High school graduation rates are up. 78.2 percent of U.S. high school students received diplomas in the 2009-2010 school year. That’s a big improvement from 2002 levels, when 71.7 percent of high school students graduated. Still, more than two in ten high school students drop out.
Looking state-by-state, Iowa posts the most impressive graduation rate – 88 percent for the 2010-2011 school year. Wisconsin and Vermont were close behind at 87 percent. Lowest graduation rates were in Nevada at 62 percent and Washington, DC, at 59 percent. Urban areas graduate a lower percentage than rural and suburban communities.
Click through our photo gallery for more on high school graduation rates. See “What Do Others Say?” for more perspective, then add to the discussion below. Do the numbers surprise you? Could anything be done to improve graduation rates?
