Data / Rankings / High school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort) / US states

US states by high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort)

Iowa had the highest high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort) of 51 states in 2015, at 90.8%. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 68.5%. The median was 84.8% and the figure for the United States was 83.2%. Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest90.8Iowa
Lowest68.5District of Columbia
Median84.851 states
United States83.2History

Map of states, 2015

Alabama: 89.3 %Alaska: 75.6 %Arizona: 77.4 %Arkansas: 84.9 %California: 82 %Colorado: 77.3 %Connecticut: 87.2 %Delaware: 85.6 %District of Columbia: 68.5 %Florida: 77.9 %Georgia: 78.8 %Hawaii: 81.6 %Idaho: 78.9 %Illinois: 85.6 %Indiana: 87.1 %Iowa: 90.8 %Kansas: 85.7 %Kentucky: 88 %Louisiana: 77.5 %Maine: 87.5 %Maryland: 87 %Massachusetts: 87.3 %Michigan: 79.8 %Minnesota: 81.9 %Mississippi: 80.8 %Missouri: 87.8 %Montana: 86 %Nebraska: 88.9 %Nevada: 71.3 %New Hampshire: 88.1 %New Jersey: 89.7 %New Mexico: 68.6 %New York: 79.2 %North Carolina: 85.6 %North Dakota: 86.6 %Ohio: 80.7 %Oklahoma: 82.5 %Oregon: 73.8 %Pennsylvania: 84.8 %Rhode Island: 83.2 %South Carolina: 80.3 %South Dakota: 83.9 %Tennessee: 87.9 %Texas: 89 %Utah: 84.8 %Vermont: 87.7 %Virginia: 85.7 %Washington: 78.2 %West Virginia: 86.5 %Wisconsin: 88.4 %Wyoming: 79.3 %
  • Under 78
  • 78 to 81
  • 81 to 85
  • 85 to 87
  • 87 to 88
  • 88 and over
%, 2015. Source: NCES, Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2015

Iowa: 90.8 %Iowa90.8New Jersey: 89.7 %New Jersey89.7Alabama: 89.3 %Alabama89.3Texas: 89 %Texas89Nebraska: 88.9 %Nebraska88.9Wisconsin: 88.4 %Wisconsin88.4New Hampshire: 88.1 %New Hampshire88.1Kentucky: 88 %Kentucky88Tennessee: 87.9 %Tennessee87.9Missouri: 87.8 %Missouri87.8Vermont: 87.7 %Vermont87.7Maine: 87.5 %Maine87.5Massachusetts: 87.3 %Massachusetts87.3Connecticut: 87.2 %Connecticut87.2Indiana: 87.1 %Indiana87.1Maryland: 87 %Maryland87North Dakota: 86.6 %North Dakota86.6West Virginia: 86.5 %West Virginia86.5Montana: 86 %Montana86Kansas: 85.7 %Kansas85.7Virginia: 85.7 %Virginia85.7Delaware: 85.6 %Delaware85.6Illinois: 85.6 %Illinois85.6North Carolina: 85.6 %North Carolina85.6Arkansas: 84.9 %Arkansas84.9Pennsylvania: 84.8 %Pennsylvania84.8Utah: 84.8 %Utah84.8South Dakota: 83.9 %South Dakota83.9Rhode Island: 83.2 %Rhode Island83.2Oklahoma: 82.5 %Oklahoma82.5California: 82 %California82Minnesota: 81.9 %Minnesota81.9Hawaii: 81.6 %Hawaii81.6Mississippi: 80.8 %Mississippi80.8Ohio: 80.7 %Ohio80.7South Carolina: 80.3 %South Carolina80.3Michigan: 79.8 %Michigan79.8Wyoming: 79.3 %Wyoming79.3New York: 79.2 %New York79.2Idaho: 78.9 %Idaho78.9Georgia: 78.8 %Georgia78.8Washington: 78.2 %Washington78.2Florida: 77.9 %Florida77.9Louisiana: 77.5 %Louisiana77.5Arizona: 77.4 %Arizona77.4Colorado: 77.3 %Colorado77.3Alaska: 75.6 %Alaska75.6Oregon: 73.8 %Oregon73.8Nevada: 71.3 %Nevada71.3New Mexico: 68.6 %New Mexico68.6District of Columbia: 68.5 %District of Columbia68.5Iowa: 90.8 %Iowa90.8New Jersey: 89.7 %New Jersey89.7Alabama: 89.3 %Alabama89.3Texas: 89 %Texas89Nebraska: 88.9 %Nebraska88.9Wisconsin: 88.4 %Wisconsin88.4New Hampshire: 88.1 %New Hampshire88.1Kentucky: 88 %Kentucky88Tennessee: 87.9 %Tennessee87.9Missouri: 87.8 %Missouri87.8Vermont: 87.7 %Vermont87.7Maine: 87.5 %Maine87.5Massachusetts: 87.3 %Massachusetts87.3Connecticut: 87.2 %Connecticut87.2Indiana: 87.1 %Indiana87.1Maryland: 87 %Maryland87North Dakota: 86.6 %North Dakota86.6West Virginia: 86.5 %West Virginia86.5Montana: 86 %Montana86Kansas: 85.7 %Kansas85.7Virginia: 85.7 %Virginia85.7Delaware: 85.6 %Delaware85.6Illinois: 85.6 %Illinois85.6North Carolina: 85.6 %North Carolina85.6Arkansas: 84.9 %Arkansas84.9Pennsylvania: 84.8 %Pennsylvania84.8Utah: 84.8 %Utah84.8South Dakota: 83.9 %South Dakota83.9Rhode Island: 83.2 %Rhode Island83.2Oklahoma: 82.5 %Oklahoma82.5California: 82 %California82Minnesota: 81.9 %Minnesota81.9Hawaii: 81.6 %Hawaii81.6Mississippi: 80.8 %Mississippi80.8Ohio: 80.7 %Ohio80.7South Carolina: 80.3 %South Carolina80.3Michigan: 79.8 %Michigan79.8Wyoming: 79.3 %Wyoming79.3New York: 79.2 %New York79.2Idaho: 78.9 %Idaho78.9Georgia: 78.8 %Georgia78.8Washington: 78.2 %Washington78.2Florida: 77.9 %Florida77.9Louisiana: 77.5 %Louisiana77.5Arizona: 77.4 %Arizona77.4Colorado: 77.3 %Colorado77.3Alaska: 75.6 %Alaska75.6Oregon: 73.8 %Oregon73.8Nevada: 71.3 %Nevada71.3New Mexico: 68.6 %New Mexico68.6District of Columbia: 68.5 %District of Columbia68.5
%. Source: NCES, Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2015 (%)Change on 2014
1Iowa90.8+0.3 pts
2New Jersey89.7+1.1 pts
3Alabama89.3+3 pts
4Texas89+0.7 pts
5Nebraska88.9-0.8 pts
6Wisconsin88.4-0.2 pts
7New Hampshire88.10 pts
8Kentucky88+0.5 pts
9Tennessee87.9+0.7 pts
10Missouri87.8+0.5 pts
11Vermont87.7-0.1 pts
12Maine87.5+1 pts
13Massachusetts87.3+1.2 pts
14Connecticut87.2+0.2 pts
15Indiana87.1-0.8 pts
16Maryland87+0.6 pts
17North Dakota86.6-0.6 pts
18West Virginia86.5+2 pts
19Montana86+0.6 pts
20Kansas85.70 pts
20Virginia85.7+0.4 pts
22Delaware85.6-1.4 pts
22Illinois85.6-0.4 pts
22North Carolina85.6+1.7 pts
25Arkansas84.9-2 pts
26Pennsylvania84.8-0.5 pts
26Utah84.8+0.9 pts
28South Dakota83.9+1.2 pts
29Rhode Island83.2+2.4 pts
30Oklahoma82.5-0.2 pts
31California82+1 pts
32Minnesota81.9+0.7 pts
33Hawaii81.6-0.2 pts
34Mississippi80.8+3.2 pts
35Ohio80.7-1.1 pts
36South Carolina80.3+0.2 pts
37Michigan79.8+1.2 pts
38Wyoming79.3+0.7 pts
39New York79.2+1.4 pts
40Idaho78.9+1.6 pts
41Georgia78.8+6.3 pts
42Washington78.20 pts
43Florida77.9+1.8 pts
44Louisiana77.5+2.9 pts
45Arizona77.4+1.7 pts
46Colorado77.30 pts
47Alaska75.6+4.5 pts
48Oregon73.8+1.8 pts
49Nevada71.3+1.3 pts
50New Mexico68.6+0.1 pts
51District of Columbia68.5+7.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Share of public high school students who graduate with a regular diploma within four years of starting grade 9, adjusted for students who transfer in, transfer out, emigrate or die (the 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate, ACGR), as a percentage. From the NCES Digest of Education Statistics, based on state reports to the U.S. Department of Education. The year is the end of the school year (2022 means 2021-22).

States set their own diploma requirements, so rates are not fully comparable between states. 2011-12 rates are published as whole numbers. The national rate covers the 50 states and the District of Columbia; NCES estimates parts of it where a state did not report.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_219.46.asp. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state (US states by high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort), 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_219.46.asp

MLA 9

Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state, US states by high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort), 2015. National Center for Education Statistics, 15 May 2024, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_219.46.asp. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2015. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

National Center for Education Statistics. 2024. Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state. US states by high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort), 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_219.46.asp. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2015.

Harvard

National Center for Education Statistics (2024) Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state, US states by high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort), 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_219.46.asp, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_high_2015,
  author = {{National Center for Education Statistics}},
  title = {{Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state: US states by high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort), 2015}},
  year = {2024},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_219.46.asp},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2015. Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23\_219.46.asp. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - National Center for Education Statistics
TI  - Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state: US states by high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort), 2015
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/05/15
PB  - National Center for Education Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_219.46.asp
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2015.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_219.46.asp. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort)?

Iowa, with 90.8% in 2015, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

Which state has the lowest high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort)?

District of Columbia, with 68.5% in 2015.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, table 219.46: public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), total, by state. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings