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Digest of Education Statistics
2015 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 219.73. Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate) and number and percentage distribution of 16- to 24-year-olds, by selected characteristics: Selected years, 2004 to 2014
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Selected characteristic Status dropout rate1 2014
Number of 16- to 24-year-olds (in thousands) Percentage distribution of 16- to 24-year-olds
2004 2009 2013 2014 Total population2 Status dropouts only3 Total population2 Status dropouts only3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Total 10.3   (0.23) 8.1   (0.20) 6.8   (0.28) 6.5   (0.25) 38,650   (67.1) 2,527   (94.9) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†)
Sex                                                
Male 11.6   (0.34) 9.1   (0.31) 7.2   (0.37) 7.1   (0.37) 19,484   (46.7) 1,389   (71.1) 50.4   (0.10) 55.0   (1.66)
Female 9.0   (0.31) 7.0   (0.27) 6.3   (0.34) 5.9   (0.29) 19,166   (57.8) 1,138   (55.7) 49.6   (0.10) 45.0   (1.66)
                                                 
Race/ethnicity                                                
White 6.8   (0.24) 5.2   (0.21) 5.1   (0.31) 5.2   (0.32) 21,290   (111.6) 1,114   (68.1) 55.1   (0.28) 44.1   (2.03)
Black 11.8   (0.70) 9.3   (0.61) 7.3   (0.87) 7.4   (0.74) 5,590   (99.2) 415   (42.8) 14.5   (0.26) 16.4   (1.60)
Hispanic 23.8   (0.89) 17.6   (0.76) 11.7   (0.74) 10.6   (0.68) 8,345   (61.6) 882   (57.4) 21.6   (0.16) 34.9   (1.85)
Asian 3.5   (0.74) 2.1   (0.58) 3.2   (0.95) 1.0 ! (0.35) 1,966   (43.1) 21 ! (6.8) 5.1   (0.11) 0.8 ! (0.27)
Pacific Islander   (†) 18.4   (5.42)   (†) 12.1 ! (6.05) 125   (26.3)   (†) 0.3   (0.07)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 17.0   (3.46) 13.2   (3.28) 7.0 ! (2.27) 15.7   (3.02) 339   (32.9) 53   (10.6) 0.9   (0.08) 2.1   (0.42)
Two or more races 6.1   (1.47) 6.5   (1.41) 5.7   (1.37) 2.7   (0.80) 996   (51.7) 27   (7.8) 2.6   (0.13) 1.1   (0.30)
                                                 
Race/ethnicity by sex                                                
Male                                                
White 7.1   (0.35) 6.3   (0.33) 5.5   (0.39) 5.7   (0.42) 10,775   (67.6) 612   (44.6) 55.3   (0.28) 44.1   (2.48)
Black 13.5   (1.08) 10.6   (0.93) 8.2   (1.11) 7.1   (1.02) 2,739   (31.6) 195   (27.9) 14.1   (0.17) 14.1   (1.89)
Hispanic 28.5   (1.30) 19.0   (1.10) 12.6   (1.01) 11.8   (1.04) 4,278   (41.7) 506   (45.4) 22.0   (0.24) 36.4   (2.41)
Asian 2.1 ! (0.82)   (†) 2.3 ! (0.96) 1.9 ! (0.66) 978   (29.8) 18 ! (6.4) 5.0   (0.15) 1.3 ! (0.47)
Pacific Islander   (†) 26.9 ! (8.45)   (†)   (†) 58   (13.6)   (†) 0.3   (0.07)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 12.6 ! (4.26) 12.3 ! (4.59)   (†) 13.7   (3.48) 186   (24.3) 25   (7.3) 1.0   (0.12) 1.8   (0.53)
Two or more races 6.3 ! (2.09) 5.5 ! (1.86) 4.2 ! (2.01) 4.1 ! (1.45) 469   (29.5) 19 ! (6.7) 2.4   (0.15) 1.4 ! (0.47)
Female                                                
White 6.4   (0.34) 4.1   (0.27) 4.7   (0.36) 4.8   (0.41) 10,515   (57.9) 502   (43.2) 54.9   (0.34) 44.1   (2.98)
Black 10.2   (0.92) 8.1   (0.80) 6.6   (1.07) 7.7   (1.02) 2,851   (81.4) 219   (30.5) 14.9   (0.40) 19.3   (2.48)
Hispanic 18.5   (1.18) 16.1   (1.06) 10.8   (0.98) 9.3   (0.84) 4,066   (26.8) 377   (33.9) 21.2   (0.12) 33.1   (2.62)
Asian 4.9   (1.24) 3.0 ! (0.99) 4.1 ! (1.35)   (†) 988   (22.2)   (†) 5.2   (0.11)   (†)
Pacific Islander   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 67   (18.6)   (†) 0.3   (0.10)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 21.7   (5.44) 14.1 ! (4.69) 8.0 ! (3.56) 18.1   (4.01) 153   (19.3) 28   (6.2) 0.8   (0.10) 2.4   (0.56)
Two or more races 5.8 ! (2.06) 7.5   (2.10) 7.2   (2.07) 1.5 ! (0.72) 527   (32.3) 8 ! (3.8) 2.8   (0.17) 0.7 ! (0.33)
                                                 
