U.S. public high schools report an 87 percent adjusted cohort graduation rate. Six-year completion at public four-year colleges stands at 62 percent overall and 55 percent for STEM majors. The following sections present these figures alongside breakdowns by institution type and student demographics.
Key Takeaways
- 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
- 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
- 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 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
- 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
US graduation outcomes improved modestly, with strong completion rates at many colleges and widening gaps by income and identity.
Related reading
01 · Category
College Graduation30 stats
01
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
02
At public four-year institutions, the six-year graduation rate was 62% for the 2016 entering cohort, with STEM majors at 55%
03
Private nonprofit four-year colleges reported 68% six-year graduation rates for 2016 cohort, compared to 52% at for-profit schools
04
In 2022, 2.1 million associate degrees were conferred in the U.S., with 40% of community college entrants completing within three years
05
Harvard University's six-year graduation rate exceeds 97% for undergraduates entering in 2017
06
California State University system's graduation rate improved to 62% by 2023 for six-year metric, targeting 70% by 2025
07
At the University of California, Berkeley, 93% of 2016 cohort graduated within four years, 96% within six
08
Community college completion rates averaged 34% within three years for 2019 cohort, per Complete College America
09
Texas public universities saw 55% four-year graduation rates in 2022, with UT Austin at 73%
10
Florida's State University System reported 72% six-year graduation rate for 2017 cohort, up 5% from decade prior
11
In 2023, NYU's undergraduate graduation rate was 93% within six years for full-time students
12
Public two-year colleges had 31% three-year completion rate for 2018 cohort, with transfers boosting to 50%
13
Stanford University's four-year graduation rate is 95%, six-year at 98% for recent classes
14
Among HBCUs, Morehouse College achieved 85% six-year graduation rate in 2022
15
Yale's six-year graduation rate stands at 98.5% for 2017 entrants
16
Community college nursing program graduation rates averaged 65% within 150% time in 2021
17
University of Michigan's 2023 report shows 92% six-year graduation for in-state students
18
In 2022, 1.0 million bachelor's degrees were awarded in business fields, with 60% six-year completion at those programs
19
Private for-profit four-year schools had 28% six-year graduation rates for 2016 cohort
20
UCLA's four-year graduation rate reached 81% for 2019 freshmen, six-year 92%
21
Ohio State University reported 88% six-year graduation for 2017 cohort
22
Among online programs, Western Governors University boasts 65% completion within normal time
23
MIT's undergraduate graduation rate is 93% within four years, 96% six years
24
Public universities in Georgia had 52% four-year graduation rates in 2022
25
Columbia University's six-year rate is 97%
26
In 2021, 45% of community college students completed credentials within six years, per NSCRC
27
Princeton's graduation rate exceeds 97% within six years
28
University of Florida's six-year rate was 88% for 2016 cohort
29
In 2022, the average six-year graduation rate at U.S. public four-year colleges was 61%
30
Duke University's four-year rate is 90%, six-year 96%
Interpretation
College 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.
02 · Category
Demographic Variations27 stats
01
In the U.S., Black high school students had 81% graduation rate vs. 89% White in 2022
02
Female college graduation rates exceed males by 7 percentage points nationally, 65% vs. 58% six-year
03
Hispanic postsecondary enrollment leads to 25% bachelor's completion within six years
04
Low-income students graduate high school at 78% vs. 93% high-income, 2022 data
05
Asian American college six-year graduation rate is 76%, highest among groups
06
Rural high school graduation rates average 88%, urban 85%, suburban 90%
07
First-generation college students complete at 24% vs. 60% continuing-generation
08
In 2023, LGBTQ+ high school students reported 82% graduation, lower due to bullying
09
English language learners graduate high school at 65%, non-ELL 90%
10
Students with disabilities have 72% high school graduation rate vs. 90% general
11
Native American college completion is 40% six-year, lowest major group
12
Immigrant students outperform U.S.-born in high school graduation by 5 points
13
Single-parent household students graduate college at 50% less rate than two-parent
14
Military-connected high schoolers graduate at 92%, above national average
15
Homeless students graduate high school at 55%, per federal data
16
Foster youth postsecondary completion is 10% within six years
17
Overweight students have 5% lower high school graduation odds
18
Gifted program participants graduate college at 80% vs. 50% average
19
In urban areas, Black males graduate high school at 75%
20
Women in STEM fields graduate at 65% vs. 70% men
21
Veteran college students complete at 45% within six years
22
Adult learners (25+) have 30% associate completion rate
23
Pacific Islander high school graduation is 80%
24
Children of college grads graduate at 60% rate vs. 30% non-college parents
25
Incarcerated youth have <20% high school equivalency attainment
26
Religious minority students (Muslim) graduate high school at 85%
27
Athletes in high school graduate at 92% vs. 84% non-athletes
Interpretation
Demographic 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.
