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.)