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Digest of Education Statistics
2021 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 225.90. Number and percentage of elementary and secondary school students retained in grade, by sex, race/ethnicity, and grade level: 1994 through 2020
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Grade level and year Students retained in grade (in same grade as in previous year)
Number of students retained (in thousands) Percent of students retained
Total Sex Race/ethnicity1 Total Sex Race/ethnicity1
Male Female White Black Hispanic Male Female White Black Hispanic
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Total, all grades                                                                        
1994 1,368   (58.0) 747   (42.8) 621   (39.1) 772   (43.7) 333   (33.0) 222   (35.1) 2.9   (0.12) 3.1   (0.18) 2.7   (0.17) 2.5   (0.14) 4.5   (0.44) 3.7   (0.59)
1995 1,479   (56.1) 803   (41.3) 676   (38.0) 893   (43.7) 336   (28.2) 208   (23.9) 3.1   (0.12) 3.3   (0.17) 2.9   (0.16) 2.8   (0.14) 4.4   (0.37) 3.3   (0.38)
1996 1,223   (53.1) 717   (40.6) 506   (34.2) 629   (38.2) 312   (28.3) 233   (26.2) 2.4   (0.10) 2.7   (0.16) 2.1   (0.14) 1.9   (0.12) 3.9   (0.35) 3.3   (0.37)
1997 1,253   (53.7) 715   (40.5) 538   (35.3) 674   (39.5) 310   (28.2) 222   (25.5) 2.6   (0.11) 2.9   (0.16) 2.3   (0.15) 2.1   (0.12) 3.9   (0.36) 3.3   (0.38)
1998 1,335   (55.4) 734   (41.1) 601   (37.2) 713   (40.6) 345   (29.7) 213   (25.1) 2.7   (0.11) 2.9   (0.16) 2.5   (0.16) 2.3   (0.13) 4.3   (0.37) 3.1   (0.36)

1999
1,524   (59.1) 916   (45.7) 608   (37.4) 835   (43.9) 316   (28.5) 318   (30.5) 3.1   (0.12) 3.6   (0.18) 2.5   (0.16) 2.6   (0.14) 4.0   (0.36) 4.4   (0.42)
2000 1,521   (59.1) 946   (46.4) 575   (36.4) 737   (41.3) 391   (31.5) 306   (29.9) 3.1   (0.12) 3.7   (0.18) 2.4   (0.15) 2.3   (0.13) 5.0   (0.40) 4.1   (0.40)
2001 1,569   (56.9) 880   (42.6) 689   (37.8) 745   (39.4) 397   (30.2) 354   (30.4) 3.1   (0.11) 3.4   (0.17) 2.8   (0.16) 2.4   (0.12) 5.1   (0.38) 4.5   (0.39)
2002 1,475   (55.2) 803   (40.7) 672   (37.3) 744   (39.4) 311   (26.9) 348   (30.3) 2.9   (0.11) 3.1   (0.16) 2.7   (0.15) 2.4   (0.13) 4.0   (0.34) 4.0   (0.35)
2003 1,568   (56.9) 856   (42.0) 711   (38.4) 773   (40.1) 376   (29.4) 323   (29.2) 3.1   (0.11) 3.3   (0.16) 2.9   (0.16) 2.5   (0.13) 4.8   (0.38) 3.7   (0.34)

2004
1,515   (55.9) 858   (42.0) 657   (36.9) 717   (38.6) 368   (29.0) 316   (29.0) 3.0   (0.11) 3.3   (0.16) 2.7   (0.15) 2.4   (0.13) 4.9   (0.38) 3.5   (0.32)
2005 1,544   (56.5) 825   (41.3) 719   (38.6) 756   (39.6) 369   (29.1) 319   (29.1) 3.0   (0.11) 3.2   (0.16) 2.9   (0.16) 2.5   (0.13) 4.9   (0.38) 3.4   (0.31)
2006 1,418   (54.2) 756   (39.5) 663   (37.1) 689   (37.9) 295   (26.1) 321   (29.2) 2.8   (0.11) 2.9   (0.15) 2.7   (0.15) 2.3   (0.13) 4.0   (0.35) 3.4   (0.31)
2007 1,164   (49.2) 615   (35.8) 548   (33.8) 595   (35.2) 213   (22.3) 296   (28.1) 2.3   (0.10) 2.4   (0.14) 2.2   (0.14) 2.0   (0.12) 2.8   (0.30) 3.0   (0.28)
2008 999   (45.7) 543   (33.7) 456   (30.9) 506   (32.6) 231   (23.2) 225   (24.6) 2.0   (0.09) 2.1   (0.13) 1.8   (0.12) 1.7   (0.11) 3.1   (0.31) 2.2   (0.24)

2009
1,018   (46.1) 556   (34.1) 462   (31.1) 491   (32.1) 206   (22.0) 232   (24.9) 2.0   (0.09) 2.2   (0.13) 1.9   (0.13) 1.7   (0.11) 2.8   (0.30) 2.2   (0.24)
2010 1,061   (47.6) 557   (34.0) 504   (36.4) 506   (41.9) 191   (22.0) 305   (31.0) 2.1   (0.09) 2.2   (0.13) 2.0   (0.15) 1.8   (0.15) 2.6   (0.30) 2.8   (0.28)
2011 945   (60.5) 490   (41.9) 455   (37.7) 454   (41.7) 181   (24.9) 245   (29.7) 1.8   (0.12) 1.9   (0.16) 1.8   (0.15) 1.6   (0.15) 2.5   (0.34) 2.1   (0.26)
2012 1,106   (66.7) 603   (48.6) 503   (42.7) 437   (40.4) 210   (30.2) 363   (38.2) 2.2   (0.13) 2.3   (0.18) 2.0   (0.17) 1.6   (0.15) 2.9   (0.42) 3.1   (0.32)
2013 1,124   (71.1) 661   (50.5) 463   (40.4) 458   (49.0) 259   (31.6) 334   (35.3) 2.2   (0.14) 2.5   (0.19) 1.9   (0.16) 1.7   (0.18) 3.6   (0.44) 2.8   (0.29)

2014
1,313   (72.1) 723   (49.1) 590   (45.6) 523   (42.3) 218   (30.3) 430   (41.3) 2.6   (0.14) 2.8   (0.19) 2.4   (0.18) 2.0   (0.16) 3.0   (0.42) 3.6   (0.34)
2015 1,139   (77.3) 583   (49.6) 557   (49.5) 475   (39.3) 215   (41.2) 357   (36.5) 2.2   (0.15) 2.2   (0.19) 2.2   (0.20) 1.8   (0.15) 3.0   (0.58) 2.9   (0.30)
2016 947   (60.7) 512   (41.2) 435   (39.0) 443   (36.2) 189   (30.2) 238   (30.1) 1.9   (0.12) 2.0   (0.16) 1.8   (0.16) 1.7   (0.14) 2.7   (0.43) 1.9   (0.24)
2017 1,082   (57.3) 608   (44.0) 474   (37.0) 540   (42.3) 218   (29.3) 244   (30.2) 2.1   (0.11) 2.3   (0.17) 1.9   (0.15) 2.1   (0.16) 3.1   (0.41) 1.9   (0.24)
2018 1,092   (64.5) 625   (46.2) 467   (43.1) 564   (43.4) 169   (32.0) 244   (33.6) 2.2   (0.13) 2.4   (0.18) 1.9   (0.17) 2.2   (0.17) 2.4   (0.46) 1.9   (0.27)

2019
1,251   (84.3) 692   (57.3) 559   (48.5) 535   (45.5) 234   (35.3) 352   (48.3) 2.5   (0.17) 2.7   (0.22) 2.3   (0.19) 2.1   (0.18) 3.4   (0.51) 2.7   (0.38)
2020 1,309   (76.0) 636   (59.5) 673   (49.4) 568   (45.9) 177   (25.1) 424   (46.8) 2.6   (0.15) 2.5   (0.23) 2.8   (0.20) 2.3   (0.18) 2.6   (0.36) 3.3   (0.37)

