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 2018, at 91.4%. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 68.5%. The median was 86.3% and the figure for the United States was 85.3%. Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest91.4Iowa
Lowest68.5District of Columbia
Median86.351 states
United States85.3History

Map of states, 2018

Alabama: 90 %Alaska: 78.5 %Arizona: 78.7 %Arkansas: 89.2 %California: 83 %Colorado: 80.8 %Connecticut: 88.4 %Delaware: 86.9 %District of Columbia: 68.5 %Florida: 86.3 %Georgia: 81.6 %Hawaii: 84.5 %Idaho: 80.7 %Illinois: 86.5 %Indiana: 88.1 %Iowa: 91.4 %Kansas: 87.2 %Kentucky: 90.3 %Louisiana: 81.4 %Maine: 86.7 %Maryland: 87.1 %Massachusetts: 87.8 %Michigan: 80.6 %Minnesota: 83.2 %Mississippi: 84 %Missouri: 89.2 %Montana: 86.4 %Nebraska: 88.7 %Nevada: 83.2 %New Hampshire: 88.8 %New Jersey: 90.9 %New Mexico: 73.9 %New York: 82.3 %North Carolina: 86.3 %North Dakota: 88.1 %Ohio: 82.1 %Oklahoma: 81.8 %Oregon: 78.7 %Pennsylvania: 85.9 %Rhode Island: 84 %South Carolina: 81 %South Dakota: 84.1 %Tennessee: 90 %Texas: 90 %Utah: 87 %Vermont: 85.1 %Virginia: 87.5 %Washington: 86.7 %West Virginia: 90.2 %Wisconsin: 89.7 %Wyoming: 81.7 %
  • Under 81
  • 81 to 83
  • 83 to 86
  • 86 to 87
  • 87 to 89
  • 89 and over
%, 2018. 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, 2018

Iowa: 91.4 %Iowa91.4New Jersey: 90.9 %New Jersey90.9Kentucky: 90.3 %Kentucky90.3West Virginia: 90.2 %West Virginia90.2Alabama: 90 %Alabama90Tennessee: 90 %Tennessee90Texas: 90 %Texas90Wisconsin: 89.7 %Wisconsin89.7Arkansas: 89.2 %Arkansas89.2Missouri: 89.2 %Missouri89.2New Hampshire: 88.8 %New Hampshire88.8Nebraska: 88.7 %Nebraska88.7Connecticut: 88.4 %Connecticut88.4Indiana: 88.1 %Indiana88.1North Dakota: 88.1 %North Dakota88.1Massachusetts: 87.8 %Massachusetts87.8Virginia: 87.5 %Virginia87.5Kansas: 87.2 %Kansas87.2Maryland: 87.1 %Maryland87.1Utah: 87 %Utah87Delaware: 86.9 %Delaware86.9Maine: 86.7 %Maine86.7Washington: 86.7 %Washington86.7Illinois: 86.5 %Illinois86.5Montana: 86.4 %Montana86.4Florida: 86.3 %Florida86.3North Carolina: 86.3 %North Carolina86.3Pennsylvania: 85.9 %Pennsylvania85.9Vermont: 85.1 %Vermont85.1Hawaii: 84.5 %Hawaii84.5South Dakota: 84.1 %South Dakota84.1Mississippi: 84 %Mississippi84Rhode Island: 84 %Rhode Island84Minnesota: 83.2 %Minnesota83.2Nevada: 83.2 %Nevada83.2California: 83 %California83New York: 82.3 %New York82.3Ohio: 82.1 %Ohio82.1Oklahoma: 81.8 %Oklahoma81.8Wyoming: 81.7 %Wyoming81.7Georgia: 81.6 %Georgia81.6Louisiana: 81.4 %Louisiana81.4South Carolina: 81 %South Carolina81Colorado: 80.8 %Colorado80.8Idaho: 80.7 %Idaho80.7Michigan: 80.6 %Michigan80.6Arizona: 78.7 %Arizona78.7Oregon: 78.7 %Oregon78.7Alaska: 78.5 %Alaska78.5New Mexico: 73.9 %New Mexico73.9District of Columbia: 68.5 %District of Columbia68.5Iowa: 91.4 %Iowa91.4New Jersey: 90.9 %New Jersey90.9Kentucky: 90.3 %Kentucky90.3West Virginia: 90.2 %West Virginia90.2Alabama: 90 %Alabama90Tennessee: 90 %Tennessee90Texas: 90 %Texas90Wisconsin: 89.7 %Wisconsin89.7Arkansas: 89.2 %Arkansas89.2Missouri: 89.2 %Missouri89.2New Hampshire: 88.8 %New Hampshire88.8Nebraska: 88.7 %Nebraska88.7Connecticut: 88.4 %Connecticut88.4Indiana: 88.1 %Indiana88.1North Dakota: 88.1 %North Dakota88.1Massachusetts: 87.8 %Massachusetts87.8Virginia: 87.5 %Virginia87.5Kansas: 87.2 %Kansas87.2Maryland: 87.1 %Maryland87.1Utah: 87 %Utah87Delaware: 86.9 %Delaware86.9Maine: 86.7 %Maine86.7Washington: 86.7 %Washington86.7Illinois: 86.5 %Illinois86.5Montana: 86.4 %Montana86.4Florida: 86.3 %Florida86.3North Carolina: 86.3 %North Carolina86.3Pennsylvania: 85.9 %Pennsylvania85.9Vermont: 85.1 %Vermont85.1Hawaii: 84.5 %Hawaii84.5South Dakota: 84.1 %South Dakota84.1Mississippi: 84 %Mississippi84Rhode Island: 84 %Rhode Island84Minnesota: 83.2 %Minnesota83.2Nevada: 83.2 %Nevada83.2California: 83 %California83New York: 82.3 %New York82.3Ohio: 82.1 %Ohio82.1Oklahoma: 81.8 %Oklahoma81.8Wyoming: 81.7 %Wyoming81.7Georgia: 81.6 %Georgia81.6Louisiana: 81.4 %Louisiana81.4South Carolina: 81 %South Carolina81Colorado: 80.8 %Colorado80.8Idaho: 80.7 %Idaho80.7Michigan: 80.6 %Michigan80.6Arizona: 78.7 %Arizona78.7Oregon: 78.7 %Oregon78.7Alaska: 78.5 %Alaska78.5New Mexico: 73.9 %New Mexico73.9District 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

