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-------- ACHIEVEMENT INDICATORS -------- Reading Achievement Mathematics Achievement International Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Science and Mathematics Literacy -------- OTHER INDICATORS -------- Dropout Rates Public School Revenues and Expenditures School Crime and Safety High School Transcripts, 2005 Bachelor's Degree Recipients, 10 Years Later -------- PAST INDICATORS-------- Dropout Rates, 2005 Public School Revenues and Expenditures Mathematics Achievement Reading Achievement Dropout Rates Computer and Internet Use High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Students Food and Exercise in Elementary Schools Trends in Adult Literacy First Generation Students in Postsecondary Education Mathematics Achievement Reading Achievement The High School Senior Class of 2004 Trends in Academic Progress Dropout Rates 2002 Dual Credit in U.S. Public High Schools Gender Differences in Postsecondary Education School Crime and Safety, 2002 International Comparisons in Science and Math Trends in Education Equity of Girls and Women Full-day and Half-day Kindergarten Reading Achievement Mathematics Achievement Dropout Rate 2001 Trends in Academic Progress International Comparisons in Reading Literacy Postsecondary Enrollment of Language Minorities Volunteer Service Civics Achievement Geography Achievement History Achievement Science Achievement Writing Achievement The High School Transcript Study Postsecondary Remedial Education Student Victimization Out-of-Field Teaching Postsecondary Attainment School Crime and Safety, 2001 Internet Access

Dropout Rates

Dropping out of high school is related to a number of negative outcomes. For example, the median income of high school dropouts age 18 and over was $20,100 in 2005¹. By comparison, the median income of those age 18 and over who completed their education with a high school credential (including a General Educational Development certificate, or GED) was $29,700. Dropouts are also less likely to be in the labor force than those with a high school credential or higher, and are more likely to be unemployed if they are in the labor force².

The status dropout rate measures the percentage of individuals who are not enrolled in high school and who do not have a high school credential, irrespective of when they dropped out. In October 2005, status dropouts accounted for 9.4 percent of the 36.8 million 16- through 24-year-olds in the United States in 2005. Among all individuals in this age group, status dropout rates trended downward during the overall period between 1972 and 2005, from 14.6 percent to 9.4 percent. (figure 1).

The 2005 status dropout rate of Asians/Pacific Islanders (2.9 percent) was the lowest among racial/ethnic groups considered in this report, followed by the status dropout rate of Whites (6.0 percent). The Black status dropout rate was 10.4 percent, followed by the Hispanic rate at 22.4 percent.

Figure 1. Status dropout rates of 16- through 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity: October 1972 through October 2005

NOTE: The status dropout rate indicates the percentage of 16–24 year-olds who are not enrolled in high school and who lack a high school diploma or equivalent credential such as a General Education Development (GED) certificate. Beginning in 2003, respondents were able to identify themselves as being more than one race. The 2003 and 2004 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. Due to 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 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, P., Alt, M., and Chapman, C. (2004). Dropout Rates in the United States: 2001 (NCES 2005-046).

SOURCE: Figure 2 in Laird, J., Kienzl, G., DeBell, M. and Chapman, C. (2007). Dropout Rates in the United States: 2005 (2007-059). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

Since 1972 the difference between the status dropout rates of Whites and Blacks has narrowed. This narrowing of the gap occurred during the 1980s, with no measurable change during the 1970s or between 1990 and 2005. Overall, White and Black status dropout rates have fallen by about half since 1972; the rates for Whites fell from 12.3 to 6.0 percent and the rates for Blacks declined from 21.3 to 10.4 percent.

The percentage of Hispanics ages 16–24 who were dropouts was consistently higher than that of Blacks and Whites throughout this 33-year period (1972–2005; figure 1 and table 1). Between 1972 and 1990, Hispanic status dropout rates fluctuated considerably, but since 1990 they have demonstrated a downward trend, falling from 32.4 percent to 22.4 percent.

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