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Preprimary, Elementary, and Secondary Education

Status Dropout Rates

Last Updated: May 2023
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The overall status dropout rate for 16- to 24-year-olds decreased from 8.3 percent in 2010 to 5.2 percent in 2021. During this time, the status dropout rate declined for those who were Hispanic (from 16.7 to 7.8 percent), American Indian/Alaska Native (from 15.4 to 10.2 percent), Black (from 10.3 to 5.9 percent), of Two or more races (from 6.1 to 4.9 percent), White (from 5.3 to 4.1 percent), and Asian (from 2.8 to 2.1 percent).
The status dropout rate1 represents the percentage of 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and have not earned a high school credential (either a diploma or an equivalency credential such as a GED certificate). In 2021, there were 2.0 million status dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24. The overall status dropout rate decreased from 8.3 percent in 2010 to 5.2 percent in 2021.2

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Figure 1. Status dropout rates of 16- to 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity: Selected years, 2010 through 2021
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A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
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1 Includes respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Status dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they left school and whether they ever attended school in the United States. People who have received equivalency credentials, such as the GED, are counted as high school completers. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States, including both noninstitutionalized persons (e.g., those living in households, college housing, or military housing located within the United States) and institutionalized persons (e.g., those living in prisons, nursing facilities, or other healthcare facilities). Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Estimates may differ from those in figures based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) because of differences in survey design and target populations. The 2020 data are excluded from the analyses. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on response rates and survey administration, the Census Bureau changed the 2020 American Community Survey (ACS) release status to an experimental data product, meaning that it does not meet the Census Bureau’s typical quality standards. Due to limitations of comparability over time for the experimental data product, 2020 ACS data are excluded from these analyses. For more information see https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/working-papers/2021/acs/2021_CensusBureau_01.pdf.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2010 through 2021. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 219.80.

The status dropout rate varied by race/ethnicity in 2021. The status dropout rate for Pacific Islanders (7.6 percent) was higher than the rates for White and Asian 16- to 24-year-olds, but it was not measurably different from the rates for other groups. Among the remaining racial/ethnic groups, dropout rates were lowest for Asian and highest for American Indian/Alaska Native 16- to 24-year-olds, with differing rates as follows:
  • Asian (2.1 percent)
  • White (4.1 percent)
  • Two or more races (4.9 percent)
  • Black (5.9 percent)
  • Hispanic (7.8 percent)
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (10.2 percent)
[Race/ethnicity ]
From 2010 to 2021, the status dropout rate declined for 16- to 24-year-olds who were
  • Hispanic (from 16.7 to 7.8 percent);
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (from 15.4 to 10.2 percent);
  • Black (from 10.3 to 5.9 percent);
  • of Two or more races (from 6.1 to 4.9 percent);
  • White (from 5.3 to 4.1 percent); and
  • Asian (from 2.8 to 2.1 percent).
In contrast, there was no measurable difference between the status dropout rates in 2010 and 2021 for those who were Pacific Islander. Further, there were no measurable differences between the status dropout rates in 2019—the year before the coronavirus pandemic—and 2021 for any racial/ethnic group. [Time series ] [Race/ethnicity ]
In each year from 2010 to 2021, the status dropout rate for Asian 16- to 24-year-olds was lower than the rate for those who were White, and the rates for both groups were lower than the rates for those who were Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native. However, gaps between these groups were generally smaller in 2021, primarily due to declines in the dropout rate among the higher dropout group. For example, between 2010 and 2021, the Asian-Hispanic and White-Hispanic gaps in status dropout rates each dropped about 8 percentage points (down to 5.3 and 3.7 percentage points, respectively). This was primarily due to the decrease in the dropout rate among Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds. [Time series ] [Race/ethnicity ]
Figure 2. Status dropout rates of 16- to 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity and sex: 2021
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A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
Bar | Table
Users can select years at irregular intervals. However, as a result, the distance between the data points will not be proportional to the number of years between them.
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1 Includes respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Status dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they left school and whether they ever attended school in the United States. People who have received equivalency credentials, such as the GED, are counted as high school completers. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States, including both noninstitutionalized persons (e.g., those living in households, college housing, or military housing located within the United States) and institutionalized persons (e.g., those living in prisons, nursing facilities, or other healthcare facilities). Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2021. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 219.80.

In 2021, the status dropout rate was higher for male 16- to 24-year-olds than for female 16- to 24-year-olds overall (6.1 vs. 4.2 percent). Status dropout rates were higher for males than for females among those who were
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (12.1 vs. 8.2 percent);
  • Hispanic (9.5 vs. 6.0 percent);
  • Black (7.2 vs. 4.5 percent);
  • of Two or more races (5.9 vs. 3.8 percent);
  • White (4.6 vs. 3.5 percent); and
  • Asian (2.5 vs. 1.7 percent).
However, there were no measurable differences in status dropout rates between males and females who were Pacific Islander. [Race/ethnicity ] [Sex or gender]
Status Dropout Rates by Other Demographic Characteristics
Figure 3. Status dropout rates of U.S.- and foreign-born 16- to 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity: 2021
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A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
Bar | Table
Users can select years at irregular intervals. However, as a result, the distance between the data points will not be proportional to the number of years between them.
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‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

1 Includes respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire.

2 Includes those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Status dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they left school and whether they ever attended school in the United States. People who have received equivalency credentials, such as the GED, are counted as high school completers. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States, including both noninstitutionalized persons (e.g., those living in households, college housing, or military housing located within the United States) and institutionalized persons (e.g., those living in prisons, nursing facilities, or other healthcare facilities). Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2021. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 219.80.

