While nearly nine in ten U.S. public high school students now earn their diploma, the national graduation rate of 87% masks a complex tapestry of triumphs, persistent gaps, and hard-won progress stories playing out in states and student populations across the country.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021-22, the U.S. public high school adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) reached 87% nationally, with variations by state from 74% in New Mexico to 94% in West Virginia
- During the 2020-21 school year, approximately 1.96 million students graduated from U.S. public high schools, representing a 2.5% increase from the previous year despite pandemic disruptions
- The national average high school graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 86.4%, with Asian/Pacific Islander students achieving 94.6% compared to 79.8% for American Indian/Alaska Native students
- During 2019-20, the U.S. six-year college graduation rate for first-time, full-time students was 64%, up slightly from 62% in 2015-16 cohort
- At public four-year institutions, the six-year graduation rate was 62% for the 2016 entering cohort, with STEM majors at 55%
- Private nonprofit four-year colleges reported 68% six-year graduation rates for 2016 cohort, compared to 52% at for-profit schools
- The six-year graduation rate for master's degrees in the U.S. was 62% at public universities in 2022
- In 2021-22, 1.1 million master's degrees were conferred, with education fields at 20% of total, 65% completion rate
- Harvard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences reports 95% completion within five years for PhD programs
- In OECD countries, tertiary graduation rates averaged 39% for short-cycle programs in 2022
- Japan's upper secondary graduation rate was 98.8% in 2021, highest globally
- South Korea's tertiary graduation rate reached 70% in 2022, with 95% high school completion
- In the U.S., Black high school students had 81% graduation rate vs. 89% White in 2022
- Female college graduation rates exceed males by 7 percentage points nationally, 65% vs. 58% six-year
- Hispanic postsecondary enrollment leads to 25% bachelor's completion within six years
Despite pandemic challenges, national high school graduation rates remain high with persistent equity gaps.
College Graduation
1During 2019-20, the U.S. six-year college graduation rate for first-time, full-time students was 64%, up slightly from 62% in 2015-16 cohort
Verified2At public four-year institutions, the six-year graduation rate was 62% for the 2016 entering cohort, with STEM majors at 55%
Verified3Private nonprofit four-year colleges reported 68% six-year graduation rates for 2016 cohort, compared to 52% at for-profit schools
Verified4In 2022, 2.1 million associate degrees were conferred in the U.S., with 40% of community college entrants completing within three years
Directional5Harvard University's six-year graduation rate exceeds 97% for undergraduates entering in 2017
Single source6California State University system's graduation rate improved to 62% by 2023 for six-year metric, targeting 70% by 2025
Verified7At the University of California, Berkeley, 93% of 2016 cohort graduated within four years, 96% within six
Verified8Community college completion rates averaged 34% within three years for 2019 cohort, per Complete College America
Verified9Texas public universities saw 55% four-year graduation rates in 2022, with UT Austin at 73%
Directional10Florida's State University System reported 72% six-year graduation rate for 2017 cohort, up 5% from decade prior
Single source11In 2023, NYU's undergraduate graduation rate was 93% within six years for full-time students
Verified12Public two-year colleges had 31% three-year completion rate for 2018 cohort, with transfers boosting to 50%
Verified13Stanford University's four-year graduation rate is 95%, six-year at 98% for recent classes
Verified14Among HBCUs, Morehouse College achieved 85% six-year graduation rate in 2022
Directional15Yale's six-year graduation rate stands at 98.5% for 2017 entrants
Single source16Community college nursing program graduation rates averaged 65% within 150% time in 2021
Verified17University of Michigan's 2023 report shows 92% six-year graduation for in-state students
Verified18In 2022, 1.0 million bachelor's degrees were awarded in business fields, with 60% six-year completion at those programs
Verified19Private for-profit four-year schools had 28% six-year graduation rates for 2016 cohort
Directional20UCLA's four-year graduation rate reached 81% for 2019 freshmen, six-year 92%
Single source21Ohio State University reported 88% six-year graduation for 2017 cohort
Verified22Among online programs, Western Governors University boasts 65% completion within normal time
Verified23MIT's undergraduate graduation rate is 93% within four years, 96% six years
Verified24Public universities in Georgia had 52% four-year graduation rates in 2022
Directional25Columbia University's six-year rate is 97%
Single source26In 2021, 45% of community college students completed credentials within six years, per NSCRC
Verified27Princeton's graduation rate exceeds 97% within six years
Verified28University of Florida's six-year rate was 88% for 2016 cohort
Verified29In 2022, the average six-year graduation rate at U.S. public four-year colleges was 61%
Directional30Duke University's four-year rate is 90%, six-year 96%
Single source31For the 2017-18 cohort, 39% of students at public two-year colleges earned a degree or transferred within three years
VerifiedCollege Graduation Interpretation
While elite universities like Harvard and Stanford are popping champagne with graduation rates nearing 98%, the national story is a sobering marathon where, at the public institutions most Americans attend, only about six in ten students cross the finish line within six years, revealing a stark and persistent equity gap in higher education.
Demographic Variations
1In the U.S., Black high school students had 81% graduation rate vs. 89% White in 2022
Verified2Female college graduation rates exceed males by 7 percentage points nationally, 65% vs. 58% six-year
Verified3Hispanic postsecondary enrollment leads to 25% bachelor's completion within six years
Verified4Low-income students graduate high school at 78% vs. 93% high-income, 2022 data
Directional5Asian American college six-year graduation rate is 76%, highest among groups
Single source6Rural high school graduation rates average 88%, urban 85%, suburban 90%
Verified7First-generation college students complete at 24% vs. 60% continuing-generation
Verified8In 2023, LGBTQ+ high school students reported 82% graduation, lower due to bullying
Verified9English language learners graduate high school at 65%, non-ELL 90%
Directional10Students with disabilities have 72% high school graduation rate vs. 90% general
Single source11Native American college completion is 40% six-year, lowest major group
Verified12Immigrant students outperform U.S.-born in high school graduation by 5 points
Verified13Single-parent household students graduate college at 50% less rate than two-parent
Verified14Military-connected high schoolers graduate at 92%, above national average
Directional15Homeless students graduate high school at 55%, per federal data
Single source16Foster youth postsecondary completion is 10% within six years
Verified17Overweight students have 5% lower high school graduation odds
Verified18Gifted program participants graduate college at 80% vs. 50% average
Verified19In urban areas, Black males graduate high school at 75%
Directional20Women in STEM fields graduate at 65% vs. 70% men
Single source21Veteran college students complete at 45% within six years
Verified22Adult learners (25+) have 30% associate completion rate
Verified23Pacific Islander high school graduation is 80%
Verified24Children of college grads graduate at 60% rate vs. 30% non-college parents
Directional25Incarcerated youth have <20% high school equivalency attainment
Single source26Religious minority students (Muslim) graduate high school at 85%
Verified27Athletes in high school graduate at 92% vs. 84% non-athletes
VerifiedDemographic Variations Interpretation
The statistics paint a clear and stubborn American portrait: our educational outcomes are less a measure of individual merit and more a mirror reflecting the compounded advantages or burdens of race, income, origin, and identity, where the graduation gap often reveals the opportunity gap.
