Figure 2. Status dropout rates of 16- through 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity: October 1972 through October 2005

Dropout Rates in the United States: 2005

NCES 2007-059
June 2007

NOTE: The status dropout rate indicates the percentage of 16– through 24–year–olds who are not enrolled in high school and who lack a high school diploma or equivalent credential such as a General Educational Development (GED). Beginning in 2003, respondents were able to identify themselves as being more than one race. The 2003 through 2005 categories for White, non– Hispanic and Black, non–Hispanic contain only respondents who indicated just one race. The Hispanic category includes Hispanics of all races and racial combinations. Because of small sample size for some or all of the years shown in the figure, American Indians/Alaska Natives and Asian/Pacific Islanders are included the totals but not shown separately. The “more than one race” category is also included in the total in 2003 and 2004 but not shown separately because of small sample size. The variable nature of the Hispanic status rates reflects, in part, the small sample size of Hispanics in the CPS. Estimates beginning with 1987 reflect new editing procedures for cases with missing data on school enrollment items. Estimates beginning with 1992 reflect new wording of the educational attainment item. Estimates beginning with 1994 reflect changes due to newly instituted computer–assisted interviewing. For details about changes in CPS over time, please see Kaufman, Alt, and Chapman (2004).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October (1972–2005).

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