Kindergarten
   through grade 8
                                                                       
1994 1,006   (53.3) 552   (39.5) 454   (35.9) 583   (40.7) 250   (30.6) 141   (30.1) 3.1   (0.16) 3.3   (0.24) 2.9   (0.23) 2.7   (0.19) 4.8   (0.59) 3.3   (0.71)
1995 1,089   (51.6) 570   (37.3) 519   (35.6) 677   (40.7) 259   (26.5) 122   (19.6) 3.3   (0.16) 3.4   (0.22) 3.2   (0.22) 3.1   (0.18) 4.9   (0.50) 2.7   (0.44)
1996 831   (47.0) 482   (35.7) 350   (30.5) 430   (33.9) 215   (25.2) 155   (22.9) 2.3   (0.13) 2.6   (0.20) 2.0   (0.18) 1.9   (0.15) 3.8   (0.45) 3.1   (0.46)
1997 863   (47.9) 508   (36.6) 356   (30.8) 464   (35.1) 227   (25.9) 143   (22.1) 2.6   (0.14) 2.9   (0.21) 2.2   (0.19) 2.1   (0.16) 4.2   (0.48) 3.0   (0.46)
1998 965   (50.5) 536   (37.6) 429   (33.7) 542   (37.9) 225   (25.8) 143   (22.1) 2.8   (0.15) 3.1   (0.21) 2.6   (0.20) 2.5   (0.17) 4.1   (0.47) 2.9   (0.44)

1999
994   (51.3) 600   (39.7) 393   (32.3) 533   (37.6) 217   (25.3) 213   (26.7) 2.9   (0.15) 3.4   (0.23) 2.4   (0.19) 2.5   (0.17) 4.0   (0.46) 4.1   (0.51)
2000 1,121   (54.3) 701   (42.8) 420   (33.4) 545   (38.0) 298   (29.5) 214   (26.9) 3.3   (0.16) 4.0   (0.24) 2.5   (0.20) 2.5   (0.18) 5.3   (0.53) 4.0   (0.50)
2001 1,047   (49.9) 588   (37.4) 459   (33.1) 524   (35.4) 266   (26.5) 233   (26.5) 3.0   (0.14) 3.3   (0.21) 2.7   (0.20) 2.4   (0.16) 4.9   (0.49) 4.1   (0.47)
2002 1,009   (49.0) 563   (36.6) 445   (32.6) 529   (35.6) 213   (23.9) 225   (26.2) 2.9   (0.14) 3.2   (0.21) 2.7   (0.19) 2.5   (0.17) 3.9   (0.43) 3.6   (0.42)
2003 1,110   (51.3) 596   (37.6) 514   (35.0) 550   (36.2) 259   (26.1) 229   (26.4) 3.3   (0.15) 3.4   (0.21) 3.2   (0.21) 2.7   (0.18) 4.9   (0.50) 3.8   (0.43)

2004
1,121   (51.6) 618   (38.2) 504   (34.6) 548   (36.1) 276   (26.9) 218   (25.8) 3.3   (0.15) 3.5   (0.22) 3.1   (0.21) 2.7   (0.18) 5.4   (0.52) 3.4   (0.40)
2005 1,129   (51.8) 594   (37.5) 535   (35.6) 567   (36.8) 256   (26.0) 235   (26.7) 3.3   (0.15) 3.4   (0.21) 3.2   (0.21) 2.8   (0.18) 5.0   (0.51) 3.6   (0.40)
2006 955   (47.7) 521   (35.2) 434   (32.2) 469   (33.5) 207   (23.5) 206   (25.1) 2.8   (0.14) 3.0   (0.21) 2.6   (0.20) 2.4   (0.17) 4.2   (0.48) 3.1   (0.38)
2007 749   (42.4) 394   (30.7) 355   (29.2) 392   (30.7) 131   (18.8) 193   (24.4) 2.2   (0.12) 2.2   (0.18) 2.1   (0.18) 2.0   (0.16) 2.7   (0.38) 2.7   (0.34)
2008 660   (39.9) 374   (29.9) 287   (26.3) 343   (28.8) 154   (20.3) 132   (20.3) 1.9   (0.12) 2.1   (0.17) 1.7   (0.16) 1.8   (0.15) 3.0   (0.40) 1.9   (0.28)

