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Table 6.Mean grade point average earned by high school graduates, by subject field and subject area: Selected years, 1987–2000

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Subject field2000 1998 1994 1990 1987
Mean s.e. Mean s.e. Mean s.e. Mean s.e. Mean s.e.
Total 2.94 0.013 2.90 0.018 2.79 0.013 2.68 0.012 2.63 0.016
Academic courses 2.81 0.015 2.76 0.019 2.65 0.013 2.54 0.012 2.48 0.017
Mathematics 2.60 0.014 2.56 0.022 2.44 0.014 2.34 0.014 2.28 0.015
Science 2.67 0.016 2.62 0.021 2.50 0.016 2.39 0.017 2.34 0.019
English 2.77 0.017 2.74 0.021 2.63 0.015 2.52 0.013 2.47 0.025
Social Studies 2.83 0.019 2.79 0.021 2.67 0.018 2.56 0.013 2.49 0.017
Fine Arts 3.38 0.017 3.35 0.022 3.28 0.017 3.13 0.017 3.07 0.018
Foreign Languages 2.82 0.018 2.78 0.021 2.67 0.016 2.58 0.020 2.58 0.020
Computer-Related Studies1 3.17 0.020 3.08 0.030 2.95 0.019 2.81 0.020 2.78 0.028
Vocational courses 3.21 0.016 3.16 0.018 3.02 0.015 2.88 0.013 2.80 0.019
Consumer & Homemaking Education 3.10 0.023 3.07 0.034 2.97 0.027 2.77 0.020 2.75 0.020
General Labor Market Preparation 3.13 0.027 3.01 0.025 2.84 0.020 2.73 0.017 2.65 0.017
Specific Labor Market Preparation 3.20 0.018 3.15 0.017 3.02 0.016 2.86 0.014 2.79 0.021
Personal/other courses 3.34 0.014 3.28 0.024 3.21 0.020 3.11 0.016 3.05 0.031
General Skills 3.44 0.032 3.47 0.032 3.38 0.043 3.38 0.037 3.35 0.044
Personal Health & Physical Education 3.34 0.015 3.27 0.027 3.21 0.021 3.11 0.016 3.04 0.029
Religion 3.33 0.043 3.14 0.055 2.94 0.100 2.89 0.043 2.79 0.111
Military Science 3.03 0.075 2.98 0.055 2.97 0.052 2.79 0.068 2.74 0.078
Special Education2 2.97 0.056 2.92 0.043 2.74 0.050 2.63 0.046 2.65 0.036
All Courses Other Than Above3 3.22 0.064 3.10 0.148 3.02 0.086 2.97 0.127 2.81 0.099
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1 Computer-related studies courses have not been included in the calculation of the academic course grade point average because all computer-related courses are included in other subject areas, including vocational subject areas.

2 Some special education courses have also been counted in other academic course subjects' grade point averages due to changes in school subject taxonomy.

3 This subject area covers all courses that can not be classified in any academic, vocational, or personal/other course subject area.

NOTE: Grade point averages presented in the 1982 High School and Beyond transcript study do not comply to the same four-point scale used by the High School Transcript Studies.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, High School Transcript Study (HSTS), Selected years 1987–2000.

Last updated 8 March 2007 (HM)