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Digest of Education Statistics
2023 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 219.10.High school graduates, by sex and control of school; public high school averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR); public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR); and total graduates as a ratio of 17-year-old population: Selected school years, 1869-70 through 2031-32
School year High school graduates Public school AFGR1 Public school ACGR2 Population 17 years old3 Total graduates as a ratio of
17-year-old population4
Total5 Sex Control  
Male Female Public Private, total
Total6 Male Female
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1869-70 16,000 7,064 8,936       ---       ---       --- ---  ---       --- 815,000 2.0
1879-80 23,634 10,605 13,029       ---       ---       --- ---  ---       --- 946,026 2.5
1889-90 43,731 18,549 25,182 21,882 7       ---       --- 21,849 8       ---       --- 1,259,177 3.5
1899-1900 94,883 38,075 56,808 61,737 7       ---       --- 33,146 8       ---       --- 1,489,146 6.4
1909-10 156,429 63,676 92,753 111,363 7       ---       --- 45,066 8       ---       --- 1,786,240 8.8
1919-20 311,266 123,684 187,582 230,902 7       ---       --- 80,364 8       ---       --- 1,855,173 16.8

1929-30

666,904

300,376

366,528

591,719

7

      ---


      ---


75,185

8

      ---

      ---

2,295,822

29.0
1939-40 1,221,475 578,718 642,757 1,143,246 538,273 604,973 78,229 8       ---       --- 2,403,074 50.8
1949-50 1,199,700 570,700 629,000 1,063,444 505,394 558,050 136,256 8       ---       --- 2,034,450 59.0
1959-60 1,858,023 895,000 963,000 1,627,050 791,426 835,624 230,973  ---       --- 2,672,000 69.5
1969-70 2,888,639 1,430,000 1,459,000 2,588,639 1,285,895 1,302,744 300,000 8 78.7       --- 3,757,000 76.9
1975-76 3,142,120 1,552,000 1,590,000 2,837,129 1,401,064 1,436,065 304,991 74.9       --- 4,272,000 73.6

1979-80

3,042,214

1,503,000

1,539,000

2,747,678


---


---


294,536


71.5

      ---

4,262,000

71.4
1985-86 2,642,616 --- --- 2,382,616 --- --- 260,000 8 74.3       --- 3,670,000 72.0
1986-87 2,693,803 --- --- 2,428,803 --- --- 265,000 8 74.3       --- 3,754,000 71.8
1987-88 2,773,020 --- --- 2,500,020 --- --- 273,000 8 74.2       --- 3,849,000 72.0
1988-89 2,743,743 --- --- 2,458,800 --- --- 284,943 73.4       --- 3,842,000 71.4

1989-909

2,574,162

---

---

2,320,337


---


---


253,825

10

73.6

      ---

3,505,000

73.4
1990-91 2,492,988 --- --- 2,234,893 --- --- 258,095 73.7       --- 3,417,913 72.9
1991-92 2,480,399 --- --- 2,226,016 --- --- 254,383 10 74.2       --- 3,398,884 73.0
1992-93 2,480,519 --- --- 2,233,241 --- --- 247,278 73.8       --- 3,449,143 71.9
1993-94 2,463,849 --- --- 2,220,849 --- --- 243,000 8 73.1       --- 3,442,521 71.6

1994-95

2,519,084

---

---

2,273,541


---


---


245,543


71.8

      ---

3,635,803

69.3
1995-96 2,518,109 --- --- 2,273,109 --- --- 245,000 8 71.0       --- 3,640,132 69.2
1996-97 2,611,988 --- --- 2,358,403 --- --- 253,585 71.3       --- 3,792,207 68.9
1997-98 2,704,050 --- --- 2,439,050 1,187,647 1,251,403 265,000 8 71.3       --- 4,008,416 67.5
1998-99 2,758,655 --- --- 2,485,630 1,212,924 1,272,706 273,025 71.1       --- 3,917,885 70.4