Family income quartile                                                
Lowest 18.0   (0.60) 15.8   (0.57) 10.7   (0.73) 11.6   (0.68) 9,252   (197.4) 1,073   (62.5) 23.9   (0.51) 42.5   (1.94)
Middle low 12.7   (0.52) 9.7   (0.45) 8.8   (0.67) 7.6   (0.57) 9,602   (192.4) 725   (56.0) 24.8   (0.50) 28.7   (1.79)
Middle high 8.2   (0.42) 5.4   (0.34) 5.0   (0.44) 4.7   (0.43) 9,273   (209.8) 437   (40.0) 24.0   (0.54) 17.3   (1.54)
Highest 3.7   (0.27) 2.5   (0.22) 3.2   (0.36) 2.8   (0.31) 10,524   (200.7) 291   (33.6) 27.2   (0.51) 11.5   (1.25)
                                                 
Age                                                
16 3.8   (0.42) 2.7   (0.37) 5.2   (0.64) 5.2   (0.62) 4,101   (50.9) 213   (25.1) 10.6   (0.13) 8.4   (0.96)
17 5.2   (0.51) 4.4   (0.46) 4.7   (0.62) 5.2   (0.67) 4,245   (50.0) 223   (28.6) 11.0   (0.13) 8.8   (1.10)
18 10.6   (0.73) 7.8   (0.59) 5.4   (0.64) 7.0   (0.72) 4,145   (45.9) 291   (30.4) 10.7   (0.12) 11.5   (1.15)
19 11.2   (0.74) 9.3   (0.65) 7.1   (0.78) 7.2   (0.76) 4,116   (46.5) 297   (31.5) 10.7   (0.13) 11.7   (1.12)
20 to 24 12.6   (0.34) 9.7   (0.30) 7.6   (0.38) 6.8   (0.33) 22,043   (65.5) 1,503   (72.9) 57.0   (0.08) 59.5   (1.72)
                                                 
Recency of immigration4                                                
Born outside the United States                                                
Hispanic 38.4   (1.61) 31.3   (1.64) 22.8   (1.97) 21.0   (1.84) 1,889   (88.1) 397   (41.3) 4.9   (0.23) 15.7   (1.51)
Non-Hispanic 6.5   (0.81) 6.2   (0.81) 5.5   (1.06) 3.9   (0.91) 2,134   (102.5) 84   (20.2) 5.5   (0.27) 3.3   (0.79)
First generation                                                
Hispanic 14.7   (1.27) 11.8   (1.04) 8.2   (0.98) 7.1   (0.82) 3,808   (112.6) 270   (33.3) 9.9   (0.29) 10.7   (1.25)
Non-Hispanic 2.6   (0.51) 3.9   (0.57) 3.9   (0.90) 2.2   (0.59) 2,689   (106.8) 60   (15.8) 7.0   (0.27) 2.4   (0.61)
Second generation or higher                                                
Hispanic 13.7   (1.39) 10.2   (1.13) 8.3   (1.10) 8.1   (1.17) 2,648   (109.4) 215   (31.7) 6.9   (0.28) 8.5   (1.22)
Non-Hispanic 8.0   (0.24) 6.1   (0.21) 5.6   (0.31) 5.9   (0.29) 25,483   (135.2) 1,500   (74.1) 65.9   (0.34) 59.4   (1.94)
                                                 
Disability5                                                
With a disability   (†) 15.5   (1.44) 14.9   (1.87) 13.9   (1.59) 1,530   (75.0) 212   (26.4) 4.0   (0.19) 8.4   (0.98)
Without a disability   (†) 7.8   (0.21) 6.4   (0.27) 6.2   (0.24) 37,121   (103.8) 2,314   (89.0) 96.0   (0.19) 91.6   (0.98)
                                                 
Region                                                
Northeast 8.8   (0.47) 7.1   (0.47) 5.5   (0.61) 5.3   (0.54) 6,750   (134.1) 359   (37.4) 17.5   (0.34) 14.2   (1.42)
Midwest 8.0   (0.42) 7.6   (0.44) 6.0   (0.60) 5.4   (0.52) 8,186   (149.1) 443   (43.4) 21.2   (0.38) 17.5   (1.62)
South 11.4   (0.44) 8.4   (0.36) 7.6   (0.48) 7.6   (0.49) 14,294   (171.5) 1,083   (70.8) 37.0   (0.45) 42.9   (2.05)
West 12.2   (0.56) 8.6   (0.44) 7.1   (0.53) 6.8   (0.55) 9,420   (153.4) 642   (52.5) 24.4   (0.39) 25.4   (1.92)
—Not available.
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 30 percent or greater.
‡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 The status dropout rate is the percentage of 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in high school and who lack a high school credential. High school credentials include high school diplomas and alternative credentials, such as a GED certificate.
2 Includes all 16- to 24-year-olds.
3 Status dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in high school and who lack a high school credential. High school credentials include high school diplomas and alternative credentials, such as a GED certificate.
4 The United States includes the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Individuals defined as "first generation" were born in the United States, but one or both of their parents were born outside the United States. Individuals defined as "second generation or higher" were born in the United States, as were both of their parents.
5 Individuals identified as having a disability reported difficulty in at least one of the following: hearing, seeing even when wearing glasses, walking or climbing stairs, dressing or bathing, doing errands alone, concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in prisons, persons in the military, and other persons not living in households. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and the suppression of cells that do not meet NCES reporting standards.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 2004 through 2014. (This table was prepared July 2016.)

2015 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest