Table 10. Status completion rates, number of completers, and population of 18- through 24-year-olds: October 1972 through October 2005

Dropout Rates in the United States: 2005

NCES 2007-059
June 2007

(19 KB)

Year ¹	Completion rate (percent)	Number of completers (thousands)	Population (thousands)

1972	82.8	19,623	23,688
1973	83.7	20,377	24,349
1974	83.6	20,724	24,794
1975	83.8	21,326	25,436
1976	83.5	21,677	25,953

1977	83.6	22,008	26,321
1978	83.6	22,308	26,697
1979	83.1	22,421	26,982
1980	83.9	22,746	27,122
1981	83.8	23,342	27,863

1982	83.8	23,290	27,790
1983	83.9	22,988	27,399
1984	84.7	22,871	27,014
1985	85.4	22,349	26,168
1986	85.5	21,766	25,453

1987	84.7	21,071	24,869
1988	84.5	20,838	24,650
1989	84.7	20,420	24,102
1990	85.6	20,269	23,689
1991	84.9	19,831	23,369

1992	86.4	19,874	23,004
1993	86.2	19,682	22,842
1994	85.8	20,538	23,946
1995	85.3	20,102	23,571
1996	86.2	20,074	23,277

1997	85.9	20,241	23,569
1998	84.8	20,451	24,113
1999	85.9	21,091	24,540
2000	86.5	21,743	25,138
2001	86.5	22,084	25,543

2002	86.6	22,249	25,697
2003	87.1	22,508	25,831
2004	86.8	22,991	26,476
2005	87.6	23,010	26,270
¹ Estimates beginning in 1987 reflect new editing procedures for cases with missing data on school enrollment items. Estimates beginning in 1992 reflect new wording of the educational attainment item. Estimates beginning in 1994 reflect changes due to newly instituted computer–assisted interviewing. For details about changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS) over time, please see Kaufman, Alt, and Chapman (2004). NOTE: Status completion rates measure the percentage of 18– through 24–year–olds who are not enrolled in high school and who also hold a high school diploma or equivalent credential such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Those still enrolled in high school are excluded from the analysis. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October (1972–2005).

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