1999-2000

2,832,844

---

---

2,553,844


1,241,631


1,312,213


279,000

8

71.7

      ---

4,056,639

69.8
2000-01 2,847,973 --- --- 2,569,200 1,251,931 1,317,269 278,773 71.7       --- 4,023,686 70.8
2001-02 2,906,534 --- --- 2,621,534 1,275,813 1,345,721 285,000 8 72.6       --- 4,023,968 72.2
2002-03 3,015,735 --- --- 2,719,947 1,330,973 1,388,974 295,788 73.9       --- 4,125,087 73.1
2003-049,11 3,054,438 --- --- 2,753,438 1,347,800 1,405,638 301,000 8 74.3       --- 4,113,074 74.3

2004-05

3,106,499

---

---

2,799,250


1,369,749


1,429,501


307,249


74.7

      ---

4,120,073

75.4
2005-069 3,122,544 --- --- 2,815,544 1,376,458 1,439,086 307,000 8 73.4       --- 4,200,554 74.3
2006-07 3,199,650 --- --- 2,893,045 1,414,069 1,478,976 306,605 73.9       --- 4,297,239 74.5
2007-08 3,312,337 --- --- 3,001,337 1,467,180 1,534,157 311,000 8 74.7       --- 4,436,955 74.7
2008-099 3,347,828 --- --- 3,039,015 1,490,317 1,548,698 308,813 75.5       --- 4,336,950 77.2

2009-10

3,435,022

---

---

3,128,022


1,542,684

12

1,585,338

12

307,000

8

78.2

      ---

4,311,831

79.7
2010-11 3,449,940 --- --- 3,144,100 1,552,981 1,591,113 305,840 79.6 79.0 4,367,894 79.0
2011-12 3,454,095 --- --- 3,149,185 1,558,489 1,590,694 304,910 8 80.8 80.0 4,294,343 80.4
2012-13 3,478,027 --- --- 3,169,257 1,569,675 1,599,579 308,770 81.9 81.4 4,256,151 81.7
2013-1413 3,499,560 --- --- 3,179,700 1,575,840 1,603,830 319,860 --- 82.3 4,185,184 83.6

2014-1513

3,552,880

---

---

3,209,630


1,592,040


1,617,540


343,250

14

---

83.2

4,171,162

85.2
2015-1613 3,609,080 --- --- 3,258,490 1,617,460 1,640,950 350,590 --- 84.1 4,204,274 85.8
2016-1713 3,649,800 --- --- 3,301,560 1,641,540 1,659,900 348,230 14 --- 84.6 4,218,770 86.5
2017-1813 3,718,590 --- --- 3,368,790 1,673,770 1,694,860 349,800 --- 85.3 4,290,560 86.7
2018-19 3,737,174 --- --- 3,396,565 1,689,115 1,707,295 340,610 87.3 85.8 4,217,720 88.6

2019-2015

3,705,930

---

---

3,370,950


---


---


334,870


---

86.5

4,169,359

88.9
2020-2115 3,742,260 --- --- 3,410,550 --- --- 331,580 14 --- --- 4,298,351 87.1
2021-2215 3,746,040 --- --- 3,419,500 --- --- 326,540 --- --- 4,314,053 86.8
2022-2315 3,737,370 --- --- 3,408,900 --- --- 328,480 --- --- 4,329,684 86.3
2023-2415 3,783,370 --- --- 3,391,440 --- --- 391,940 --- --- --- ---

2024-2515

3,865,990

---

---

3,524,500


---


---


341,490


---

---

---

---
2025-2615 3,847,060 --- --- 3,497,300 --- --- 349,770 --- --- --- ---
2026-2715 3,743,910 --- --- 3,408,810 --- --- 335,100 --- --- --- ---
2027-2815 3,660,910 --- --- 3,324,820 --- --- 336,080 --- --- --- ---
2028-2915 3,623,850 --- --- 3,299,920 --- --- 323,930 --- --- --- ---

