Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States

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type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="/web/20200918182115js_/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/js/figures.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <div class="main_container"> <div class="dropoutBody index"> <a id="top"></a> <header> <h1> <a href="index.asp">Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States</a> </h1> </header> <div class="columns"> <nav> <a href="#" class="navPull"><img src="/web/20200918182115im_/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/images/navPull.png" alt="Click to open navigation"/></a> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/findings.asp">Selected Findings</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/ack.asp">Acknowledgments</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/intro.asp">Introduction</a></li> <li class="indicators"><a><em>Indicators</em></a> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/ind_01.asp">Event Dropout Rate</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/ind_02.asp">Status Dropout Rate</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/ind_03.asp">Status Completion Rate</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/ind_04.asp">Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/ind_05.asp">Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/references.asp">References</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/tables.asp?refer=dropout">Tables</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/sources.asp">Appendix A: Guide to Sources</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/technotes.asp">Appendix B: Technical Notes</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/glossary.asp">Appendix C: Glossary</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/staff/staffdetl.asp?empid=745" class="iconLink"><img src="/web/20200918182115im_/https://nces.ed.gov/icons/email.gif" alt="Questions?" width="16" height="16" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" align="top"> Contact</a> </li> </ul> </nav> <main class="clearfix">  <p class="tc"><img src="/web/20200918182115im_/https://nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/images/dropout.gif" alt="High school student graduates."/></p> <p class="indexLeft">This report provides the most recent year of data available for each dropout and completion rate, summarizes long-term trends, and examines the characteristics of high school dropouts and completers. Five rates are presented to provide a broad perspective on high school dropouts and completers in the United States: the event dropout rate, the status dropout rate, the status completion rate, the adjusted cohort graduation rate, and the averaged freshman graduation rate. The report also provides information about individuals who completed an alternative high school credential.</p> <ul class="indexRight"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200918182115/https://www.youtube.com/user/EdNCES">View Videos on YouTube</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200918182115/https://twitter.com/home?status=Trends%20in%20High%20School%20Dropout%20and%20Completion%20Rates%20in%20the%20United%20States%20from%20%40EdNCES%20%23DropoutReport%20http%3A//nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/">Share Via Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200918182115/https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A//nces.ed.gov/programs/dropout/">Share Via Facebook</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20200918182115/https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2020117">Download the latest report</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200918182115/http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/pub_dropouts.asp">Download prior editions of this report</a></li> </ul> 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Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States