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 2017, at 91%. New Mexico had the lowest, at 71.1%. The median was 86% and the figure for the United States was 84.6%. Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest91Iowa
Lowest71.1New Mexico
Median8651 states
United States84.6History

Map of states, 2017

Alabama: 89.3 %Alaska: 78.2 %Arizona: 78 %Arkansas: 88 %California: 82.7 %Colorado: 79.1 %Connecticut: 87.9 %Delaware: 86.9 %District of Columbia: 73.2 %Florida: 82.3 %Georgia: 80.6 %Hawaii: 82.7 %Idaho: 79.7 %Illinois: 87 %Indiana: 83.8 %Iowa: 91 %Kansas: 86.5 %Kentucky: 89.7 %Louisiana: 78.1 %Maine: 86.9 %Maryland: 87.7 %Massachusetts: 88.3 %Michigan: 80.2 %Minnesota: 82.7 %Mississippi: 83 %Missouri: 88.3 %Montana: 85.8 %Nebraska: 89.1 %Nevada: 80.9 %New Hampshire: 88.9 %New Jersey: 90.5 %New Mexico: 71.1 %New York: 81.8 %North Carolina: 86.6 %North Dakota: 87.2 %Ohio: 84.2 %Oklahoma: 82.6 %Oregon: 76.7 %Pennsylvania: 86.6 %Rhode Island: 84.1 %South Carolina: 83.6 %South Dakota: 83.7 %Tennessee: 89.8 %Texas: 89.7 %Utah: 86 %Vermont: 89.1 %Virginia: 86.9 %Washington: 79.4 %West Virginia: 89.4 %Wisconsin: 88.6 %Wyoming: 86.2 %
  • Under 80
  • 80 to 83
  • 83 to 86
  • 86 to 87
  • 87 to 89
  • 89 and over
%, 2017. 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, 2017

Iowa: 91 %Iowa91New Jersey: 90.5 %New Jersey90.5Tennessee: 89.8 %Tennessee89.8Kentucky: 89.7 %Kentucky89.7Texas: 89.7 %Texas89.7West Virginia: 89.4 %West Virginia89.4Alabama: 89.3 %Alabama89.3Nebraska: 89.1 %Nebraska89.1Vermont: 89.1 %Vermont89.1New Hampshire: 88.9 %New Hampshire88.9Wisconsin: 88.6 %Wisconsin88.6Massachusetts: 88.3 %Massachusetts88.3Missouri: 88.3 %Missouri88.3Arkansas: 88 %Arkansas88Connecticut: 87.9 %Connecticut87.9Maryland: 87.7 %Maryland87.7North Dakota: 87.2 %North Dakota87.2Illinois: 87 %Illinois87Delaware: 86.9 %Delaware86.9Maine: 86.9 %Maine86.9Virginia: 86.9 %Virginia86.9North Carolina: 86.6 %North Carolina86.6Pennsylvania: 86.6 %Pennsylvania86.6Kansas: 86.5 %Kansas86.5Wyoming: 86.2 %Wyoming86.2Utah: 86 %Utah86Montana: 85.8 %Montana85.8Ohio: 84.2 %Ohio84.2Rhode Island: 84.1 %Rhode Island84.1Indiana: 83.8 %Indiana83.8South Dakota: 83.7 %South Dakota83.7South Carolina: 83.6 %South Carolina83.6Mississippi: 83 %Mississippi83California: 82.7 %California82.7Hawaii: 82.7 %Hawaii82.7Minnesota: 82.7 %Minnesota82.7Oklahoma: 82.6 %Oklahoma82.6Florida: 82.3 %Florida82.3New York: 81.8 %New York81.8Nevada: 80.9 %Nevada80.9Georgia: 80.6 %Georgia80.6Michigan: 80.2 %Michigan80.2Idaho: 79.7 %Idaho79.7Washington: 79.4 %Washington79.4Colorado: 79.1 %Colorado79.1Alaska: 78.2 %Alaska78.2Louisiana: 78.1 %Louisiana78.1Arizona: 78 %Arizona78Oregon: 76.7 %Oregon76.7District of Columbia: 73.2 %District of Columbia73.2New Mexico: 71.1 %New Mexico71.1Iowa: 91 %Iowa91New Jersey: 90.5 %New Jersey90.5Tennessee: 89.8 %Tennessee89.8Kentucky: 89.7 %Kentucky89.7Texas: 89.7 %Texas89.7West Virginia: 89.4 %West Virginia89.4Alabama: 89.3 %Alabama89.3Nebraska: 89.1 %Nebraska89.1Vermont: 89.1 %Vermont89.1New Hampshire: 88.9 %New Hampshire88.9Wisconsin: 88.6 %Wisconsin88.6Massachusetts: 88.3 %Massachusetts88.3Missouri: 88.3 %Missouri88.3Arkansas: 88 %Arkansas88Connecticut: 87.9 %Connecticut87.9Maryland: 87.7 %Maryland87.7North Dakota: 87.2 %North Dakota87.2Illinois: 87 %Illinois87Delaware: 86.9 %Delaware86.9Maine: 86.9 %Maine86.9Virginia: 86.9 %Virginia86.9North Carolina: 86.6 %North Carolina86.6Pennsylvania: 86.6 %Pennsylvania86.6Kansas: 86.5 %Kansas86.5Wyoming: 86.2 %Wyoming86.2Utah: 86 %Utah86Montana: 85.8 %Montana85.8Ohio: 84.2 %Ohio84.2Rhode Island: 84.1 %Rhode Island84.1Indiana: 83.8 %Indiana83.8South Dakota: 83.7 %South Dakota83.7South Carolina: 83.6 %South Carolina83.6Mississippi: 83 %Mississippi83California: 82.7 %California82.7Hawaii: 82.7 %Hawaii82.7Minnesota: 82.7 %Minnesota82.7Oklahoma: 82.6 %Oklahoma82.6Florida: 82.3 %Florida82.3New York: 81.8 %New York81.8Nevada: 80.9 %Nevada80.9Georgia: 80.6 %Georgia80.6Michigan: 80.2 %Michigan80.2Idaho: 79.7 %Idaho79.7Washington: 79.4 %Washington79.4Colorado: 79.1 %Colorado79.1Alaska: 78.2 %Alaska78.2Louisiana: 78.1 %Louisiana78.1Arizona: 78 %Arizona78Oregon: 76.7 %Oregon76.7District of Columbia: 73.2 %District of Columbia73.2New Mexico: 71.1 %New Mexico71.1
%. 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