2029-3015

3,598,860

---

---

3,255,470


---


---


343,390


---

---

---

---
2030-3115 3,575,230 --- --- 3,241,140 --- --- 334,090 --- --- --- ---
2031-3215 3,580,360 --- --- 3,238,210 --- --- 342,150 --- --- --- ---
---Not available.
1The averaged freshman graduation rate provides an estimate of the percentage of students who receive a regular diploma within 4 years of entering ninth grade. The rate uses aggregate student enrollment data to estimate the size of an incoming freshman class and aggregate counts of the number of diplomas awarded 4 years later. Averaged freshman graduation rates in this table are based on reported totals of enrollment by grade and high school graduates, rather than on details reported by race/ethnicity.
2The adjusted cohort graduation rate is the percentage of public high school freshmen who graduate with a regular diploma or a state-defined alternate high school diploma for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities within 4 years of starting 9th grade. Students who are entering 9th grade for the first time form a cohort for the graduating class. This cohort is "adjusted" by adding any students who subsequently transfer into the cohort and subtracting any students who subsequently transfer out, emigrate to another country, or die.
3Derived from Current Population Reports, Series P-25. For years 1869-70 through 1989-90, 17-year-old population is an estimate of the October 17-year-old population based on July data. Data for 1990-91 and later years are October resident population estimates prepared by the Census Bureau.
4Based on persons of all ages graduating from high school in a given year divided by the 17-year-old population in the same year. This ratio allows for comparisons over time but does not provide a measure of graduation rates for incoming freshmen who form a cohort (or class) that is scheduled to graduate 4 years later. The ratio of high school graduates to the 17-year-old population differs from measures such as the ACGR and AFGR, which are designed to estimate high school cohort graduation rates.
5Includes graduates of public and private schools.
6Includes estimates for states not reporting counts of graduates by sex.
7Data for 1929-30 and preceding years are from Statistics of Public High Schools and exclude graduates from high schools that failed to report to the Office of Education.
8Estimated based on data appearing in Projections of Education Statistics and Biennial Survey in the United States, Statistical Summary of Education, 1949-50.
9Includes imputations for nonreporting states.
10Projected by private schools responding to the Private School Universe Survey.
11Includes estimates for public schools in New York and Wisconsin. Without estimates for these two states, the averaged freshman graduation rate for the remaining 48 states and the District of Columbia is 75.0 percent.
12Includes estimate for Connecticut, which did not report graduates by sex.
13Number of high school graduates is estimated by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) based on actual data in 2012-13 and 2018-19 unless otherwise noted.
14Private school data are actual.
15Number of high school graduates is projected by NCES unless otherwise noted.
NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Includes graduates of regular day school programs. Excludes graduates of other programs, when separately reported, and recipients of high school equivalency certificates. Projections in this table were calculated after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and take into account the expected impacts of the pandemic. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and adjustments to protect student privacy.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Consolidated State Performance Report, 2010-11 through 2012-13; National Center for Education Statistics, Annual Report of the Commissioner of Education, 1870 through 1910; Statistics of Public High Schools, 1889-90 through 1929-30; Biennial Survey of Education in the United States, 1919-20 through 1949-50; Statistics of Public Elementary and Secondary School Systems, 1958-59 through 1979-80; Statistics of Nonpublic Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1959 through 1980; Common Core of Data (CCD), "State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/Secondary Education," 1985-86 through 2009-10; "State Dropout and Completion Data File," 2005-06 through 2012-13 and 2018-19; Public School Graduates and Dropouts from the Common Core of Data, 2007-08 and 2008-09; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 1989 through 2019; EDFacts file 150, Data Group 695, and EDFacts file 151, Data Group 696, 2013-14 through 2019-20; and National High School Graduates Projection Model, through 2031-32. U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, Series P-25, Nos. 1000, 1022, 1045, 1057, 1059, 1092, and 1095; 2000 through 2009 Population Estimates, retrieved August 14, 2012, from https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/popest/intercensal-2000-2010-national.html; 2010 through 2019 Population Estimates, retrieved October 11, 2021, from https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/technical-documentation/research/evaluation-estimates/2020-evaluation-estimates/2010s-national-detail.html; and 2020 through 2022 Population Estimates, retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-national-detail.html. (This table was prepared August 2023.)

2023 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest