Getting students across the graduation stage has made its way up to the top of superintendents’ lists of priorities as leaders continue to bolster strategic initiatives surrounding college and career readiness. Our interviews with district leaders reveal their desire to help young adults graduate with a roadmap for life after high school. But how successful are districts in doing so?
Across the country, the average graduation rate was about 79% for the 2021-22 school year, according to data released last week by U.S. News. The organization compiled the most recent department of education data from each state (data was not available for Oklahoma) to assemble a ranking based on high school graduation rates.
According to the data, Virginia tops the list boasting a 92% average graduation rate in 2022, with West Virginia following closely behind at 91%.
Conversely, Washington, D.C., New Mexico, Arizona and Alaska reported graduation percentage rates ranging from the low to high 70s.
To see your state’s graduation rates for the 2021-22 school year, check the alphabetized list below according to U.S. News:
- Alabama: 85.78%
- Alaska: 77.85%
- Arizona: 76.6%
- Arkansas: 89.91%
- California: 87%
- Colorado: 82.3%
- Connecticut: 88.9%
- Delaware: 87.79%
- Florida: 87.3%
- Georgia: 84.1%
- Hawaii: 85%
- Idaho: 80.1%
- Illinois: 87.3%
- Indiana: 86.61%
- Iowa: 89.9%
- Kansas: 89.3%
- Kentucky: 90.1%
- Louisiana: 82.7%
- Maine: 86.14%
- Maryland: 86.3%
- Massachusetts: 90.1%
- Michigan: 81.01%
- Minnesota: 83.55%
- Mississippi: 88.4%
- Missouri: 89.97%
- Montana: 85.78%
- Nebraska: 87.12%
- Nevada: 81.7%
- New Hampshire: 87.16%
- New Jersey: 90.9%
- New Mexico: 76%
- New York: 87%
- North Carolina: 86.4%
- North Dakota: 84%
- Ohio: 87.3%
- Oklahoma: N/A
- Oregon: 80.63%
- Pennsylvania: 87.03%
- Rhode Island: 83.7%
- South Carolina: 83.8%
- South Dakota: 82%
- Tennessee: 89.8%
- Texas: 89.7%
- Utah: 88.2%
- Vermont: 82.8%
- Virginia: 92.16%
- Washington: 82.3%
- Washington, D.C.: 72.6%
- West Virginia: 91.2%
- Wisconsin: 90.3%
- Wyoming: 81.8%
More from DA: New elementary and middle school rankings take a deeper look at test scores