Graduate School Graduation
1The six-year graduation rate for master's degrees in the U.S. was 62% at public universities in 2022
Verified2In 2021-22, 1.1 million master's degrees were conferred, with education fields at 20% of total, 65% completion rate
Verified3Harvard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences reports 95% completion within five years for PhD programs
Verified4Stanford's PhD completion rate averages 85% within seven years across disciplines
Directional5U.S. medical schools had a 94.3% four-year graduation rate for the class entering 2018
Single source6Law schools reported 87% three-year graduation rates in 2022, with top tiers at 95%
Verified7At UC Berkeley, 70% of PhD students complete within six years
Verified8Yale Law School's graduation rate is 98% within three years
Verified9In 2023, 202,400 doctoral degrees were awarded in the U.S., with sciences comprising 55%
Directional10MBA programs at top business schools like Wharton achieve 95% two-year completion rates
Single source11Public research universities saw 60% five-year master's completion for 2018 cohort
Verified12Johns Hopkins University's PhD programs have 80% completion rate within seven years
Verified13Nursing doctoral programs reported 85% completion within five years in 2022
Verified14MIT's graduate programs boast 90% completion rates for master's, 82% for PhDs
Directional15In the UK, Oxford University's DPhil completion rate is 85% within six years
Single source16U.S. EdD programs have 55% three-year completion rates, lower than PhDs
Verified17Columbia's GSAS PhD attrition rate is 15%, implying 85% graduation
Verified18Engineering master's programs at Georgia Tech complete at 92% within two years
Verified19In 2022, 56% of full-time graduate students completed their programs within 150% normal time
Directional20Princeton's PhD programs graduate 90% of students
Single source21Dental schools in U.S. have 96% four-year graduation rates
Verified22UCLA's professional degree programs like MD achieve 97% graduation
Verified23Social work MSW programs report 88% two-year completion rates nationally
Verified24Chicago Booth MBA graduation rate is 98%
Directional25In 2021, Canada’s graduate completion rate for master's was 82% within three years
Single source26NYU's Tandon School engineering PhDs complete at 75% within seven years
Verified27Veterinary medicine programs graduate 92% within four years
VerifiedGraduate School Graduation Interpretation
While statistics often paint graduate programs as a game of scholastic roulette, from the near certainty of a medical degree to the coin-flip odds of an EdD, the data ultimately reveals that the house always wins but some students are playing with much better odds than others.
High School Graduation
1In 2021-22, the U.S. public high school adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) reached 87% nationally, with variations by state from 74% in New Mexico to 94% in West Virginia
Verified2During the 2020-21 school year, approximately 1.96 million students graduated from U.S. public high schools, representing a 2.5% increase from the previous year despite pandemic disruptions
Verified3The national average high school graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 86.4%, with Asian/Pacific Islander students achieving 94.6% compared to 79.8% for American Indian/Alaska Native students
Verified4In California, the high school graduation rate improved to 87.2% for the class of 2022, driven by targeted interventions for English learners who reached 82.5%
Directional5Texas public high schools reported a 90% graduation rate in 2022-23, with Hispanic students at 89.5% and Black students at 88.2%, reflecting equity gains
Single source6New York State's four-year high school graduation rate stood at 80% for the class of 2022, with significant gaps as English language learners graduated at 61%
Verified7Florida's high school graduation rate hit a record 90% in 2022-23, boosted by career and technical education pathways adopted by 25% of graduates
Verified8In 2022, Iowa achieved the highest U.S. high school graduation rate at 91.5% for public schools, attributed to low dropout rates of 1.2%
Verified9Michigan's high school graduation rate for 2021-22 was 82.1%, with urban districts like Detroit at 72% showing improvement from 65% in 2019
Directional10The U.S. Department of Education reports that 93% of Asian American high school students graduated on-time in 2021, compared to 82% of Hispanic students
Single source11In 2023, West Virginia's high school graduation rate was 92%, with special education students improving to 85% from 78% pre-pandemic
Verified12Nevada's high school graduation rate rose to 82.5% in 2022, with Clark County schools at 80.1% amid efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism
Verified13Oregon reported a 79% high school graduation rate for 2021-22, with Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students at 68%, highlighting equity challenges
