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Preprimary, Elementary, and Secondary Education

High School Graduation Rates

Last Updated: May 2024
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In school year 2021–22, the U.S. average adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public high school students was 87 percent, 7 percentage points higher than a decade earlier. Asian/Pacific Islander students had the highest ACGR (94 percent), followed by White (90 percent), Hispanic (83 percent), Black (81 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native (74 percent) students.
This indicator examines the percentage of U.S. public high school students1 who graduate on time, as measured by the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR).2 To calculate the ACGR, state education agencies first identify the cohort of first-time 9th-graders in a particular school year. The cohort is then adjusted by adding any students who immigrate from another country or transfer into the cohort after 9th grade and subtracting any students who subsequently transfer out, emigrate to another country, or die. The ACGR is the percentage of students in this adjusted cohort who graduate within 4 years of starting 9th grade with a regular high school diploma or, for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, a state-defined alternate high school diploma.3 The U.S. Department of Education first collected the ACGR in 2010–11.4 This indicator concludes with a brief discussion of the private high school graduate rate, using a different measure.

Select a subgroup characteristic from the drop-down menu below to view relevant text and figures.

All available findings Control of institution Disability English learner (EL) Race/ethnicity Socioeconomic status (SES) State/jurisdiction Time series
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Figure 1. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public high school students, by state or jurisdiction: School year 2021–22
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— Not available.

NOTE: The ACGR is the percentage of public school 9th-graders who graduate within 4 years of starting 9th grade with a regular diploma or, for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, a state-defined alternate high school diploma. The U.S. average ACGR is for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. U.S. average includes imputed data for New Mexico and Oklahoma. BIE stands for the Bureau of Indian Education. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, EDFacts file 150, Data Group 695, and EDFacts file 151, Data Group 696, 2021–22. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 219.46.

The U.S. average ACGR for public high school students increased overall from 80 percent in school year 2011–12 to 87 percent in 2021–22.5 Over this period, the U.S. average ACGR increased by 0.5 to 1.4 percentage points each year, except in 2020–21. The U.S. average ACGR fell by 0.4 percentage points in the first full school year of the coronavirus pandemic (from 2019–20 to 2020–21)6 but recovered by 2021–22. [Time series ]
In 2021–22, the ACGR ranged from 76 percent in the District of Columbia to 91 percent in West Virginia. Forty states reported ACGRs from 80 percent to less than 90 percent. Of the 46 states and the District of Columbia that had data available in both 2020–21 and 2021–22, ACGR differed by 1 percentage point or less between these years in 37 states. [Time series ] [State/jurisdiction]
ACGR data for 2021–22 are also available for Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools and Puerto Rico. The ACGR was 75 percent for BIE schools and 74 percent for Puerto Rico. [State/jurisdiction]
Figure 2. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public high school students, by race/ethnicity: School year 2021–22
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1 Includes imputed data for New Mexico and Oklahoma.

2 Estimated assuming a count of zero American Indian/Alaska Native students for Hawaii.

3 Reporting practices for data on Asian and Pacific Islander students vary by state. Asian/Pacific Islander data in this indicator represent either the value reported by the state for the “Asian/Pacific Islander” group or an aggregation of separate values reported by the state for “Asian” and “Pacific Islander.” “Asian/Pacific Islander” includes the “Filipino” group, which only California and Hawaii report separately.

4 Due to nonreporting in several states, data for students of Two or more races are not available at the national level.

NOTE: The ACGR is the percentage of public school 9th-graders who graduate within 4 years of starting 9th grade with a regular diploma or, for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, a state-defined alternate high school diploma. The U.S. average ACGR is for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, EDFacts file 150, Data Group 695, and EDFacts file 151, Data Group 696, 2021–22. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 219.46.