RankStates2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Iowa91-0.3 pts
2New Jersey90.5+0.4 pts
3Tennessee89.8+1.3 pts
4Kentucky89.7+1.1 pts
4Texas89.7+0.6 pts
6West Virginia89.4-0.4 pts
7Alabama89.3+2.2 pts
8Nebraska89.1-0.2 pts
8Vermont89.1+1.4 pts
10New Hampshire88.9+0.7 pts
11Wisconsin88.6+0.4 pts
12Massachusetts88.3+0.8 pts
12Missouri88.3-0.7 pts
14Arkansas88+1 pts
15Connecticut87.9+0.5 pts
16Maryland87.7+0.1 pts
17North Dakota87.2-0.3 pts
18Illinois87+1.5 pts
19Delaware86.9+1.4 pts
19Maine86.9-0.1 pts
19Virginia86.9+0.2 pts
22North Carolina86.6+0.7 pts
22Pennsylvania86.6+0.5 pts
24Kansas86.5+0.8 pts
25Wyoming86.2+6.2 pts
26Utah86+0.8 pts
27Montana85.8+0.2 pts
28Ohio84.2+0.7 pts
29Rhode Island84.1+1.3 pts
30Indiana83.8-3 pts
31South Dakota83.7-0.2 pts
32South Carolina83.6+1 pts
33Mississippi83+0.7 pts
34California82.7-0.3 pts
34Hawaii82.70 pts
34Minnesota82.7+0.5 pts
37Oklahoma82.6+1 pts
38Florida82.3+1.6 pts
39New York81.8+1.4 pts
40Nevada80.9+7.3 pts
41Georgia80.6+1.2 pts
42Michigan80.2+0.5 pts
43Idaho79.70 pts
44Washington79.4-0.3 pts
45Colorado79.1+0.2 pts
46Alaska78.2+2.1 pts
47Louisiana78.1-0.5 pts
48Arizona78-1.5 pts
49Oregon76.7+1.9 pts
50District of Columbia73.2+4 pts
51New Mexico71.1+0.1 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), 2017) [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), 2017. 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=2017. 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), 2017. 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=2017.

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), 2017 [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=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_high_2017,
  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), 2017}},
  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=2017. 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), 2017
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=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2017.
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% in 2017, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

New Mexico, with 71.1% in 2017.

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