White public high school students, by state: 2016–17

 

1

 The graduation rate gaps were calculated using the most precise graduation rates available for public use; some rates were rounded to one decimal place 

and some rates were rounded to whole numbers. These gaps may vary slightly from those that would be calculated using unrounded rates.

NOTE: The adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) is the percentage of public high school freshmen who graduate with a regular diploma within 4 years 

of starting 9th grade. Students who are entering 9th grade for the first time form a cohort for the graduating class. This cohort is “adjusted” by adding any 

students who subsequently transfer into the cohort and subtracting any students who subsequently transfer out, emigrate to another country, or die. The 

Bureau of Indian Education and Puerto Rico were not included in the United States 4-year ACGR. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. 

Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Consolidated State Performance Report, 2016–17. See table 4.1.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 36

Indicator 4: 

ADJUSTED COHORT GRADUATION RATE

The U.S. average ACGR for White public high school 

students (89 percent) was 11 percentage points higher 

than the U.S. average ACGR for their Black peers 

(78 percent) in 2016–17 (figure 4.3 and table 4.1).7 

White students had higher ACGRs than Black students 

in every state and the District of Columbia. Minnesota 

and Wisconsin reported the largest gaps between the 

ACGRs for White and Black students (23 percentage 

points and 26 percentage points, respectively). 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 37

Indicator 4: 

ADJUSTED COHORT GRADUATION RATE

Figure 4.4. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) of Hispanic and White public high school students, by state: 

2016–17

 

# Rounds to zero.

1 The graduation rate gaps were calculated using the most precise graduation rates available for public use; some rates were rounded to one decimal place 

and some rates were rounded to whole numbers. These gaps may vary slightly from those that would be calculated using unrounded rates.

NOTE: The adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) is the percentage of public high school freshmen who graduate with a regular diploma within 4 years 

of starting 9th grade. Students who are entering 9th grade for the first time form a cohort for the graduating class. This cohort is “adjusted” by adding any 

students who subsequently transfer into the cohort and subtracting any students who subsequently transfer out, emigrate to another country, or die. The 

Bureau of Indian Education and Puerto Rico were not included in the United States 4-year ACGR. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. 

Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Consolidated State Performance Report, 2016–17. See table 4.1. 

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 38

Indicator 4: 

ADJUSTED COHORT GRADUATION RATE

The U.S. average ACGR for White students 

(89 percent) was 9 percentage points higher than the 

U.S. average ACGR for Hispanic students (80 percent) 

in 2016–17 (figure 4.4 and table 4.1). The ACGRs 

for White students were higher than the ACGRs 

for Hispanic students in 46 states and the District 

of Columbia. In Hawaii, the ACGRs for Hispanic 

and White students were both 80 percent. In Maine, 

Vermont, and West Virginia, the ACGRs for Hispanic 

students were higher than the ACGRs for White 

students.

ACGR by special populations

The U.S. Department of Education also collects ACGR 

data for economically disadvantaged students,8 students 

with disabilities,9 and limited-English-proficient 

students.10 In 2016–17, the U.S. average ACGRs for 

economically disadvantaged students (78 percent), 

limited-English-proficient students (66 percent), and 

students with disabilities (67 percent) were lower than 

the U.S. average ACGR of 85 percent (table 4.1).11 

However, the criteria under which students are counted 

in these subgroups vary across states. ACGRs for 

students with disabilities, in particular, vary according 

to a state’s definition of what constitutes a regular high 

school diploma. The types of data used to determine 

whether a student is economically disadvantaged or 

whether a student has limited English proficiency 

also vary across states. In addition, the point in time 

at which subgroup status is determined varies across 

states. States may determine subgroup status based on 

students’ characteristics when they enter high school 

or when they exit high school, or they may determine 

subgroup status based on whether students were ever 

categorized in a particular subgroup during the course 

of their high school career. This variation is particularly 

important to keep in mind when interpreting the 

graduation rates for limited-English-proficient students. 

Some students enter high school as limited-Englishproficient but attain English proficiency before 

graduation.

ACGRs for economically disadvantaged students 

ranged from 65 percent in Wyoming to 87 percent in 

West Virginia.12 ACGRs varied even more widely for 

limited-English-proficient students and students with 

disabilities. ACGRs ranged from 30 percent in Arizona 

to 82 percent in Arkansas for limited-English-proficient 

students.13 For students with disabilities, ACGRs 

ranged from 36 percent in Mississippi to 84 percent in 

Arkansas.14

Endnotes 

1 Those students who were awarded an alternate credential, such as a GED, are not included as graduates in the ACGR calculations. 

2 Examples of ways in which the calculated ACGR may vary among states include how students are identified for inclusion in certain subgroups, 

how the beginning of the cohort is defined, and whether summer school students are included.

3 Based on unrounded graduation rates. 

4 The U.S. average ACGRs for American Indian/Alaska Native students include estimated data for Alabama, since the state did not report 

ACGR rates to the U.S. Department of Education for this subgroup. Estimated data for Alabama were based on data published on the Alabama 

State Department of Education website. 

5 Reporting practices for data on Asian and Pacific Islander students vary by state. Asian/Pacific Islander data in this indicator represent either the 

value reported by the state for the “Asian/Pacific Islander” group or an aggregation of separate values reported by the state for “Asian” and “Pacific 

Islander.” “Pacific Islander” includes the “Filipino” group, which only California reports separately.

6 Discussion of ACGRs for American Indian/Alaska Native students excludes data for Alabama, the District of Columbia, Vermont, and West 

Virginia. The American Indian/Alaska Native data for the District of Columbia and Vermont are suppressed to protect student privacy and are 

unavailable for Alabama. The ACGR for American Indian/Alaska Native students in West Virginia is greater than or equal to 80 percent. To 

protect student privacy, the exact value is not displayed.

7 Percentage point gaps are calculated using the most precise graduation rates available for public use; some rates were rounded to one decimal 

place and some rates were rounded to whole numbers. These gaps may vary slightly from those that would be calculated using unrounded rates.

8 Students who met the state criteria for classification as economically disadvantaged.

9 Students identified as children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

10 Students who met the definition of “limited English proficient” as outlined in the EDFacts workbook. For more information, see https://

www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/edfacts/eden-workbook.html.

11 The U.S. average ACGRs for students with disabilities, limited-English-proficient students, and economically disadvantaged students include 

estimated data for Alabama, since the state did not report ACGR rates to the U.S. Department of Education for these subgroups. Estimated data 

for Alabama were based on data published on the Alabama State Department of Education website.

12 Discussion of ACGRs for economically disadvantaged students excludes data for Alabama. In 2016–17, the ACGR for economically 

disadvantaged students in Alabama was unavailable. 

13 Discussion of ACGRs for limited-English-proficient students excludes data for Alabama and West Virginia. In 2016–17, the ACGR for 

limited-English-proficient students in Alabama was unavailable, and data for West Virginia were suppressed to protect student privacy. 

