Youth Indicators 1996 / Indicator 12, Chart 1

Indicator 12. Family Formation

Formation of families by the high school class of 1992, by graduation status: 1994

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, Third Followup survey.

High school dropouts and other noncompleters were more likely to start families early than high school graduates. About 12 percent of the graduates from the class of 1992 had become parents by 1994. In contrast, 48 percent of their classmates who had not completed high school became parents during the same time period. About 85 percent of the graduates were still single compared to 62 percent of the dropouts and other noncompleters.