College & Workforce Readiness Interactive

Data: U.S. Graduation Rates by State and Student Demographics

December 07, 2017 | Updated: January 29, 2019 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The national high school graduation rate has risen to a new all-time high. New figures released by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics show that 84.6 percent of the students in the class of 2016-17 earned diplomas in four years. That’s a half-point better than in 2015-16, when the graduation rate was 84.1 percent.
Interact with the charts below to see how graduation rates for U.S. students, and different student populations, have changed over time and how your state’s graduation rate compares.

Related: U.S. High School Grad Rate Reaches Another All-Time High. But What Does It Mean?

Related Tags:

Design & Visualization: Laura Baker

Events

Reading & Literacy K-12 Essentials Forum Supporting Struggling Readers in Middle and High School
Join this free virtual event to learn more about policy, data, research, and experiences around supporting older students who struggle to read.
School & District Management Webinar Squeeze More Learning Time Out of the School Day
Learn how to increase learning time for your students by identifying and minimizing classroom disruptions.
Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2026 Survey Results: How School Districts are Finding and Keeping Talent
Discover the latest K-12 hiring trends from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of job seekers and district HR professionals.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

College & Workforce Readiness Give Students Meaningful, Work-Oriented Learning, U.S. Executives Say
A mix of in-school and workplace learning will help students prepare for a fast-changing world.
9 min read
Image of a silhouette, AI, and industry.
iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness In 'Silicon Desert,' a School Prepares Students to Join the Semiconductor Boom
An Arizona school district is drawing on higher ed and industry to build a CTE program in a growing high-tech field.
13 min read
Alina Kiselev,17, works on a wheatstone circuit bridge during a class on semiconductor manufacturing at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., on Nov. 5, 2025.
Alina Kiselev, 17, works on a Wheatstone bridge circuit during a class on semiconductor manufacturing at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., on Nov. 5, 2025. The school launched a two-year semiconductor program this academic year to help meet the demand for trained employees in sector.
Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness From Our Research Center What Are the Most Popular CTE Classes and Why? We Asked Educators
Students are very attracted to classes that offer meaningful hands-on learning.
1 min read
Students in the health sciences track of Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program practice taking blood pressure on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark.
Students in the health sciences track of Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program practice taking blood pressure on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program—which integrates lessons about AI into its curriculum—offers career-pathway training for high school juniors and seniors in the district.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness From Our Research Center Can School Counselors Support the Push Toward More Career Pathways?
More districts are emphasizing career readiness, but are counselors keeping up with the shift?
3 min read
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offer career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program, which offers career-pathway training, work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. As career and technical education evolves, new survey findings suggest many school counselors are still more focused on college.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week