2009
619   (38.6) 316   (27.6) 302   (27.0) 324   (28.0) 109   (17.2) 128   (19.9) 1.8   (0.11) 1.8   (0.16) 1.8   (0.16) 1.7   (0.14) 2.3   (0.36) 1.7   (0.27)
2010 621   (37.9) 333   (28.2) 288   (27.9) 296   (33.1) 122   (17.2) 155   (23.0) 1.8   (0.11) 1.9   (0.16) 1.7   (0.16) 1.6   (0.17) 2.5   (0.36) 2.0   (0.29)
2011 631   (49.7) 342   (35.1) 289   (30.0) 318   (32.2) 94   (17.5) 183   (28.2) 1.8   (0.14) 1.9   (0.19) 1.7   (0.18) 1.7   (0.17) 1.9   (0.36) 2.2   (0.34)
2012 698   (52.9) 404   (39.3) 293   (29.8) 280   (33.3) 127   (23.6) 226   (30.6) 2.0   (0.15) 2.3   (0.22) 1.7   (0.18) 1.5   (0.18) 2.7   (0.49) 2.7   (0.37)
2013 668   (58.6) 377   (42.5) 292   (31.9) 268   (41.0) 153   (24.2) 215   (29.0) 1.9   (0.17) 2.1   (0.24) 1.7   (0.19) 1.5   (0.22) 3.2   (0.50) 2.5   (0.34)

2014
896   (58.4) 482   (39.2) 414   (37.8) 331   (32.6) 159   (24.3) 300   (31.5) 2.6   (0.17) 2.7   (0.22) 2.4   (0.22) 1.8   (0.18) 3.3   (0.49) 3.5   (0.37)
2015 791   (63.0) 417   (41.6) 373   (37.8) 320   (32.0) 156   (36.5) 246   (30.4) 2.3   (0.18) 2.3   (0.23) 2.2   (0.22) 1.8   (0.18) 3.2   (0.76) 2.8   (0.35)
2016 570   (44.0) 314   (31.8) 256   (29.2) 258   (28.4) 124   (21.9) 133   (22.4) 1.6   (0.13) 1.8   (0.18) 1.5   (0.17) 1.5   (0.16) 2.6   (0.46) 1.5   (0.26)
2017 611   (42.3) 350   (31.1) 261   (27.2) 312   (31.9) 133   (23.6) 130   (22.0) 1.8   (0.12) 2.0   (0.17) 1.5   (0.16) 1.8   (0.18) 2.7   (0.48) 1.5   (0.25)
2018 655   (52.1) 392   (38.5) 262   (31.1) 336   (32.6)   (†) 155   (29.6) 1.9   (0.15) 2.2   (0.22) 1.6   (0.19) 1.9   (0.19) 1.7   (0.45) 1.8   (0.34)

2019
791   (59.0) 458   (43.5) 332   (33.1) 365   (36.3) 116   (24.1) 221   (36.4) 2.3   (0.17) 2.6   (0.25) 2.0   (0.20) 2.1   (0.21) 2.4   (0.50) 2.5   (0.41)
2020 840   (57.2) 393   (44.3) 447   (40.6) 369   (35.6) 118   (21.8) 281   (36.8) 2.5   (0.17) 2.3   (0.25) 2.7   (0.24) 2.2   (0.21) 2.5   (0.47) 3.2   (0.42)