Verified14Indiana's class of 2023 had an 89.4% graduation rate, with evidence-based interventions credited for a 3% rise in low-income student graduations
Directional15Kentucky achieved 90.7% high school graduation in 2022, with rural schools matching urban rates at 91%
Single source16Washington's high school graduation rate was 84.5% in 2022-23, with homeless students graduating at 62% via support programs
Verified17Alabama's public high school graduation rate reached 89% in 2023, up 1.5% from 2022, driven by alternative diploma options
Verified18In 2021-22, Colorado's high school graduation rate was 82.3%, with English learners at 65% prompting new bilingual programs
Verified19New Jersey's rate was 91% for 2022 graduates, highest among large states, with Black students at 87%
Directional20Oklahoma reported 84% high school graduation in 2023, with tribal students at 78% benefiting from cultural programs
Single source21Arkansas improved to 88.5% high school graduation rate in 2022-23, with foster care students reaching 75%
Verified22Utah's high school graduation rate was 88%, with Pacific Islander students at 82% showing narrowing gaps
Verified23In 2022, Hawaii's public high school graduation rate was 83.5%, with Native Hawaiian students at 77%
Verified24South Carolina's rate hit 84% in 2023, with special needs students at 80% due to personalized learning plans
Directional25Georgia achieved 84.5% high school graduation in 2022, with Hispanic rates climbing to 85%
Single source26North Carolina's 2023 class had 87% graduation rate, rural areas at 86%
Verified27Arizona's high school graduation rate was 77% in 2022, with efforts targeting 70% Native American rate
Verified28In 2021-22, public high school graduates numbered 3.7 million in the U.S., with 87% ACGR
Verified29Male high school graduation rate in U.S. was 86% vs. 88% for females in 2022
DirectionalHigh School Graduation Interpretation
While celebrating a national graduation high of 87% as a testament to resilience, we must acknowledge that a student's zip code, native language, or race still plays an unforgivably powerful role in determining their odds of walking across the stage.
International Graduation Rates
1In OECD countries, tertiary graduation rates averaged 39% for short-cycle programs in 2022
Verified2Japan's upper secondary graduation rate was 98.8% in 2021, highest globally
Verified3South Korea's tertiary graduation rate reached 70% in 2022, with 95% high school completion
Verified4In 2020, the EU average tertiary attainment for 25-34 year-olds was 42%, led by Ireland at 63%
Directional5China's gross tertiary graduation rate hit 59.6% in 2022, with 10.76 million graduates
Single source6India's higher education gross enrollment ratio led to 4.3 million graduates in 2023, rate ~28%
Verified7Australia's bachelor degree attainment for 25-34s is 44%, tertiary graduation 50%
Verified8Finland's upper secondary graduation rate is 93%, vocational focus aiding 85% tertiary entry
Verified9Brazil's high school completion rate for 25-34s was 59% in 2022, tertiary 21%
Directional10Germany's dual education system yields 90% upper secondary graduation, 55% tertiary
Single source11In 2023, UK's university graduation rate for full-time undergrads was 86% within five years
Verified12Russia's tertiary graduation rate is 62%, with high school at 98%
Verified13Mexico's upper secondary completion rose to 78% in 2022, tertiary graduation 25%
Verified14Singapore's polytechnic diploma graduation rate is 95%, university 90%
Directional15In 2021, France's baccalauréat pass rate was 96.5%, tertiary graduation 45%
Single source16Sweden's upper secondary graduation is 88%, with 50% tertiary attainment
Verified17Turkey's tertiary graduation rate improved to 30% in 2022 from 20% in 2015
Verified18Canada's postsecondary graduation rate is 65% within six years
Verified19Saudi Arabia's university graduation rate reached 45% in 2023, women at 60%
Directional20Netherlands' HBO bachelor graduation is 75% within four years
Single source21South Africa's high school matric pass rate was 82.9% in 2023, tertiary low at 15%
Verified22Poland's upper secondary graduation is 95%, tertiary 55%
Verified23UAE's tertiary graduation rate is 50%, with 90% high school
Verified24Chile's tertiary enrollment led to 40% graduation rate in 2022
Directional25Israel's high school graduation is 92%, tertiary 50%
Single source26New Zealand's tertiary qualification rate for 25-34s is 41%
Verified27Norway's upper secondary completion is 85%, university graduation 55%
VerifiedInternational Graduation Rates Interpretation
The world is hitting the books, though some are acing the final while others are still cramming for the midterm, revealing a global classroom where the bell to graduate rings at vastly different times for each nation.
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