14 Discussion of ACGRs for students with disabilities excludes data for Alabama. In 2016–17, the ACGR for students with disabilities in 

Alabama was unavailable. 
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Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 40

Indicator 5: 

AVERAGED FRESHMAN

GRADUATION RATE 82% (2012–13)

Source: Common Core of Data

Averaged Freshman 

Graduation Rate

Definition: An estimate of the percentage of public high 

school students who graduate with a regular diploma 

4 years after starting 9th grade.

Population: The incoming class of public high school 

freshmen, estimated by summing the enrollment in 

8th grade in year one, 9th grade for the next year, and 

10th grade for the year after, and then dividing by three.

Credentials: A regular high school diploma, or a 

diploma that recognizes some higher level of academic 

achievement.

Data Source: Common Core of Data (CCD)

The averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR) is 

an estimate of the percentage of public high school 

students who graduate on time (i.e., 4 years after 

starting 9th grade) with a regular diploma. The rate 

uses aggregate student enrollment data to estimate 

the size of an incoming freshman class and aggregate 

counts of the number of diplomas awarded 4 years 

later. Regular diploma earners are individuals who 

were awarded a regular high school diploma or a 

diploma that recognizes some higher level of academic 

achievement. They can be thought of as students who 

met or exceeded the coursework and performance 

standards for high school graduation established by 

a state or other relevant authority. Other high school 

completers (those who were awarded a certificate of 

completion, a GED, or other alternate credentials) are 

not included as graduates in the AFGR calculations 

because they are not considered regular diploma 

earners. 

The AFGR is different from the adjusted cohort 

graduation rate (ACGR), presented in Indicator 4. 

The AFGR uses aggregate enrollment data and diploma 

counts to estimate a graduation rate, while the ACGR 

uses detailed student-level data to track enrollment 

and completions over time and calculate a precise 

graduation rate. Although it is less accurate than the 

ACGR, the AFGR can be estimated historically over 

a 40-year time span, whereas the student-level records 

required for the ACGR have become available only in 

recent years in many states.

National AFGR

The AFGR decreased from 74 percent in 1990–91 to

71 percent in 1995–96, and then rose from 71 percent 

in 1998–99 to 75 percent in 2004–05 (figure 5.1).1

After a brief decline to 73 percent in 2005–06, the

AFGR rose steadily to reach 82 percent in 2012–13, the

highest rate observed in the years for which the AFGR

is available (table 5.1).2 (In comparison, the ACGR for

2012–13 was 81 percent [table 4.1]). Data for 2013–14

and later years are currently unavailable.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 41

Indicator 5: 

AVERAGED FRESHMAN GRADUATION RATE

Figure 5.1. Averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR) for public secondary schools in the United States: 

Selected years, 1990–91 through 2012–13

 

NOTE: The averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR) provides an estimate of the percentage of students who receive a regular diploma within 4 years 

of entering 9th grade. The AFGR uses aggregate student enrollment data to estimate the size of an incoming freshman class and aggregate counts of the 

number of diplomas awarded 4 years later. The rates in this figure are based on reported totals of enrollment by grade and high school graduates, rather than 

on details reported by race/ethnicity.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), “State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/

Secondary Education,” 1986–87 through 2007–08; “State Dropout and Completion Data File,” 2005–06 through 2012–13. See table 5.1. 

AFGR by state

In 2012–13, the AFGR ranged from 68 percent in 

Nevada and Mississippi to 93 percent in Nebraska 

and Wisconsin (table 5.2). The AFGR was also above 

90 percent in Minnesota (91 percent) and North 

Dakota (91 percent). In contrast, seven states had 

AFGRs of less than 75 percent: South Carolina 

(74 percent), Alabama (74 percent), Louisiana 

(73 percent), New Mexico (72 percent), Georgia 

(71 percent), Mississippi (68 percent), and Nevada 

(68 percent).

Endnotes 

1 This indicator uses graduation rates that have been rounded to whole numbers. Comparisons across time and between states may differ slightly 

from comparisons based on unrounded rates.

2 The averaged freshman graduation rate is available for school years 1969–70 through 2012–13. See table 5.1.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 42

Cahoon, L. (2005). Source and Accuracy Statement for 

the October 2004 CPS Microdata File on School 

Enrollment. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Commerce, Census Bureau.

Gujarati, D. (1998). Basic Econometrics (2nd ed.). New 

York: McGraw Hill.

Kaufman, P., Alt, M.N., and Chapman, C. (2004). 

Dropout Rates in the United States: 2001 (NCES 

2005-046). U.S. Department of Education. 

Washington, DC: National Center for Education 

Statistics.

Levin, H.M., and Belfield, C.R. (2007). Educational 

Interventions to Raise High School Graduation 

Rates. In C.R. Belfield and H.M. Levin (Eds.), The 

Price We Pay: Economic and Social Consequences of 

Inadequate Education (pp. 177–199). Washington, 

DC: Brookings Institution Press.

Pleis, J.R., Ward, B.W., and Lucas, J.W. (2010). 

Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National 

Health Interview Survey, 2009. Vital Health Stat 

10(249). U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, National Center for Health Statistics. 

Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

REFERENCES

Seastrom, M., Chapman, C., Stillwell, R., McGrath, 

D., Peltola, P., Dinkes, R., and Xu, Z. (2006a). 

User’s Guide to Computing High School Graduation 

Rates, Volume 1: Review of Current and Proposed 

Graduation Indicators (NCES 2006-604). U.S. 

Department of Education. Washington, DC: 

National Center for Education Statistics.

Seastrom, M., Chapman, C., Stillwell, R., McGrath, 

D., Peltola, P., Dinkes, R., and Xu, Z. (2006b). 

User’s Guide to Computing High School Graduation 

Rates, Volume 2: Technical Evaluation of Proxy 

Graduation Indicators (NCES 2006-605). U.S. 

Department of Education. Washington, DC: 

National Center for Education Statistics.
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TABLES

Table 1.1. Among 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in grades 10 through 12, percentage who dropped out (event dropout rate), and number and 

percentage distribution of 15- to 24-year-olds in grades 10 through 12, by selected characteristics: Selected years, 2007 through 2017

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 45

Tables

Table 1.2. Among 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in grades 10 through 12, percentage who dropped out (event dropout rate), by sex and race/

ethnicity: 1972 through 2017

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 46

Tables

Table 2.1. Total number of 16- to 24-year-old high school dropouts (status dropouts) and percentage of dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate), by selected 

characteristics: 2006 through 2017

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 47

Tables

Table 2.1. Total number of 16- to 24-year-old high school dropouts (status dropouts) and percentage of dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate), by selected 

characteristics: 2006 through 2017—Continued

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 48

Tables

Table 2.2. Number of 16- to 24-year-old high school dropouts (status dropouts) and percentage of dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old 

(status dropout rate), by race/ethnicity and racial/ethnic subgroup: 2013, 2017, and 2013–2017

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 49

Tables

Table 2.3. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate), by race/ethnicity and state: 

2013–2017

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 50

Tables

Table 2.4. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate), by sex and race/ethnicity: 

