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 2016, at 91.3%. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 69.2%. The median was 85.5% and the figure for the United States was 84.1%. Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest91.3Iowa
Lowest69.2District of Columbia
Median85.551 states
United States84.1History

Map of states, 2016

Alabama: 87.1 %Alaska: 76.1 %Arizona: 79.5 %Arkansas: 87 %California: 83 %Colorado: 78.9 %Connecticut: 87.4 %Delaware: 85.5 %District of Columbia: 69.2 %Florida: 80.7 %Georgia: 79.4 %Hawaii: 82.7 %Idaho: 79.7 %Illinois: 85.5 %Indiana: 86.8 %Iowa: 91.3 %Kansas: 85.7 %Kentucky: 88.6 %Louisiana: 78.6 %Maine: 87 %Maryland: 87.6 %Massachusetts: 87.5 %Michigan: 79.7 %Minnesota: 82.2 %Mississippi: 82.3 %Missouri: 89 %Montana: 85.6 %Nebraska: 89.3 %Nevada: 73.6 %New Hampshire: 88.2 %New Jersey: 90.1 %New Mexico: 71 %New York: 80.4 %North Carolina: 85.9 %North Dakota: 87.5 %Ohio: 83.5 %Oklahoma: 81.6 %Oregon: 74.8 %Pennsylvania: 86.1 %Rhode Island: 82.8 %South Carolina: 82.6 %South Dakota: 83.9 %Tennessee: 88.5 %Texas: 89.1 %Utah: 85.2 %Vermont: 87.7 %Virginia: 86.7 %Washington: 79.7 %West Virginia: 89.8 %Wisconsin: 88.2 %Wyoming: 80 %
  • Under 80
  • 80 to 82
  • 82 to 86
  • 86 to 87
  • 87 to 88
  • 88 and over
%, 2016. 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, 2016

Iowa: 91.3 %Iowa91.3New Jersey: 90.1 %New Jersey90.1West Virginia: 89.8 %West Virginia89.8Nebraska: 89.3 %Nebraska89.3Texas: 89.1 %Texas89.1Missouri: 89 %Missouri89Kentucky: 88.6 %Kentucky88.6Tennessee: 88.5 %Tennessee88.5New Hampshire: 88.2 %New Hampshire88.2Wisconsin: 88.2 %Wisconsin88.2Vermont: 87.7 %Vermont87.7Maryland: 87.6 %Maryland87.6Massachusetts: 87.5 %Massachusetts87.5North Dakota: 87.5 %North Dakota87.5Connecticut: 87.4 %Connecticut87.4Alabama: 87.1 %Alabama87.1Arkansas: 87 %Arkansas87Maine: 87 %Maine87Indiana: 86.8 %Indiana86.8Virginia: 86.7 %Virginia86.7Pennsylvania: 86.1 %Pennsylvania86.1North Carolina: 85.9 %North Carolina85.9Kansas: 85.7 %Kansas85.7Montana: 85.6 %Montana85.6Delaware: 85.5 %Delaware85.5Illinois: 85.5 %Illinois85.5Utah: 85.2 %Utah85.2South Dakota: 83.9 %South Dakota83.9Ohio: 83.5 %Ohio83.5California: 83 %California83Rhode Island: 82.8 %Rhode Island82.8Hawaii: 82.7 %Hawaii82.7South Carolina: 82.6 %South Carolina82.6Mississippi: 82.3 %Mississippi82.3Minnesota: 82.2 %Minnesota82.2Oklahoma: 81.6 %Oklahoma81.6Florida: 80.7 %Florida80.7New York: 80.4 %New York80.4Wyoming: 80 %Wyoming80Idaho: 79.7 %Idaho79.7Michigan: 79.7 %Michigan79.7Washington: 79.7 %Washington79.7Arizona: 79.5 %Arizona79.5Georgia: 79.4 %Georgia79.4Colorado: 78.9 %Colorado78.9Louisiana: 78.6 %Louisiana78.6Alaska: 76.1 %Alaska76.1Oregon: 74.8 %Oregon74.8Nevada: 73.6 %Nevada73.6New Mexico: 71 %New Mexico71District of Columbia: 69.2 %District of Columbia69.2Iowa: 91.3 %Iowa91.3New Jersey: 90.1 %New Jersey90.1West Virginia: 89.8 %West Virginia89.8Nebraska: 89.3 %Nebraska89.3Texas: 89.1 %Texas89.1Missouri: 89 %Missouri89Kentucky: 88.6 %Kentucky88.6Tennessee: 88.5 %Tennessee88.5New Hampshire: 88.2 %New Hampshire88.2Wisconsin: 88.2 %Wisconsin88.2Vermont: 87.7 %Vermont87.7Maryland: 87.6 %Maryland87.6Massachusetts: 87.5 %Massachusetts87.5North Dakota: 87.5 %North Dakota87.5Connecticut: 87.4 %Connecticut87.4Alabama: 87.1 %Alabama87.1Arkansas: 87 %Arkansas87Maine: 87 %Maine87Indiana: 86.8 %Indiana86.8Virginia: 86.7 %Virginia86.7Pennsylvania: 86.1 %Pennsylvania86.1North Carolina: 85.9 %North Carolina85.9Kansas: 85.7 %Kansas85.7Montana: 85.6 %Montana85.6Delaware: 85.5 %Delaware85.5Illinois: 85.5 %Illinois85.5Utah: 85.2 %Utah85.2South Dakota: 83.9 %South Dakota83.9Ohio: 83.5 %Ohio83.5California: 83 %California83Rhode Island: 82.8 %Rhode Island82.8Hawaii: 82.7 %Hawaii82.7South Carolina: 82.6 %South Carolina82.6Mississippi: 82.3 %Mississippi82.3Minnesota: 82.2 %Minnesota82.2Oklahoma: 81.6 %Oklahoma81.6Florida: 80.7 %Florida80.7New York: 80.4 %New York80.4Wyoming: 80 %Wyoming80Idaho: 79.7 %Idaho79.7Michigan: 79.7 %Michigan79.7Washington: 79.7 %Washington79.7Arizona: 79.5 %Arizona79.5Georgia: 79.4 %Georgia79.4Colorado: 78.9 %Colorado78.9Louisiana: 78.6 %Louisiana78.6Alaska: 76.1 %Alaska76.1Oregon: 74.8 %Oregon74.8Nevada: 73.6 %Nevada73.6New Mexico: 71 %New Mexico71District of Columbia: 69.2 %District of Columbia69.2
%. 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

RankStates2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Iowa91.3+0.5 pts
2New Jersey90.1+0.4 pts
3West Virginia89.8+3.3 pts
4Nebraska89.3+0.4 pts
5Texas89.1+0.1 pts
6Missouri89+1.2 pts
7Kentucky88.6+0.6 pts
8Tennessee88.5+0.6 pts
9New Hampshire88.2+0.1 pts
9Wisconsin88.2-0.2 pts
11Vermont87.70 pts
12Maryland87.6+0.6 pts
13Massachusetts87.5+0.2 pts
13North Dakota87.5+0.9 pts
15Connecticut87.4+0.2 pts
16Alabama87.1-2.2 pts
17Arkansas87+2.1 pts
17Maine87-0.5 pts
19Indiana86.8-0.3 pts
20Virginia86.7+1 pts
21Pennsylvania86.1+1.3 pts
22North Carolina85.9+0.3 pts
23Kansas85.70 pts
24Montana85.6-0.4 pts
25Delaware85.5-0.1 pts
25Illinois85.5-0.1 pts
27Utah85.2+0.4 pts
28South Dakota83.90 pts
29Ohio83.5+2.8 pts
30California83+1 pts
31Rhode Island82.8-0.4 pts
32Hawaii82.7+1.1 pts
33South Carolina82.6+2.3 pts
34Mississippi82.3+1.5 pts
35Minnesota82.2+0.3 pts
36Oklahoma81.6-0.9 pts
37Florida80.7+2.8 pts
38New York80.4+1.2 pts
39Wyoming80+0.7 pts
40Idaho79.7+0.8 pts
40Michigan79.7-0.1 pts
40Washington79.7+1.5 pts
43Arizona79.5+2.1 pts
44Georgia79.4+0.6 pts
45Colorado78.9+1.6 pts
46Louisiana78.6+1.1 pts
47Alaska76.1+0.5 pts
48Oregon74.8+1 pts
49Nevada73.6+2.3 pts
50New Mexico71+2.4 pts
51District of Columbia69.2+0.7 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), 2016) [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), 2016. 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=2016. 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), 2016. 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=2016.

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), 2016 [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=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_high_2016,
  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), 2016}},
  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=2016. 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), 2016
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=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2016.
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 91.3% in 2016, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

District of Columbia, with 69.2% in 2016.

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