Overall, U.S.-born 16- to 24-year-olds3 had a lower status dropout rate in 2021 than their foreign-born peers (4.8 vs. 10.3 percent). Differences in status dropout rates between U.S.- and foreign-born individuals varied by race/ethnicity. Compared to the status dropout rate for 16- to 24-year-olds born in the United States, the status dropout rate for their peers born outside of the United States was
  • higher for those who were Pacific Islander (22.0 vs. 5.3 percent);
  • higher for those who were Hispanic (18.0 vs. 5.9 percent);
  • higher for those who were Asian (2.5 vs. 1.9 percent); and
  • lower for those who were White (2.8 vs. 4.1 percent).
The status dropout rates for U.S.-born 16- to 24-year-olds who were Black or of Two or more races were not measurably different from the rates for their foreign-born peers.4 [Race/ethnicity ] [Nativity/Immigrant/Nonresident]
Figure 4. Status dropout rates of 16- to 24-year-olds, by institutionalized status and disability status: 2021
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Bar | Table
A confidence interval is a range of values that describes the uncertainty surrounding an estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, confidence intervals are calculated as the estimate +/- the margin of error, based on a 95 percent level of confidence. This means that there is 95 percent certainty that the range includes the true or actual value of the statistic.
Confidence Interval
Bar | Table
Users can select years at irregular intervals. However, as a result, the distance between the data points will not be proportional to the number of years between them.
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1 Includes persons living in households as well as persons living in noninstitutionalized group quarters. Noninstitutionalized group quarters include college and university housing, military quarters, facilities for workers and religious groups, and temporary shelters for the homeless.

2 Includes persons living in institutionalized group quarters, including adult and juvenile correctional facilities, nursing facilities, and other health care facilities.

3 A disability is a long-lasting physical, mental, or emotional condition that can make it difficult for a person to do activities such as walking, climbing stairs, dressing, bathing, learning, or remembering. The condition can also impede a person from being able to go outside the home alone or to work at a job or business. For more details, see https://www.census.gov/topics/health/disability/about/glossary.html.

NOTE: To estimate the margin of error, the standard error is scaled based on the desired level of confidence in the estimate. Throughout the Condition of Education, margins of error are produced based on a 95 percent level of confidence. Margin of error is calculated as 1.96*standard error. Status dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they left school and whether they ever attended school in the United States. People who have received equivalency credentials, such as the GED, are counted as high school completers. Data are based on sample surveys of the entire population residing within the United States, including both noninstitutionalized persons (e.g., those living in households, college housing, or military housing located within the United States) and institutionalized persons (e.g., those living in prisons, nursing facilities, or other healthcare facilities).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2021. See Digest of Education Statistics 2022, table 219.80.

In 2021, the status dropout rate was lower for 16- to 24-year-olds living in households and noninstitutionalized group quarters such as college or military housing (5.0 percent) than for those living in institutionalized group quarters such as correctional or health care facilities (30.1 percent). This pattern holds for all racial/ethnic groups.5 [Institutionalization status]
The status dropout rate also differed by disability status6 in 2021. The status dropout rate was 4.8 percent for 16- to 24-year-olds without a disability and 10.4 percent for 16- to 24-year-olds with a disability. [Disability]

1 In this indicator, status dropout rates are based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is an annual survey that covers a broad population, including individuals living in households, individuals living in noninstitutionalized group quarters, and individuals living in institutionalized group quarters. Noninstitutionalized group quarters include college and university housing, military quarters, facilities for workers and religious groups, and temporary shelters for the homeless. Institutionalized group quarters include adult and juvenile correctional facilities, nursing facilities, and other health care facilities.

2 The 2020 data are excluded from trend analyses. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on response rates and survey administration, the Census Bureau changed the 2020 American Community Survey (ACS) release status to an experimental data product, meaning that it does not meet the Census Bureau’s typical quality standards. Due to limitations of comparability over time for the experimental data product, 2020 ACS data are excluded from these analyses. For more information see https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/working-papers/2021/acs/2021_CensusBureau_01.pdf.

3 U.S.-born 16- to 24-year-olds include those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents.

4 American Indian/Alaska Native 16- to 24-year-olds are excluded from this analysis because either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

5 Pacific Islander 16- to 24-year-olds are excluded from this analysis because reporting standards are not met for institutionalized 16- to 24-year-olds; either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

6 In this indicator, a disability is a long-lasting physical, mental, or emotional condition that can make it difficult for a person to do activities such as walking, climbing stairs, dressing, bathing, learning, or remembering. The condition can also impede a person from being able to go outside the home alone or to work at a job or business. For more details, see https://www.census.gov/topics/health/disability/about/glossary.html.

Supplemental Information

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Table 219.80 (Digest 2022): Total number of 16- to 24-year-old high school dropouts (status dropouts) and percentage of dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate), by selected characteristics: Selected years, 2007 through 2021
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Status Dropout Rates – May 2022
Status Dropout Rates – May 2021
Status Dropout Rates – May 2020
Status Dropout Rates – May 2019
Status Dropout Rates – May 2018
Status Dropout Rates – May 2017
Status Dropout Rates – May 2016
Status Dropout Rates – May 2015
Status Dropout Rates – January 2014
Status Dropout Rates – January 2013
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Suggested Citation

National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Status Dropout Rates. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/coj.