Selected years, 1960 through 2017

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 51

Tables

Table 2.5. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate) and percentage distribution 

of status dropouts, by labor force status and years of school completed: Selected years, 1970 through 2017

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 52

Tables

Table 3.1. Number and high school completion rate of 18- to 24-year-olds not enrolled in high school (status completion rate), by 

selected characteristics: Selected years, 2007 through 2017

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 53

Tables

Table 3.2. High school completion rate of 18- to 24-year-olds not enrolled in high school (status completion rate), by sex and race/ethnicity: 

1972 through 2017

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 54

Tables

Table 4.1. Public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), by selected student characteristics and state: 2010–11 through 2016–17

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 55

Tables

Table 5.1. High school graduates, by sex and control of school; public high school averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR); and total 

graduates as a ratio of 17-year-old population: Selected years, 1869–70 through 2028–29 

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 56

Tables

Table 5.2. Public high school averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR), by sex, race/ethnicity, and state or jurisdiction: 2012–13

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 57

APPENDIX A—GUIDE TO SOURCES

Common Core of Data

The Common Core of Data (CCD) is the primary 

database of the National Center for Education Statistics 

(NCES) on public elementary and secondary education 

in the United States. It is a comprehensive, annual, 

national statistical database of all public elementary 

and secondary schools and school districts containing 

data designed to be comparable across all states. This 

database can be used to select samples for other NCES 

surveys and provide basic information and descriptive 

statistics on public elementary and secondary schools 

and schooling in general.

The CCD collects statistical information annually from 

approximately 100,000 public elementary and secondary 

schools and approximately 18,000 public school 

districts (including supervisory unions and regional 

education service agencies) in the 50 states, the District 

of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education 

Activity (DoDEA), the Bureau of Indian Education 

(BIE), Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the 

Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Three categories of information are collected in the 

CCD survey: general descriptive information on schools 

and school districts; data on students and staff; and 

fiscal data. The general school and district descriptive 

information includes name, address, phone number, and 

type of locale; the data on students and staff include 

selected demographic characteristics; and the fiscal data 

pertain to revenues and current expenditures.

The EDFacts data collection system is the primary 

collection tool for the CCD. NCES works 

collaboratively with the Department of Education’s 

Performance Information Management Service to 

develop the CCD collection procedures and data 

definitions. Coordinators from state education agencies 

(SEAs) submit the CCD data at different levels (school, 

agency, and state) to the EDFacts collection system. 

Prior to submitting CCD files to EDFacts, SEAs must 

collect and compile information from their respective 

local education agencies (LEAs) through established 

administrative records systems within their state or 

jurisdiction.

Once SEAs have completed their submissions, the 

CCD survey staff analyzes and verifies the data for 

quality assurance. Even though the CCD is a universe 

collection and thus not subject to sampling errors, 

nonsampling errors can occur. The two potential 

sources of nonsampling errors are nonresponse and 

inaccurate reporting. NCES attempts to minimize 

nonsampling errors through the use of annual training 

of SEA coordinators, extensive quality reviews, and 

survey editing procedures. In addition, each year SEAs 

are given the opportunity to revise their state-level 

aggregates from the previous survey cycle.

EDFacts

EDFacts is a centralized data collection through 

which SEAs submit PK–12 education data to the U.S. 

Department of Education (ED). All data in EDFacts

are organized into “data groups” and reported to ED 

using defined file specifications. Depending on the data 

group, SEAs may submit aggregate counts for the state 

as a whole or detailed counts for individual schools or 

school districts. EDFacts does not collect student-level 

records. The entities that are required to report EDFacts

data vary by data group but may include the 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, the DoDEA, the BIE, Puerto 

Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana 

Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More information 

about EDFacts file specifications and data groups can 

be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/edfacts/

index.html.

EDFacts is a universe collection and is not subject to 

sampling error, although nonsampling errors such as 

nonresponse and inaccurate reporting may occur. ED 

attempts to minimize nonsampling errors by training 

data submission coordinators and reviewing the quality 

of state data submissions. However, anomalies may still 

be present in the data.

Differences in state data collection systems may limit the 

comparability of EDFacts data across states and across 

time. To build EDFacts files, SEAs rely on data that 

were reported by their schools and school districts. The 

systems used to collect these data are evolving rapidly 

and differ from state to state.

In some cases, EDFacts data may not align with data 

reported on SEA websites. States may update their 

websites on schedules different from those they use 

to report data to ED. Also, ED may use methods for 

protecting the privacy of individuals represented within 

the data that could be different from the methods used 

by an individual state.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 58

Appendix A

GUIDE TO SOURCES

Current Population Survey

The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly 

survey of about 54,000 households conducted by the 

U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The CPS is the primary source of labor force statistics 

on the U.S. population. In addition, supplemental 

questionnaires are used to provide further information 

about the U.S. population. The March supplement (also 

known as the Annual Social and Economic [ASEC] 

supplement) contains detailed questions on topics such 

as income, employment, and educational attainment; 

additional questions, such as items on disabilities, 

have also been included. The October supplement 

contains questions on school enrollment and school 

characteristics. 

CPS samples are initially selected based on results from 

the decennial census and are periodically updated to 

reflect new housing construction. The current sample 

design for the main CPS, last revised in July 2015, 

includes about 74,000 households. Each month, about 

54,000 of the 74,000 households are interviewed. 

Information is obtained each month from those in 

the household who are 15 years of age and over, and 

demographic data are collected for children 0–14 years 

of age. In addition, supplemental questions regarding 

school enrollment are asked about eligible household 

members age 3 and over in the October CPS supplement. 

In January 1992, the CPS educational attainment 

variable was changed. The “Highest grade attended” and 

“Year completed” questions were replaced by the question 

“What is the highest level of school . . . has completed or 

the highest degree . . . has received?” Thus, for example, 

while the old questions elicited data for those who 

completed more than 4 years of high school, the new 

question elicited data for those who were high school 

completers, i.e., those who graduated from high school 

with a diploma as well as those who completed high 

school through equivalency programs, such as a GED 

program. For more information about how the variable 

changes affected the calculation of event and status 

dropout rates, see Kaufman, Alt, and Chapman (2004). 

A major redesign of the CPS was implemented in 

January 1994 to improve the quality of the data 

collected. Survey questions were revised, new questions 

were added, and computer-assisted interviewing 

methods were used for the survey data collection. 

Further information about the redesign is available 

in Current Population Survey, October 1995: (School 

Enrollment Supplement) Technical Documentation at 

https://www.census.gov/prod/techdoc/cps/cpsoct95.

pdf. Beginning in 2003, the race/ethnicity questions 

were expanded. Information on people of Two or more 

races were included, and the Asian and Pacific Islander 

race category was split into two categories—Asian and 

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. In addition, 

questions were reworded to make it clear that selfreported data on race/ethnicity should reflect the race/

ethnicity with which the responder identifies, rather 

than what may be written in official documentation.

The estimation procedure employed for monthly CPS 

data involves inflating weighted sample results to 

independent estimates of characteristics of the civilian 

noninstitutional population in the United States by age, 

sex, and race. These independent estimates are based on 

statistics from decennial censuses; statistics on births, 

deaths, immigration, and emigration; and statistics on 

the population in the armed services. Caution should 

be used when comparing population estimates (e.g., 

the number of 18- to 24-year-olds) from CPS data over 

long periods of time (e.g., 10 or more years) since CPS 

data reflect the latest available Census-based controls. 

For instance, 2012–2017 CPS data reflect Census 

2010-based controls, while CPS data from 2003–2011 

reflect Census 2000-based controls. Thus, the estimates 

of levels for data collected in 2012 and later years will 

differ from those for earlier years by more than what 

could be attributed to actual changes in the population. 

These differences could be disproportionately greater 

for certain population subgroups than for the total 

population. Nevertheless, the most recent change in 

population controls had relatively little impact on 

summary measures such as averages, medians, and 

percentage distributions.

The generalized variance function is a simple model 

that expresses the variance as a function of the expected 

value of a survey estimate. Methods for deriving 

standard errors and examples can be found within the 

CPS technical documentation at https://www.census.

gov/programs-surveys/cps/technical-documentation/

complete.html. Standard errors were estimated using 

replicate weight methodology beginning in 2005 for 

March CPS data and beginning in 2010 for October 

CPS data. Those interested in using CPS household-level 

supplement replicate weights to calculate variances may 

refer to Estimating Current Population Survey (CPS) 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 59

Appendix A

GUIDE TO SOURCES

Household-Level Supplement Variances Using Replicate 

Weights at http://thedataweb.rm.census.gov/pub/cps/

supps/HH-level_Use_of_the_Public_Use_Replicate_

Weight_File.doc.

Dropouts

Each October, the CPS includes supplemental questions 

on the enrollment status of the population age 3 

years and over as part of the monthly basic survey on 

labor force participation. In addition to gathering the 

information on school enrollment, with the limitations 

on accuracy as noted below under “School Enrollment,” 

the survey data permit calculations of dropout rates. 

Both status and event dropout rates are tabulated from 

the October CPS. Event rates describe the proportion of 

students who leave school each year without completing 

a high school program. Status rates provide cumulative 

data on dropouts among all young adults within a 

specified age range. Status rates are higher than event 

rates because they include all dropouts ages 16 through 

24, regardless of when they last attended school. 

In addition to other survey limitations, dropout rates 

may be affected by survey coverage and exclusion of 

the institutionalized population. The incarcerated 

population has a high dropout rate. Dropout rates 

for the total population might be higher than those 

for the noninstitutionalized population if the prison 

and jail populations were included in the dropout rate 

calculations. On the other hand, if military personnel, 

who tend to be high school graduates, were included, 

it might offset some or all of the impact from the 

theoretical inclusion of the jail and prison populations. 

Another area of concern with tabulations involving 

young people in household surveys is the relatively 

low coverage ratio compared to older age groups. CPS 

undercoverage results from missed housing units and 

missed people within sample households. Overall CPS 

undercoverage for October 2017 is estimated to be about 

11 percent. 

CPS coverage varies with age, sex, and race. Generally, 

coverage is larger for females than for males and larger 

for non-Blacks than for Blacks. This differential 

coverage is a general problem for most household-based 

surveys. Further information on CPS methodology may 

be found in the technical documentation at https://

www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps.html.

Further information on dropout data may be obtained 

from 

Joel McFarland

Annual Reports and Information Staff

National Center for Education Statistics

550 12th Street SW

Washington, DC 20202

joel.mcfarland@ed.gov

Educational Attainment 

Reports documenting educational attainment are 

produced by the Census Bureau using the March CPS 

supplement (ASEC). Currently, the ASEC supplement 

consists of approximately 70,000 interviewed 

households. Both recent and earlier editions of 

Educational Attainment in the United States may be 

downloaded at https://www.census.gov/topics/education/

educational-attainment/data/tables.All.html.

In addition to the general constraints of CPS, some 

data indicate that the respondents have a tendency 

to overestimate the educational level of members of 

their household. Some inaccuracy is due to a lack of 

the respondent’s knowledge of the exact educational 

attainment of each household member and the 

hesitancy to acknowledge anything less than a high 

school education. 

Further information on educational attainment data 

from CPS may be obtained from

Associate Directorate for Demographic Programs—

Survey Operations

Census Bureau

U.S. Department of Commerce

4600 Silver Hill Road

Washington, DC 20233

dsd.cps@census.gov

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps.html

School Enrollment 

Each October, the CPS includes supplemental questions 

on the enrollment status of the population age 3 years 

and over. Currently, the October supplement consists of 

approximately 54,000 interviewed households, the same 

households interviewed in the basic CPS. The main 

sources of nonsampling variability in the responses 

to the supplement are those inherent in the survey 

instrument. The question of current enrollment may 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 60

Appendix A

GUIDE TO SOURCES

not be answered accurately for various reasons. Some 

respondents may not know current grade information 

for every student in the household, a problem especially 

prevalent for households with members in college or in 

nursery school. Confusion over college credits or hours 

taken by a student may make it difficult to determine 

the year in which the student is enrolled. Problems may 

occur with the definition of nursery school (a group 

or class organized to provide educational experiences 

for children) where respondents’ interpretations of 

“educational experiences” vary. 

For the October 2017 basic CPS, the household-level 

nonresponse rate was 13.8 percent. The person-level 

nonresponse rate for the school enrollment supplement 

was an additional 9.9 percent. Since the basic CPS 

nonresponse rate is a household-level rate and the school 

enrollment supplement nonresponse rate is a personlevel rate, these rates cannot be combined to derive an 

overall nonresponse rate. Nonresponding households 

may have fewer persons than interviewed ones, so 

combining these rates may lead to an overestimate of 

the true overall nonresponse rate for persons for the 

school enrollment supplement.

Although the principal focus of the October supplement 

is school enrollment, in some years the supplement has 

included additional questions on other topics. In 2010 

and 2012, for example, the October supplement included 

additional questions on computer and internet use. 

Further information on CPS methodology may be 

obtained from https://www.census.gov/programssurveys/cps.html.

Further information on the CPS School Enrollment 

Supplement may be obtained from

Associate Directorate for Demographic Programs—

Survey Operations

Census Bureau

U.S. Department of Commerce

4600 Silver Hill Road

Washington, DC 20233

dsd.cps@census.gov 

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps.html

American Community Survey

The Census Bureau introduced the American 

Community Survey (ACS) in 1996. Fully implemented 

in 2005, it provides a large monthly sample of 

demographic, socioeconomic, and housing data 

comparable in content to the Long Forms of the 

Decennial Census up to and including the 2000 

long form. Aggregated over time, these data serve as 

a replacement for the Long Form of the Decennial 

Census. The survey includes questions mandated by 

federal law, federal regulations, and court decisions. 