03 · Category
Graduate School Graduation27 stats
01
The six-year graduation rate for master's degrees in the U.S. was 62% at public universities in 2022
02
In 2021-22, 1.1 million master's degrees were conferred, with education fields at 20% of total, 65% completion rate
03
Harvard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences reports 95% completion within five years for PhD programs
04
Stanford's PhD completion rate averages 85% within seven years across disciplines
05
U.S. medical schools had a 94.3% four-year graduation rate for the class entering 2018
06
Law schools reported 87% three-year graduation rates in 2022, with top tiers at 95%
07
At UC Berkeley, 70% of PhD students complete within six years
08
Yale Law School's graduation rate is 98% within three years
09
In 2023, 202,400 doctoral degrees were awarded in the U.S., with sciences comprising 55%
10
MBA programs at top business schools like Wharton achieve 95% two-year completion rates
11
Public research universities saw 60% five-year master's completion for 2018 cohort
12
Johns Hopkins University's PhD programs have 80% completion rate within seven years
13
Nursing doctoral programs reported 85% completion within five years in 2022
14
MIT's graduate programs boast 90% completion rates for master's, 82% for PhDs
15
In the UK, Oxford University's DPhil completion rate is 85% within six years
16
U.S. EdD programs have 55% three-year completion rates, lower than PhDs
17
Columbia's GSAS PhD attrition rate is 15%, implying 85% graduation
18
Engineering master's programs at Georgia Tech complete at 92% within two years
19
In 2022, 56% of full-time graduate students completed their programs within 150% normal time
20
Princeton's PhD programs graduate 90% of students
21
Dental schools in U.S. have 96% four-year graduation rates
22
UCLA's professional degree programs like MD achieve 97% graduation
23
Social work MSW programs report 88% two-year completion rates nationally
24
Chicago Booth MBA graduation rate is 98%
25
In 2021, Canada’s graduate completion rate for master's was 82% within three years
26
NYU's Tandon School engineering PhDs complete at 75% within seven years
27
Veterinary medicine programs graduate 92% within four years
Interpretation
Graduate 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.