RankStates2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Iowa91.4+0.4 pts
2New Jersey90.9+0.4 pts
3Kentucky90.3+0.6 pts
4West Virginia90.2+0.8 pts
5Alabama90+0.7 pts
5Tennessee90+0.2 pts
5Texas90+0.3 pts
8Wisconsin89.7+1.1 pts
9Arkansas89.2+1.2 pts
9Missouri89.2+0.9 pts
11New Hampshire88.8-0.1 pts
12Nebraska88.7-0.4 pts
13Connecticut88.4+0.5 pts
14Indiana88.1+4.3 pts
14North Dakota88.1+0.9 pts
16Massachusetts87.8-0.5 pts
17Virginia87.5+0.6 pts
18Kansas87.2+0.7 pts
19Maryland87.1-0.6 pts
20Utah87+1 pts
21Delaware86.90 pts
22Maine86.7-0.2 pts
22Washington86.7+7.3 pts
24Illinois86.5-0.5 pts
25Montana86.4+0.6 pts
26Florida86.3+4 pts
26North Carolina86.3-0.3 pts
28Pennsylvania85.9-0.7 pts
29Vermont85.1-4 pts
30Hawaii84.5+1.8 pts
31South Dakota84.1+0.4 pts
32Mississippi84+1 pts
32Rhode Island84-0.1 pts
34Minnesota83.2+0.5 pts
34Nevada83.2+2.3 pts
36California83+0.3 pts
37New York82.3+0.5 pts
38Ohio82.1-2.1 pts
39Oklahoma81.8-0.8 pts
40Wyoming81.7-4.5 pts
41Georgia81.6+1 pts
42Louisiana81.4+3.3 pts
43South Carolina81-2.6 pts
44Colorado80.8+1.7 pts
45Idaho80.7+1 pts
46Michigan80.6+0.4 pts
47Arizona78.7+0.7 pts
47Oregon78.7+2 pts
49Alaska78.5+0.3 pts
50New Mexico73.9+2.8 pts
51District of Columbia68.5-4.7 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), 2018) [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), 2018. 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=2018. 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), 2018. 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=2018.

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), 2018 [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=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_high_2018,
  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), 2018}},
  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=2018. 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), 2018
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=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2018.
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 91.4% in 2018, 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 2018.

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