Grades 9
   through 12
                                                                       
1994 363   (29.9) 196   (22.0) 167   (20.3) 189   (21.6) 83   (16.5) 81   (21.1) 2.6   (0.21) 2.7   (0.31) 2.4   (0.29) 2.0   (0.23) 3.6   (0.72) 4.6   (1.20)
1995 390   (28.9) 232   (22.2) 157   (18.4) 216   (21.5) 76   (13.5) 87   (15.3) 2.7   (0.20) 3.2   (0.30) 2.2   (0.26) 2.2   (0.22) 3.3   (0.58) 5.0   (0.88)
1996 392   (30.0) 236   (23.3) 156   (19.0) 200   (21.5) 97   (15.8) 78   (15.1) 2.6   (0.20) 3.0   (0.29) 2.1   (0.26) 2.0   (0.21) 4.1   (0.66) 3.9   (0.75)
1997 389   (29.9) 207   (21.8) 182   (20.5) 211   (22.1) 82   (14.6) 78   (15.1) 2.6   (0.20) 2.7   (0.28) 2.5   (0.28) 2.1   (0.22) 3.3   (0.59) 4.0   (0.77)
1998 370   (29.2) 198   (21.4) 172   (20.0) 171   (19.9) 120   (17.5) 70   (14.3) 2.5   (0.20) 2.6   (0.28) 2.3   (0.27) 1.7   (0.20) 4.9   (0.72) 3.6   (0.73)

1999
530   (34.8) 316   (26.8) 215   (22.2) 302   (26.3) 98   (15.9) 106   (17.5) 3.5   (0.23) 4.0   (0.34) 2.9   (0.30) 3.0   (0.26) 4.2   (0.68) 5.0   (0.83)
2000 400   (30.3) 245   (23.7) 155   (19.0) 192   (21.1) 94   (15.5) 91   (16.3) 2.6   (0.20) 3.1   (0.30) 2.1   (0.26) 1.9   (0.21) 4.1   (0.68) 4.3   (0.77)
2001 521   (32.8) 291   (24.5) 230   (21.8) 221   (21.5) 131   (17.3) 121   (17.7) 3.4   (0.21) 3.7   (0.31) 3.1   (0.29) 2.2   (0.21) 5.5   (0.72) 5.7   (0.83)
2002 466   (31.1) 240   (22.3) 227   (21.6) 216   (21.2) 98   (15.0) 123   (17.9) 3.0   (0.20) 3.0   (0.28) 3.0   (0.28) 2.1   (0.21) 4.2   (0.64) 5.0   (0.73)
2003 458   (30.8) 260   (23.2) 197   (20.2) 223   (21.6) 117   (16.4) 95   (15.8) 2.8   (0.19) 3.1   (0.28) 2.4   (0.25) 2.2   (0.21) 4.6   (0.65) 3.7   (0.61)

2004
393   (28.6) 240   (22.3) 153   (17.9) 170   (18.8) 92   (14.6) 98   (16.1) 2.4   (0.18) 3.0   (0.27) 1.9   (0.22) 1.7   (0.19) 3.8   (0.60) 3.7   (0.61)
2005 415   (29.4) 231   (21.9) 184   (19.6) 188   (19.9) 113   (16.1) 84   (14.9) 2.5   (0.18) 2.7   (0.25) 2.3   (0.24) 1.8   (0.19) 4.6   (0.66) 3.0   (0.53)
2006 463   (31.0) 234   (22.0) 229   (21.8) 221   (21.4)   (†) 115   (17.4) 2.8   (0.19) 2.8   (0.26) 2.9   (0.27) 2.2   (0.22) 3.5   (0.56) 4.0   (0.61)
2007 415   (29.4) 221   (21.4) 194   (20.1) 203   (20.6) 82   (13.8) 103   (16.5) 2.5   (0.18) 2.6   (0.25) 2.4   (0.25) 2.1   (0.21) 3.2   (0.54) 3.6   (0.57)
2008 338   (26.6) 169   (18.8) 169   (18.8) 163   (18.5)   (†) 92   (15.7) 2.1   (0.16) 2.1   (0.23) 2.1   (0.24) 1.7   (0.19) 3.2   (0.55) 3.1   (0.52)