In 2021–22, the ACGRs for American Indian/Alaska Native7 (74 percent), Black (81 percent), and Hispanic (83 percent) public high school students were below the U.S. average ACGR of 87 percent. The ACGRs for Asian/Pacific Islander8 (94 percent) and White (90 percent) students were above the U.S. average ACGR.9 Across states, the ACGRs for American Indian/Alaska Native students
  • ranged from 46 percent in South Dakota to 91 percent in Mississippi; and
  • were higher than the U.S. average ACGR in at least 7 states10 (Indiana, Alabama, Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi).11
Across states, the ACGRs for Asian/Pacific Islander students
  • ranged from 78 percent in Vermont to 97 percent in Texas;12 and
  • were higher than the U.S. average ACGR in all states except Utah, South Dakota, Hawaii, North Dakota, Alaska, Idaho, and Vermont.13
Across states, the ACGRs for Black students
  • ranged from 68 percent in Nevada to 88 percent in Mississippi; and
  • were higher than the U.S. average ACGR in 2 states (West Virginia and Mississippi).
Across states, the ACGRs for Hispanic students
  • ranged from 69 percent in the District of Columbia, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Louisiana to 88 percent in Texas; and
  • were higher than the U.S. average ACGR in 2 states (Arkansas and Texas).
Across states, the ACGRs for White students
  • ranged from 82 percent in Idaho to 96 percent in the District of Columbia; and
  • were higher than the U.S. average ACGR in 39 states and the District of Columbia.
Across states, the ACGRs for students of Two or more races
  • ranged from 73 percent in South Dakota to 91 percent in Texas and Virginia; and
  • were higher than the U.S. average ACGR in 17 states and the District of Columbia.14
[Race/ethnicity ] [State/jurisdiction]
In 2021–22, the ACGRs in Puerto Rico were
  • 57 percent for students of Two or more races;
  • 63 percent for White students; and
  • 74 percent for Hispanic students.15
The ACGR for American Indian/Alaska Native students in BIE schools was 75 percent. [Race/ethnicity ] [State/jurisdiction]
Figure 3. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for White and Black public high school students, by state or jurisdiction: School year 2021–22
Figure 3. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for White and Black public high school students, by state or jurisdiction: School year 2021–22

1 Although only whole percentages are displayed in this figure, the ACGR gaps are calculated using the most precise graduation rates available for public use, which include some rates rounded to one decimal place and some rates rounded to whole numbers to protect student privacy. Gaps presented in this figure may vary slightly from those that would be calculated using rates with more precision.

NOTE: The ACGR is the percentage of public school 9th-graders who graduate within 4 years of starting 9th grade with a regular diploma or, for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, a state-defined alternate high school diploma. The U.S. average ACGR is for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 2021–22, New Mexico and Oklahoma data were unavailable. Bureau of Indian Education schools and Puerto Rico are not included in this figure because the ACGRs were not available for one or both racial/ethnic groups. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, EDFacts file 150, Data Group 695, and EDFacts file 151, Data Group 696, 2021–22. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 219.46.

In 2021–22, the U.S. average ACGR for Black public high school students (81 percent) was 9 percentage points lower than that of White students (90 percent) and 13 percentage points lower than that of Asian/Pacific Islander students (94 percent). Black students had lower ACGRs than both White and Asian/Pacific Islander students in every state and the District of Columbia. Wisconsin reported the largest gap between the ACGRs for Black and White students (23 percentage points). Nevada reported the largest gap between the ACGRs for Black and Asian/Pacific Islander students (23 percentage points). [Race/ethnicity ] [State/jurisdiction]
Figure 4. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for White and Hispanic public high school students, by state or jurisdiction: School year 2021–22
Figure 4. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for White and Hispanic public high school students, by state or jurisdiction: School year 2021–22

# Rounds to zero.

1 Although only whole percentages are displayed in this figure, the ACGR gaps are calculated using the most precise graduation rates available for public use, which include some rates rounded to one decimal place and some rates rounded to whole numbers to protect student privacy. Gaps presented in this figure may vary slightly from those that would be calculated using rates with more precision.

NOTE: The ACGR is the percentage of public school 9th-graders who graduate within 4 years of starting 9th grade with a regular diploma or, for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, a state-defined alternate high school diploma. The U.S. average ACGR is for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 2021–22, New Mexico and Oklahoma data were unavailable. Bureau of Indian Education schools are not included in this figure, because the ACGRs were not available for all racial/ethnic groups except for American Indian/Alaska Native students. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, EDFacts file 150, Data Group 695, and EDFacts file 151, Data Group 696, 2021–22. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 219.46.

In 2021–22, the U.S. average ACGR for Hispanic public high school students (83 percent) was 7 percentage points lower than that of White students (90 percent) and 11 percentage points lower than that of Asian/Pacific Islander students (94 percent). Hispanic students had lower ACGRs than White students in every state and the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia reported the largest gap between the ACGRs for Hispanic and White students (27 percentage points). The ACGRs were lower for Hispanic students than for Asian/Pacific Islander students in every state except for Vermont. Maryland reported the largest gap between the ACGRs for Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander students (24 percentage points). [Race/ethnicity ] [State/jurisdiction]
In Puerto Rico, the ACGR for Hispanic public high school students was 11 percentage points higher than that of White students (74 vs. 63 percent). [Race/ethnicity ] [State/jurisdiction]
ACGR by Other Student Characteristics16 and State
Figure 5. Adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public high school students, by selected student characteristics: School year 2021–22
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1 Includes imputed data for New Mexico and Oklahoma.

2 Students identified as children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

3 Students who met the definition of English learner as outlined in the EDFacts workbook. For more information, see https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/edfacts/eden-workbook.html.

4 Students who met the state criteria for classification as economically disadvantaged.

NOTE: The ACGR is the percentage of public school 9th-graders who graduate within 4 years of starting 9th grade with a regular diploma or, for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, a state-defined alternate high school diploma. The U.S. average ACGR is for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The time when students are identified as having certain characteristics varies by state. Depending on the state, a student may be included in a category if the relevant characteristic is reported in 9th-grade data, if the characteristic is reported in 12th-grade data, or if it is reported at any point during the student’s high school years. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, EDFacts file 150, Data Group 695, and EDFacts file 151, Data Group 696, 2021–22. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 219.46.

In 2021–22, the ACGRs for students with disabilities17 (71 percent), English learners18 (72 percent), economically disadvantaged students19 (81 percent), and enrolled homeless students (68 percent) were below the U.S. average ACGR (87 percent).20
Across states, the ACGRs for students with disabilities
  • ranged from 49 percent in New Jersey to 84 percent in Florida; and
  • were lower than the U.S. average ACGR in all states and the District of Columbia.
Across states, the ACGRs for English learners
  • ranged from 46 percent in Louisiana to 88 percent in Indiana; and
  • were higher than the U.S. average ACGR in 1 state (Indiana).
Across states, the ACGRs for economically disadvantaged students
  • ranged from 60 percent in South Dakota to 90 percent in Mississippi; and
  • were higher than the U.S. average ACGR in 2 states (Kentucky and Mississippi).
Across states, the ACGRs for enrolled homeless students
  • ranged from 45 percent in South Dakota to 86 percent in Kentucky; and
  • were lower than the U.S. average ACGR in all states and the District of Columbia.
[Socioeconomic status (SES) ] [State/jurisdiction] [Disability] [English learner (EL)]
In 2021–22, the ACGRs for BIE schools were 72 percent for students with disabilities, 79 percent for English learners,21 75 percent for economically disadvantaged students, and 72 percent for enrolled homeless students. The ACGRs for Puerto Rico were 68 percent for students with disabilities, 75 percent for English learners, 73 percent for economically disadvantaged students, and 55 percent for enrolled homeless students. [Socioeconomic status (SES) ] [State/jurisdiction] [Disability] [English learner (EL)]
ACGR data are not available for private school students. However, a different measure of graduation rates is available from the Private School Universe Survey (PSS). Whereas the ACGR is based on an adjusted cohort of 9th-graders, PSS provides data on the percentage of 12th-graders who complete high school in a given year, without accounting for when they began 9th grade.22 Among 12th-graders who were enrolled in private schools in fall 2020, some 96 percent graduated in 2020–21. [Control of institution]

1 Unless otherwise noted, includes students in public schools in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

2 For general technical notes related to data analysis, data interpretation, rounding, and other considerations, please refer to the Reader’s Guide.

3 Before 2017–18, the definition of ACGR included regular high school diplomas only.

4 The ACGR is considered the most accurate measure available for reporting on-time graduation rates. For more information, see Seastrom, M., Chapman, C., Stillwell, R., McGrath, D., Peltola, P., Dinkes, R., and Xu, Z. (2006). User’s Guide to Computing High School Graduation Rates, Volume 2: Technical Evaluation of Proxy Graduation Indicators (NCES 2006-605). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006605.

5 The U.S. average ACGR includes imputed data for states when data are not available. For example, in 2021–22, New Mexico and Oklahoma data were unavailable. Therefore, neither state is included in the state-level ACGR discussions. However, the U.S. average ACGR for 2021–22 includes imputed data for both states.

6 In 2019–20, some states may have changed their requirements for a regular high school diploma to account for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. These changes were at the discretion of each state but may have resulted in less comparability in the ACGRs between 2019–20 and other school years.

7 Estimated assuming a count of zero American Indian/Alaska Native students for Hawaii.

8 Reporting practices for data on Asian and Pacific Islander students vary by state. Asian/Pacific Islander data in this indicator represent either the value reported by the state for the “Asian/Pacific Islander” group or an aggregation of separate values reported by the state for “Asian” and “Pacific Islander.” “Asian/Pacific Islander” includes the “Filipino” group, which only California and Hawaii report separately.

9 Due to nonreporting in several states, data for students of Two or more races are not available at the national level.

10 The ACGR for American Indian/Alaska Native students was 80 percent or higher in West Virginia. This value has been “blurred” to protect student privacy. Therefore, it is not possible to determine whether the ACGR in West Virginia is higher than the U.S. average and it has been excluded from this count of 7 states.

11 Because data from Hawaii were unavailable, discussion of ACGRs for American Indian/Alaska Native students excludes Hawaii. The District of Columbia is also excluded from this discussion because its ACGR for American Indian/Alaska Native students did not meet reporting standards.

12 The ACGRs for Asian/Pacific Islander students were 95 percent or higher in West Virginia and Wyoming. These values have been “blurred” to protect student privacy.

13 The District of Columbia is excluded from this discussion because its ACGR for Asian/Pacific Islander students did not meet reporting standards.

14 Data were not available for students of Two or more races in Hawaii, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

15 The ACGRs are not available for other racial/ethnic groups in Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools and Puerto Rico. Thus, BIE schools and Puerto Rico are omitted from some of the later discussions comparing ACGRs between racial/ethnic groups.

16 The time when students are identified as having certain characteristics varies by state. Depending on the state, a student may be included in a category if the relevant characteristic is reported in 9th-grade data, if the characteristic is reported in 12th-grade data, or if it is reported at any point during the student’s high school years.

17 This includes students identified as students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

18 This includes students who met the definition of English learner as outlined in the EDFacts workbook. For more information, see https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/edfacts/eden-workbook.html.

19 Refers to students who met the state or jurisdiction criteria for classification as economically disadvantaged.

20 Because data from Hawaii were unavailable, discussions of ACGRs for students with disabilities, English learners, economically disadvantaged students, and homeless students exclude Hawaii.

21 Data for English learner (EL) students in the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) include programs designed for Native American students learning and studying Native American languages. Data for Puerto Rico are for students with “limited Spanish proficiency” or Spanish learners (SLs), instead of "English Learners," as Spanish is the language of instruction in Puerto Rico. However, Title III-A requires that an outcome of such programs be increased English proficiency.

22 The 2020–21 graduation rate is the percentage of 12th-graders enrolled around October 1, 2020, who graduated in 2020–21.

Supplemental Information

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Table 219.46 (Digest 2023): Public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), by selected student characteristics and state: 2011-12 through 2021-22;
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Table 205.15 (Digest 2023): Private elementary and secondary school enrollment, percentage distribution of private school enrollment, and private enrollment as a percentage of combined enrollment in public and private schools, by school orientation and grade: Selected years, fall 1999 through fall 2021;
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Table 13 (Private School Universe Survey 2021-22): Percentage of private schools with 12th-graders in 2020-21, number of graduates, graduation rate, and percentage of graduates who attended 4-year colleges, by selected characteristics: United States, school year 2021-22
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Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) Gap High school completer High school diploma Private school Public school or institution Racial/ethnic group
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Suggested Citation

National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). High School Graduation Rates. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/coi.
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