Since 2011, the survey has been mailed to approximately 

295,000 addresses in the United States and Puerto 

Rico each month, or about 3.5 million addresses 

annually. A larger proportion of addresses in small 

governmental units (e.g., American Indian reservations, 

small counties, and towns) also receive the survey. The 

monthly sample size is designed to approximate the 

ratio used in the 2000 Census, which requires more 

intensive distribution in these areas. The ACS covers 

the U.S. resident population, which includes the entire 

civilian, noninstitutionalized population; incarcerated 

persons; institutionalized persons; and the active duty 

military who are in the United States. In 2006, the 

ACS began collecting data from the population living 

in group quarters. Institutionalized group quarters 

include adult and juvenile correctional facilities, 

nursing facilities, and other health care facilities. 

Noninstitutionalized group quarters include college 

and university housing, military barracks, and other 

noninstitutional facilities such as workers and religious 

group quarters and temporary shelters for the homeless. 

National-level data from the ACS are available from 

2000 onward. The ACS produces 1-year estimates 

for jurisdictions with populations of 65,000 and over 

and 5-year estimates for jurisdictions with smaller 

populations. The 1-year estimates for 2017 used data 

collected between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 

2017, and the 5-year estimates for 2013–2017 used data 

collected between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 

2017. The ACS produced 3-year estimates (for 

jurisdictions with populations of 20,000 or over) for 

the periods 2005–2007, 2006–2008, 2007–2009, 

2008–2010, 2009–2011, 2010–2012, and 2011–2013. 

Three-year estimates for these periods will continue 

to be available to data users, but no further 3-year 

estimates will be produced.

Further information about the ACS is available at 

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 61

APPENDIX B—TECHNICAL NOTES

Defining and Calculating Averaged Freshman 

Graduation Rates Using the CCD

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) uses 

data from the Common Core of Data (CCD) to calculate 

averaged freshman graduation rates (AFGRs). The 

AFGR also uses CCD enrollment data collected through 

EDFacts data group 39 within file 052 as well as CCD 

graduate counts collected through EDFacts data group 

306 within file 040. For more information about these 

data groups, please see file specifications 052 and 040 for 

the relevant school years, available at http://www2.ed.gov/

about/inits/ed/edfacts/file-specifications.html.

The AFGR provides an estimate of the percentage of high 

school students who graduate within 4 years of first 

starting 9th grade. The rate uses aggregate student 

enrollment data to estimate the size of an incoming 

freshman class and counts of the number of diplomas 

awarded 4 years later. The incoming freshman class size is 

estimated by summing the enrollments in 8th grade in 

year one, 9th grade in year two, and 10th grade in year 

three, and then dividing by three. The averaging has a 

smoothing effect that helps compensate for prior-year 

retentions in the 8th-, 9th-, and 10th-grade enrollment 

counts. Although not as accurate as a 4-year graduation 

rate computed from a cohort of students using student 

record data like the adjusted cohort graduation rate 

(ACGR), the AFGR can be computed with widely 

available cross-sectional data. Based on a technical review 

and analysis of several different 4-year graduation rates, 

the AFGR was selected as the most accurate indicator, 

excepting only the ACGR, from a number of alternative 

estimates that can be calculated using available crosssectional data (Seastrom et al. 2006a, 2006b). The 

following formula provides an example of how the AFGR 

would be calculated for the graduating class of 2012–13:

1

 

Number of regular high school diplomas awarded in SY 2012−13

(The number of 8th-graders enrolled in the fall of 2008 plus the 

number of 9th-graders enrolled in the fall of 2009 plus the number

of 10th-graders enrolled in the fall of 2010) divided by 3

1

 Eighth-, 9th-, and 10th-grade enrollments were adjusted to include 

a prorated number of ungraded students using the ratio of the 

specified grade enrollment to the total graded enrollment. The same 

ratio was used to prorate ungraded students for the disaggregated 

enrollment counts (race/ethnicity and gender).

The AFGR was intended to address a lack of regular 

information about the timeliness of graduating from 

public high schools. Precise measures of how long it 

takes for a student to graduate high school require 

data sources that follow the progress of each individual 

student over time. Until recently, most states lacked data 

systems that captured individual public school studentlevel data over time. The AFGR was developed to utilize 

data that were available across the 50 states on a regular 

basis to provide a general and comparable measure of the 

percentage of public high school students who graduate 

with a regular high school diploma within 4 years of 

first entering 9th grade. The AFGR is useful for time 

series analyses of graduation rates, since the data used to 

generate the AFGR are available going back in time to at 

least the 1960s.

State and local policies can affect the number of 

regular high school diploma recipients reported. There 

are differences in what a regular high school diploma 

represents across states. The CCD collection defines a 

regular diploma as the high school completion credential 

awarded to students who meet or exceed coursework 

and performance standards set by the state or other 

approving authority. While this language provides a 

definition of common intent, the requirements to earn 

a high school diploma varies among states, including, 

for example, attendance requirements, coursework 

requirements, and exit exams.

Defining and Calculating Adjusted Cohort 

Graduation Rates

EDFacts 4-year ACGR data are collected in data group 

695 within file 150 and in data group 696 within 

file 151. EDFacts collects these data groups on behalf of 

the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. For 

more information about these data groups, please see 

file specifications 150 and 151 for the relevant school 

year, available at http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/

edfacts/file-specifications.html.

The ACGR is calculated based on the number of 

students who graduate in 4 years or less with a regular 

high school diploma divided by the number of students 

who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class. 

In order to calculate and report the 4-year ACGR, 

states must follow the progress of each individual 

9th- to 12th-grade student over time and maintain 

documentation of students who enter or leave schools 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 62

Appendix B

TECHNICAL NOTES

or districts within their state. From the beginning of 

9th grade (or the earliest high school grade), students 

who are entering that grade for the first time form a 

cohort that is “adjusted” by adding any students who 

subsequently transfer into the cohort from another state 

and subtracting any students who subsequently transfer 

out, emigrate to another country, or die. The following 

formula provides an example of how the 4-year adjusted 

cohort is calculated.

The ACGR rate for the 2016–17 class is formulated as 

follows:

Number of cohort members who earned a regular

high school diploma by the end of SY 2016–17

Number of first-time 9th-graders in fall 2013 (starting cohort) 

plus students who transferred in, minus students who 

transferred out, emigrated, or died during school 

years 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, and 2016–17 

State education agencies (SEAs) report ACGR data for 

each school and local education agency (LEA), and for the 

state total cohort rate. The methodology of the ACGR, 

as it was designed, allows for the movement or transfer of 

students from one school to another, while only counting 

each student once. A student may change schools and 

thus exit their prior school’s cohort and enter their new 

school’s cohort, but stay in the same district and state 

cohort. Similarly, a student who changes districts within 

a state will move to the new school and district cohort for 

the ACGR, but will stay in the state’s cohort. In order to 

subtract or transfer a student out of a cohort, the school 

or LEA must have official written documentation that the 

student enrolled in another school or in an educational 

program that culminates in the award of a regular high 

school diploma.

Unless specified, the ACGR data in this report and the 

associated data files reflect the data as reported by each 

SEA. The ACGRs required under the current Title I 

regulations are more comparable across states than 

were graduation rates submitted by SEAs under prior 

regulations. However, there has been some variation 

in the way that individual states have interpreted and 

understood the methodology specified in the statute. 

Examples of ways the calculated ACGR may vary among 

states include

• how students are identified for inclusion in certain 

subgroups;

• how the beginning of the cohort is defined;

• whether summer school graduates are counted as 

on-time graduates; and

• the criteria of what constitutes a diploma that 

meets the regulatory definition of a regular high 

school diploma.2

 

Defining and Calculating Dropout and Completion 

Rates Using the CPS 

The Current Population Survey (CPS) is the only source 

of national time series data on dropout and completion 

rates. The CPS data are also good for studying 

correlations between educational outcomes and other 

important issues such as employment and earnings. 

However, because the CPS collects no information on 

school characteristics and experiences, its usefulness in 

addressing dropout and completion issues is primarily 

for providing insights on who drops out and who 

completes school. Sample sizes in the CPS collections do 

not support stable state-level estimates.

There are important differences in data collection 

procedures between the CPS and the CCD. First, the 

CCD collection includes only data for public schools, 

whereas the CPS counts include students who were 

enrolled in either public or private schools and some 

individuals who were never enrolled in school in the 

United States. Second, the CCD collects data about 

students from a given state’s public school system. CPS 

data are based on where individuals currently reside, 

so the state of residence may differ from the state or 

country of earlier school attendance. Third, the CCD 

collection is based on administrative records rather than 

on individual self-reports based on household surveys, 

as in the CPS. Finally, data in the CCD are collected 

from the full universe of public schools, whereas data 

in the CPS are collected from a sample of households, 

not the full universe of households. As a result, CPS 

data have sampling errors associated with estimates, 

whereas CCD data do not. For more information 

on CPS sampling errors and how to interpret them, 

see “Statistical Procedures for Analyzing CPS- and 

American Community Survey (ACS)-Based Estimates” 

on the following pages.

2

 Under 34 C.F.R. § 200.19(b)(1)(iv), a regular high school diploma 

is defined as “the standard high school diploma that is awarded to 

students in the State and that is fully aligned with the State’s academic 

content standards or a higher diploma and does not include a high 

school equivalency credential, certificate of attendance, or any 

alternative award.”
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 63

Appendix B

TECHNICAL NOTES

Defining and Calculating Dropout and Completion Rates 

Using the CPS

Event Dropout Rates

The October Supplement to the CPS is the only national 

data source that can currently be used to estimate 

annual national dropout rates. As a measure of recent 

dropout experiences, the event dropout rate measures the 

proportion of students who dropped out over a 1-year 

interval.

The numerator of the event dropout rate is the number 

of persons ages 15–243

 surveyed in October of the 

current year who were enrolled in school4

 in October of 

the previous year, who were not enrolled in high school 

or postsecondary education in October of the current 

year, and who did not complete high school (i.e., had not 

received a high school diploma or an alternative credential 

such as a GED) between October of the previous year and 

October of the current year.

The denominator of the event dropout rate is the sum 

of the dropouts (i.e., the numerator) and all persons ages 

15–24 who were enrolled in school in October of the 

previous year4

 and were either still enrolled in high school 

or postsecondary education in October of the current year 

or graduated or completed high school between October 

of the previous year and October of the current year.5

The dropout interval is defined to include the summer 

prior to the October CPS survey and the previous school 

year, so that once a grade is completed, the event dropout 

rate then measures whether the student completed the 

next grade. Given that the data collection is tied to each 

person’s enrollment status in October of two consecutive 

years, any student who drops out and returns within the 

12-month period is not counted as a dropout.

3 This age range was chosen in an effort to include as many students 

in grades 10 through 12 as possible. Because the rate is based on 

retrospective data, it lags 1 year, meaning that some 15-year-olds have 

turned age 16 by the time of the interview.

4 Due to data limitations, grade 9 event dropouts could not be 

reliably calculated, so the calculation of the event dropout rate 

is restricted to grades 10–12. The current calculation potentially 

includes persons who were enrolled in grade 9 in October of the 

previous year and dropped out after completing grade 9.

5 Due to data limitations, this excludes persons who were enrolled in 

grade 10 in October of the previous year and who were still enrolled 

in grade 10 in October of the current year, as well as persons who 

graduated or completed high school between October and December 

of the previous year.

Status Dropout Rates

The status dropout rate reflects the percentage of 

individuals who are dropouts, regardless of when they 

dropped out. The numerator of the status dropout rate 

for the current year is the number of individuals ages 

16–246

 who, as of October of the current year, had not 

completed high school and were not currently enrolled. 

The denominator is the total number of 16- to 24-yearolds in October of the current year.

Status Completion Rates

The numerator of the high school status completion 

rate is the number of 18- to 24-year-olds 7

 who had 

received a high school diploma or an alternative 

credential such as a GED. The denominator is the 

number of 18- to 24-year-olds who are no longer in 

elementary or secondary school.

GED Credentials and the Status Completion Rate. 

Editions of this series of high school completion and 

dropout reports that were released prior to 2000 

presented estimates of overall status completion 

rates and estimates of the method of completion—

graduation by diploma or completion through an 

alternative credential such as the GED—based on 

data obtained through CPS reporting. Because of the 

changes that were introduced in the CPS in 2000, 

data on the method of completion for 2000 and later 

years were not comparable with data on the method 

of completion for years prior to 2000; in addition, 

pre-2000 CPS estimates and method-of-completion 

data were no longer reported in NCES reports generally. 

Please see the discussion of the GED Testing Service 

data below for further information.

Additional Considerations Regarding CPS Data 

Over the last several decades, CPS data collection 

procedures, items, and data preparation processes 

have changed. Some of these changes were introduced 

to ensure that CPS estimates were comparable to 

those from decennial Census collections, some were 

6 Age 16 was chosen as the lower age limit because, in some states, 

compulsory education is not required after age 16. Age 24 was 

chosen as the upper limit because it is the age at which free secondary 

education is no longer available and the age at which the average 

person who is going to obtain a GED does so.

7 Age 18 was chosen as the lower age limit because most diploma 

holders earn their diploma by this age. Age 24 was chosen as the 

upper limit because it is the age at which free secondary education is 

no longer available and the age at which the average person who is 

going to obtain a GED does so.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 64

Appendix B

TECHNICAL NOTES

introduced to reflect changes in the concepts under 

study, some were introduced to improve upon measures, 

and some were introduced to develop measures for new 

phenomena. The effects of the various changes have 

been studied to help ensure they do not disrupt trend 

data from the CPS. For a summary of the changes and 

studies of their effects, please see appendix C of Dropout 

Rates in the United States: 2001 (Kaufman, Alt, and 

Chapman 2004).

CPS data include weights to help make estimates 

from the data representative of the civilian, 

noninstitutionalized population in the United States. 

These weights are based on decennial Census data that 

are adjusted for births, deaths, immigration, emigration, 

etc., over time.