2009
400   (28.8) 240   (22.3) 160   (18.3) 167   (18.7) 97   (15.0) 104   (16.6) 2.5   (0.18) 2.9   (0.27) 2.1   (0.23) 1.8   (0.20) 3.9   (0.60) 3.5   (0.55)
2010 440   (31.8) 224   (24.3) 216   (22.9) 210   (23.1) 69   (14.3) 150   (19.8) 2.7   (0.20) 2.7   (0.30) 2.8   (0.29) 2.3   (0.25) 2.9   (0.59) 4.8   (0.62)
2011 314   (32.8) 148   (23.6) 166   (23.1) 137   (20.4)   (†)   (†) 1.9   (0.20) 1.8   (0.28) 2.1   (0.29) 1.5   (0.22) 3.6   (0.74) 1.9   (0.38)
2012 408   (38.9) 198   (27.5) 210   (28.6) 157   (22.7)   (†) 137   (20.9) 2.5   (0.23) 2.4   (0.33) 2.6   (0.34) 1.8   (0.25) 3.4   (0.77) 3.8   (0.56)
2013 456   (39.3) 284   (31.0) 172   (22.6) 190   (25.1) 107   (19.6) 119   (20.1) 2.8   (0.24) 3.5   (0.37) 2.2   (0.28) 2.2   (0.29) 4.5   (0.82) 3.3   (0.56)

2014
417   (37.8) 241   (27.3) 176   (23.6) 192   (24.5)   (†) 129   (23.9) 2.6   (0.23) 3.0   (0.33) 2.2   (0.30) 2.2   (0.28) 2.5   (0.64) 3.7   (0.67)
2015 349   (39.2) 165   (25.3) 183   (28.1) 156   (22.3)   (†) 110   (20.5) 2.2   (0.24) 2.0   (0.31) 2.3   (0.36) 1.8   (0.26) 2.6   (0.73) 3.1   (0.55)
2016 377   (35.7) 198   (26.3) 180   (23.7) 185   (23.4)   (†) 105   (20.0) 2.3   (0.22) 2.4   (0.32) 2.3   (0.30) 2.2   (0.27) 2.9   (0.71) 2.7   (0.52)
2017 471   (38.7) 258   (29.2) 213   (26.0) 229   (29.4)   (†) 113   (18.2) 2.9   (0.23) 3.1   (0.35) 2.6   (0.32) 2.6   (0.34) 3.9   (0.82) 3.0   (0.47)
2018 437   (40.8) 233   (30.0) 205   (29.2) 227   (29.9)   (†) 89   (16.0) 2.7   (0.25) 2.8   (0.36) 2.6   (0.37) 2.7   (0.35) 3.9   (0.95) 2.3   (0.41)

2019
461   (50.7) 234   (35.7) 227   (33.0) 170   (25.4) 117   (25.7) 131   (25.1) 2.9   (0.32) 2.9   (0.43) 2.9   (0.42) 2.1   (0.30) 5.7   (1.21) 3.3   (0.63)
2020 469   (45.3) 243   (30.4) 226   (31.0) 198   (29.2)   (†) 144   (26.6) 3.0   (0.29) 3.1   (0.39) 2.9   (0.40) 2.5   (0.36) 2.7   (0.61) 3.7   (0.68)
†Not applicable.
‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases for a reliable estimate).
1Starting in 2003, White and Black exclude persons of Two or more races. Prior to 2003, respondents could select only one race category, and therefore could not identify as having more than one race.
NOTE: Data are as of October of each year. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Excludes students who were reported as being in a higher grade the previous year than the given year. Prior to 2010, standard errors were computed using generalized variance function methodology rather than the more precise replicate weight methodology used in later years. Totals include other racial/ethnic groups not separately shown. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1994 through 2020. (This table was prepared June 2022.)

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