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Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2007

NCES 2009-064
September 2009


Table 10. Status completion rates, number of completers, and population of 18- through 24-year-olds: October 1972 through October 2007


Year1 Completion
rate
(percent)
Number of
completers
(thousands)
Population
(thousands)
       
1972 82.8 19,623 23,688
1973 83.7 20,377 24,349
1974 83.6 20,724 24,794
1975 83.8 21,326 25,436
1976 83.5 21,677 25,953
       
1977 83.6 22,008 26,321
1978 83.6 22,308 26,697
1979 83.1 22,421 26,982
1980 83.9 22,746 27,122
1981 83.8 23,342 27,863
       
1982 83.8 23,290 27,790
1983 83.9 22,988 27,399
1984 84.7 22,871 27,014
1985 85.4 22,349 26,168
1986 85.5 21,766 25,453
       
1987 84.7 21,071 24,869
1988 84.5 20,838 24,650
1989 84.7 20,420 24,102
1990 85.6 20,269 23,689
1991 84.9 19,831 23,369
       
1992 86.4 19,874 23,004
1993 86.2 19,682 22,842
1994 85.8 20,538 23,946
1995 85.3 20,102 23,571
1996 86.2 20,074 23,277
       
1997 85.9 20,241 23,569
1998 84.8 20,451 24,113
1999 85.9 21,091 24,540
2000 86.5 21,743 25,138
2001 86.5 22,084 25,543
       
2002 86.6 22,249 25,697
2003 87.1 22,508 25,831
2004 86.8 22,991 26,476
2005 87.6 23,010 26,270
2006 87.8 23,331 26,568
2007 89.0 24,100 27,086
1 Estimates beginning in 1987 reflect new editing procedures for cases with missing data on school enrollment items. Estimates beginning in 1992 reflect new wording of the educational attainment item. Estimates beginning in 1994 reflect changes due to newly instituted computer-assisted interviewing. For details about changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS) over time, please see Kaufman, P., Alt, M.N., and Chapman, C. (2004). Dropout Rates in the United States: 2001 (NCES 2005-046).
National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
NOTE: Status completion rates measure the percentage of 18- through 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in high school and who also hold a high school diploma or equivalent credential, such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Those still enrolled in high school are excluded from the analysis.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October (1972–2007).