Imputation for Item Nonresponse in the CPS. For many 

key items in the October CPS, the U.S. Census Bureau 

imputes data for cases with missing data due to item 

nonresponse. However, the Census Bureau did not 

impute data regarding the method of high school 

completion before 1997. Special imputations were 

conducted for these items using a sequential hot-deck 

procedure implemented through the PROC IMPUTE 

computer program developed by the American 

Institutes for Research. The hot-deck method assigns 

imputed values from survey respondents who answered 

an item (donors) to similar survey respondents who 

did not (recipients). Donors and recipients are matched 

based on various respondent characteristics. For the 

CPS data, three categories of age, two categories of race, 

two categories of sex, and two categories of citizenship 

were used to match donors with recipients for any given 

item. The procedure ensures that information from one 

donor is not used for a large number of recipients. This 

prevents bias from being introduced into the dataset if 

all the recipients were imputed from one donor. 

Age and Grade Ranges in CPS Estimates. The age and 

grade ranges used in the CPS measures of dropout rates 

are constrained by available data. Ideally, the estimates 

would be able to capture reliable estimates of children 

in grades as low as grade 9. However, the CPS asks the 

question about enrollment in the previous October 

only in terms of individuals age 15 and older. Many 

9th-graders are younger than age 15, so 10th grade was 

selected as the lower boundary of grade ranges in the 

event dropout rate.

Accuracy of CPS Estimates. CPS estimates in this report 

are derived from samples and are subject to two broad 

classes of error—sampling and nonsampling error. 

Sampling errors occur because the data are collected 

from a sample of a population rather than from the 

entire population. Estimates based on a sample will 

differ to some degree (dependent largely on sample 

size and coverage) from the values that would have 

been obtained from a universe survey using the 

same instruments, instructions, and procedures. 

Nonsampling errors come from a variety of sources and 

affect all types of surveys—universe as well as sample 

surveys. Examples of sources of nonsampling error 

include design, reporting, and processing errors and 

errors due to nonresponse. The effects of nonsampling 

errors are more difficult to evaluate than those that 

result from sampling variability. To the extent possible, 

procedures are built into surveys in order to minimize 

nonsampling errors.

The standard error is a measure of the variability due 

to sampling when estimating a parameter. It indicates 

how much variance there is in the population of 

possible estimates of a parameter for a given sample 

size. Standard errors can be used as a measure of the 

precision expected from a particular sample. The 

probability that a sample statistic would differ from a 

population parameter by less than the standard error 

is about 68 percent. The chances that the difference 

would be less than 1.65 times the standard error are 

about 90 out of 100, and the chances that the difference 

would be less than 1.96 times the standard error are 

about 95 out of 100.

Prior to 2010, standard errors for percentages and 

numbers of persons based on CPS data were calculated 

using the following formulas:

Percentage:

 
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 65

Appendix B

TECHNICAL NOTES

Number of persons:

 

For instance, in 2009, b is equal to 2,131 for the total 

and White population, 2,410 for the Black population, 

2,744 for the Hispanic population, and 2,410 for the 

Asian/Pacific Islander population ages 14–24. For 

regional estimates, b is equal to 1.06 for the Northeast, 

1.06 for the Midwest, 1.07 for the South, and 1.02 for 

the West.

CPS documentation explains the purpose and process 

for the generalized variance parameter:

Experience has shown that certain groups of 

estimates have similar relations between their 

variances and expected values. Modeling or 

generalizing may provide more stable variance 

estimates by taking advantage of these similarities. 

The generalized variance function is a simple model 

that expresses the variance as a function of the 

expected value of a survey estimate. The parameters 

of the generalized variance function are estimated 

using direct replicate variances. (Cahoon 2005, p. 7)

Beginning with the 2010 CPS data, standard errors 

were estimated using Fay’s Balanced Repeated 

Replication (Fay-BRR). While the generalized variance 

model provides an estimate for standard errors, BRR 

better accounts for the two-stage stratified sampling 

process of the CPS, where the first stage of the CPS 

Primary Sampling Unit is the geographic area, such as 

a metropolitan area, county, or group of counties. The 

second stage is households within these geographic 

areas. For the CPS October supplement, 160 replicate 

weights were used in Fay-BRR calculations.

American Community Survey Data Considerations 

Estimates from the ACS in this report focus on status 

dropout rates for the institutionalized population and 

for the noninstitutionalized population. The rates 

are derived using the same approach as that used for 

estimating status dropout rates from the CPS data. 

ACS data include weights to make estimates from the 

data representative of households and individuals in 

the United States. These weights are based on annual 

population updates generated by the Census Bureau to 

be representative of the U.S. population as of July 1. 

Data are fully imputed before release to the public, and 

flags are available to identify which values have been 

imputed for which cases. 

Replicate weights that account for the complex sample 

design of the ACS have been developed for use in 

deriving variance estimates. Variance estimates for any 

full-sample ACS survey estimate are calculated using 

the following formula:

 

This variance estimate is the product of a constant and 

the sum of squared differences between each replicate 

survey estimate and the full-sample survey estimate. 

The estimates and standard errors based on ACS data in 

this report were produced in SAS using the jackknife 1 

(JK1) option as a replication procedure. The multiplier 

was set at 0.05 (4/80=0.05). Eighty replicate weights, 

PWGTP1 to PWGTP80, were used to compute the 

sampling errors of estimates.

Statistical Procedures for Analyzing CPS- and 

ACS-Based Estimates

Because CPS and ACS data are collected from samples 

of the population, statistical tests are employed to 

measure differences between estimates to help ensure 

they are taking into account possible sampling error.8

 

The descriptive comparisons in this report were 

tested using Student’s t statistic. Differences between 

estimates are tested against the probability of a type I 

8 Data from the CCD are from universe data collections and therefore 

do not require statistical testing such as that used for estimates from 

the CPS sample survey data.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 66

Appendix B

TECHNICAL NOTES

error,9 or significance level. The significance levels 

were determined by calculating the Student’s t values 

for the differences between each pair of means or 

proportions and comparing these with published tables 

of significance levels for two-tailed hypothesis testing.

Student’s t values may be computed to test the 

difference between percentages with the following 

formula:

t = se1

2

 + se2

2

P1 − P2

where P1

 and P2 are the estimates to be compared and 

se1

 and se2 are their corresponding standard errors.

Several points should be considered when interpreting 

t statistics. First, comparisons based on large t statistics 

may appear to merit special attention. This can be 

misleading since the magnitude of the t statistic is 

related not only to the observed differences in means 

or proportions but also to the number of respondents 

in the specific categories used for comparison. Hence, 

a small difference compared across a large number of 

respondents would produce a large t statistic.

Second, there is a possibility that one can report 

a “false positive,” or type I error. In the case of a 

t statistic, this false positive would result when a 

difference measured with a particular sample showed 

a statistically significant difference when there was no 

difference in the underlying population. Statistical tests 

are designed to control this type of error. These tests 

are set to different levels of tolerance or risk, known 

as alphas. The alpha level of .05 selected for findings 

in this report indicates that a difference of a certain 

magnitude or larger would be produced no more than 

1 time out of 20 when there was no actual difference 

between the quantities in the underlying population. 

When p values are smaller than the .05 level, the null 

hypothesis that there is no difference between the two 

quantities is rejected. Finding no difference, however, 

does not necessarily imply that the values are the same 

or equivalent.