More related reading
04 · Category
High School Graduation29 stats
01
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
02
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
03
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
04
In 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%
05
Texas 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
06
New 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%
07
Florida's high school graduation rate hit a record 90% in 2022-23, boosted by career and technical education pathways adopted by 25% of graduates
08
In 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%
09
Michigan's high school graduation rate for 2021-22 was 82.1%, with urban districts like Detroit at 72% showing improvement from 65% in 2019
10
The 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
11
In 2023, West Virginia's high school graduation rate was 92%, with special education students improving to 85% from 78% pre-pandemic
12
Nevada's high school graduation rate rose to 82.5% in 2022, with Clark County schools at 80.1% amid efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism
13
Oregon reported a 79% high school graduation rate for 2021-22, with Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students at 68%, highlighting equity challenges
14
Indiana's class of 2023 had an 89.4% graduation rate, with evidence-based interventions credited for a 3% rise in low-income student graduations
15
Kentucky achieved 90.7% high school graduation in 2022, with rural schools matching urban rates at 91%
16
Washington's high school graduation rate was 84.5% in 2022-23, with homeless students graduating at 62% via support programs
17
Alabama's public high school graduation rate reached 89% in 2023, up 1.5% from 2022, driven by alternative diploma options
18
In 2021-22, Colorado's high school graduation rate was 82.3%, with English learners at 65% prompting new bilingual programs
19
New Jersey's rate was 91% for 2022 graduates, highest among large states, with Black students at 87%
20
Oklahoma reported 84% high school graduation in 2023, with tribal students at 78% benefiting from cultural programs
21
Arkansas improved to 88.5% high school graduation rate in 2022-23, with foster care students reaching 75%
22
Utah's high school graduation rate was 88%, with Pacific Islander students at 82% showing narrowing gaps
23
In 2022, Hawaii's public high school graduation rate was 83.5%, with Native Hawaiian students at 77%
24
South Carolina's rate hit 84% in 2023, with special needs students at 80% due to personalized learning plans
25
Georgia achieved 84.5% high school graduation in 2022, with Hispanic rates climbing to 85%
26
North Carolina's 2023 class had 87% graduation rate, rural areas at 86%
27
Arizona's high school graduation rate was 77% in 2022, with efforts targeting 70% Native American rate
28
In 2021-22, public high school graduates numbered 3.7 million in the U.S., with 87% ACGR
29
Male high school graduation rate in U.S. was 86% vs. 88% for females in 2022
Interpretation
High 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.
05 · Category
International Graduation Rates27 stats
01
In OECD countries, tertiary graduation rates averaged 39% for short-cycle programs in 2022
02
Japan's upper secondary graduation rate was 98.8% in 2021, highest globally
03
South Korea's tertiary graduation rate reached 70% in 2022, with 95% high school completion
04
In 2020, the EU average tertiary attainment for 25-34 year-olds was 42%, led by Ireland at 63%
05
China's gross tertiary graduation rate hit 59.6% in 2022, with 10.76 million graduates
06
India's higher education gross enrollment ratio led to 4.3 million graduates in 2023, rate ~28%
07
Australia's bachelor degree attainment for 25-34s is 44%, tertiary graduation 50%
08
Finland's upper secondary graduation rate is 93%, vocational focus aiding 85% tertiary entry
09
Brazil's high school completion rate for 25-34s was 59% in 2022, tertiary 21%
10
Germany's dual education system yields 90% upper secondary graduation, 55% tertiary
11
In 2023, UK's university graduation rate for full-time undergrads was 86% within five years
12
Russia's tertiary graduation rate is 62%, with high school at 98%
13
Mexico's upper secondary completion rose to 78% in 2022, tertiary graduation 25%
14
Singapore's polytechnic diploma graduation rate is 95%, university 90%
15
In 2021, France's baccalauréat pass rate was 96.5%, tertiary graduation 45%
16
Sweden's upper secondary graduation is 88%, with 50% tertiary attainment
17
Turkey's tertiary graduation rate improved to 30% in 2022 from 20% in 2015
18
Canada's postsecondary graduation rate is 65% within six years
19
Saudi Arabia's university graduation rate reached 45% in 2023, women at 60%
20
Netherlands' HBO bachelor graduation is 75% within four years
21
South Africa's high school matric pass rate was 82.9% in 2023, tertiary low at 15%
22
Poland's upper secondary graduation is 95%, tertiary 55%
23
UAE's tertiary graduation rate is 50%, with 90% high school
24
Chile's tertiary enrollment led to 40% graduation rate in 2022
25
Israel's high school graduation is 92%, tertiary 50%
26
New Zealand's tertiary qualification rate for 25-34s is 41%
27
Norway's upper secondary completion is 85%, university graduation 55%
Interpretation
International 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.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Graduation Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/graduation-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Graduation Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/graduation-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Graduation Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/graduation-statistics.
Sources & references
98 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level