9 A type I error occurs when one concludes that a difference observed 

in a sample reflects a true difference in the population from which the 

sample was drawn, when no such difference is present. It is sometimes 

referred to as a “false positive.”

Third, the probability of a type I error increases with 

the number of comparisons being made. Bonferroni 

adjustments are sometimes used to correct for this 

problem. Bonferroni adjustments do this by reducing the 

alpha level for each individual test in proportion to the 

number of tests being done. However, while Bonferroni 

adjustments help avoid type I errors, they increase the 

chance of making type II errors. Type II errors occur 

when there actually is a difference present in a population, 

but a statistical test applied to estimates from a sample 

indicates that no difference exists. Prior to the 2001 report 

in this series, Bonferroni adjustments were employed. 

Because of changes in NCES reporting standards, 

Bonferroni adjustments are not employed in this report.

Regression analysis was used to test for trends across age 

groups and over time. Regression analysis assesses the 

degree to which one variable (the dependent variable) is 

related to one or more other variables (the independent 

variables). The estimation procedure most commonly 

used in regression analysis is ordinary least squares 

(OLS). When studying changes in rates over time, the 

rates were used as dependent measures in the regressions, 

with a variable representing time and a dummy variable 

controlling for changes in the educational attainment 

item in the current year (= 0 for years from 1 to 40 years 

before the current year, = 1 for years after the current 

year) used as independent variables. Significant and 

positive slope coefficients suggest that rates increased over 

time. Conversely, significant and negative coefficients 

suggest that rates decreased over time. Because of varying 

sample sizes over time, some of the estimates were less 

reliable than others (i.e., standard errors for some years 

were larger than those for other years). In such cases, 

OLS estimation procedures do not apply, and it is 

necessary to modify the regression procedures to obtain 

unbiased regression parameters. This is accomplished 

by using weighted least squares regressions.10 Each 

variable in the analysis was transformed by dividing by 

the standard error of the relevant year’s rate. The new 

dependent variable was then regressed on the new time 

variable, a variable for 1 divided by the standard error 

for the year’s rate, and the new editing-change dummy 

variable. All statements about trend changes in this 

report are statistically significant at the .05 level. 

10 For general discussion of weighted least squares analysis, please see 

Gujarati (1998).
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 67

APPENDIX C—GLOSSARY

For definitions of dropout and completion rate 

estimates, please see the discussions above and table A.

General Terms

Geographic regions. There are four Census regions used 

in this report: Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. 

The Northeast consists of Maine, New Hampshire, 

Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, 

New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The 

Midwest consists of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, 

Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North 

Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. The 

South consists of Delaware, Maryland, the District of 

Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, 

South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, 

Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, 

and Texas. The West consists of Montana, Idaho, 

Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, 

Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, and 

Hawaii.

Specific Terms Used in Various Surveys 

American Community Survey (ACS) 

Disability. Individuals are identified as having a 

disability if they were reported to have difficulty with 

at least one of the following: hearing, seeing even 

when wearing glasses, walking or climbing stairs, 

dressing or bathing, doing errands alone, concentrating, 

remembering, or making decisions. 

Institutionalized population. Includes individuals living 

in institutionalized group quarters, such as adult and 

juvenile correctional facilities, nursing facilities, and 

other health care facilities. 

Noninstitutionalized population. Includes individuals 

living in households and noninstitutionalized group 

quarters, such as college and university housing, 

military quarters, facilities for workers and religious 

groups, and temporary shelters for the homeless. 

Race/ethnicity. This variable is constructed from two 

variables in the ACS. One asks about the person’s ethnic 

background, and the other asks about the person’s race. 

Those who reported being of Hispanic background 

on the ethnic background question are categorized as 

Hispanic, irrespective of race. Non-Hispanic persons 

are then categorized by race. 

Current Population Survey (CPS) 

Disability. Individuals are identified as having a 

disability if they were reported to have difficulty with 

at least one of the following: hearing, seeing even when 

wearing glasses, walking or climbing stairs, dressing 

or bathing, doing errands alone, concentrating, 

remembering, or making decisions.

Group quarters. This is a place where individuals live 

or stay that provides services for its occupants, such 

as medical care, custodial assistance, and additional 

assistance. Group quarters include, but are not limited 

to, college residence halls, residential treatment 

centers, skilled nursing facilities, group homes, 

military barracks, correctional facilities, and workers’ 

dormitories. 

Race/ethnicity. This variable is constructed from two 

variables in the CPS. One asks about the person’s ethnic 

background, and the other asks about the person’s race. 

Those who reported being of Hispanic background 

on the ethnic background question are categorized as 

Hispanic, irrespective of race. Non-Hispanic persons 

are then categorized by race. Beginning in 2003, 

respondents were able to indicate that they were of Two 

or more races. Those who indicated that they were of 

Two or more races and who did not indicate that they 

were Hispanic are categorized as “Two or more races, 

non-Hispanic.”

Recency of immigration. Recency of immigration 

was derived from a set of questions on the CPS 

survey inquiring about the country of birth of the 

reference person and his or her mother and father. 

From these questions, the following three categories 

were constructed: (1) born outside the 50 states and 

the District of Columbia, (2) first generation, and 

(3) second generation or higher. “First generation” is 

defined as individuals who were born in one of the 

50 states or the District of Columbia, but who had at 

least one parent who was not. “Second generation or 

higher” refers to individuals who themselves, as well as 

both of their parents, were born in one of the 50 states 

or the District of Columbia. These three categories 

were subdivided using the variable for the subject’s race/

ethnicity (see above), so that there were six categories: 

the three immigration categories plus a Hispanic 

and non-Hispanic category for each of the three 

immigration categories.
Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019 | 68

Appendix C

GLOSSARY

EDFacts

Economically disadvantaged. Students who meet 

their state’s definition of economically disadvantaged 

status. 

Limited English proficient. Refers to an individual who 

was not born in the United States and whose native 

language is a language other than English, or who 

comes from an environment where a language other 

than English has had a significant impact on the 

individual’s level of English language proficiency. It 

may also refer to an individual who is migratory, whose 

native language is a language other than English, and 

who comes from an environment where a language 

other than English is dominant; and whose difficulties 

in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding 

the English language may be sufficient to deny the 

individual the ability to meet the state’s proficient 

level of achievement on state assessments as specified 

under the No Child Left Behind Act, the ability to 

successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of 

instruction is English, or the opportunity to participate 

fully in society.

Students with disabilities. Those children evaluated as 

having autism; deaf-blindness; developmental delay; 

emotional disturbance; hearing impairment; intellectual 

disability; multiple disabilities; orthopedic impairment; 

other health impairment; specific learning disability; 

speech or language impairment; traumatic brain injury; 

and/or visual impairment; and who, by reason thereof, 

receive special education and related services under the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act according 

to an Individualized Education Program, Individualized 

Family Service Plan, or a services plan. There are local 

variations in the determination of disability conditions, 

and not all states use all reporting categories. 

www.ed.gov ies.ed.gov