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

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

Alabama had the highest high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort) of 51 states in 2019, at 91.7%. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 68.9%. The median was 86.5% and the figure for the United States was 85.8%. Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest91.7Alabama
Lowest68.9District of Columbia
Median86.551 states
United States85.8History

Map of states, 2019

Alabama: 91.7 %Alaska: 80.4 %Arizona: 77.8 %Arkansas: 87.6 %California: 84.5 %Colorado: 81.1 %Connecticut: 88.5 %Delaware: 89 %District of Columbia: 68.9 %Florida: 87.2 %Georgia: 82 %Hawaii: 85.2 %Idaho: 80.8 %Illinois: 86.2 %Indiana: 87.2 %Iowa: 91.6 %Kansas: 87.2 %Kentucky: 90.6 %Louisiana: 80.1 %Maine: 87.4 %Maryland: 86.9 %Massachusetts: 88 %Michigan: 81.4 %Minnesota: 83.7 %Mississippi: 85 %Missouri: 89.7 %Montana: 86.6 %Nebraska: 88.4 %Nevada: 84.1 %New Hampshire: 88.4 %New Jersey: 90.6 %New Mexico: 75.1 %New York: 82.8 %North Carolina: 86.5 %North Dakota: 88.3 %Ohio: 82 %Oklahoma: 84.9 %Oregon: 80 %Pennsylvania: 86.5 %Rhode Island: 83.9 %South Carolina: 81.1 %South Dakota: 84.1 %Tennessee: 90.5 %Texas: 90 %Utah: 87.4 %Vermont: 84.5 %Virginia: 87.5 %Washington: 81.1 %West Virginia: 91.3 %Wisconsin: 90.1 %Wyoming: 82.1 %
  • Under 81
  • 81 to 84
  • 84 to 87
  • 87 to 89
  • 89 and over
%, 2019. 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, 2019

Alabama: 91.7 %Alabama91.7Iowa: 91.6 %Iowa91.6West Virginia: 91.3 %West Virginia91.3Kentucky: 90.6 %Kentucky90.6New Jersey: 90.6 %New Jersey90.6Tennessee: 90.5 %Tennessee90.5Wisconsin: 90.1 %Wisconsin90.1Texas: 90 %Texas90Missouri: 89.7 %Missouri89.7Delaware: 89 %Delaware89Connecticut: 88.5 %Connecticut88.5Nebraska: 88.4 %Nebraska88.4New Hampshire: 88.4 %New Hampshire88.4North Dakota: 88.3 %North Dakota88.3Massachusetts: 88 %Massachusetts88Arkansas: 87.6 %Arkansas87.6Virginia: 87.5 %Virginia87.5Maine: 87.4 %Maine87.4Utah: 87.4 %Utah87.4Florida: 87.2 %Florida87.2Indiana: 87.2 %Indiana87.2Kansas: 87.2 %Kansas87.2Maryland: 86.9 %Maryland86.9Montana: 86.6 %Montana86.6North Carolina: 86.5 %North Carolina86.5Pennsylvania: 86.5 %Pennsylvania86.5Illinois: 86.2 %Illinois86.2Hawaii: 85.2 %Hawaii85.2Mississippi: 85 %Mississippi85Oklahoma: 84.9 %Oklahoma84.9California: 84.5 %California84.5Vermont: 84.5 %Vermont84.5Nevada: 84.1 %Nevada84.1South Dakota: 84.1 %South Dakota84.1Rhode Island: 83.9 %Rhode Island83.9Minnesota: 83.7 %Minnesota83.7New York: 82.8 %New York82.8Wyoming: 82.1 %Wyoming82.1Georgia: 82 %Georgia82Ohio: 82 %Ohio82Michigan: 81.4 %Michigan81.4Colorado: 81.1 %Colorado81.1South Carolina: 81.1 %South Carolina81.1Washington: 81.1 %Washington81.1Idaho: 80.8 %Idaho80.8Alaska: 80.4 %Alaska80.4Louisiana: 80.1 %Louisiana80.1Oregon: 80 %Oregon80Arizona: 77.8 %Arizona77.8New Mexico: 75.1 %New Mexico75.1District of Columbia: 68.9 %District of Columbia68.9Alabama: 91.7 %Alabama91.7Iowa: 91.6 %Iowa91.6West Virginia: 91.3 %West Virginia91.3Kentucky: 90.6 %Kentucky90.6New Jersey: 90.6 %New Jersey90.6Tennessee: 90.5 %Tennessee90.5Wisconsin: 90.1 %Wisconsin90.1Texas: 90 %Texas90Missouri: 89.7 %Missouri89.7Delaware: 89 %Delaware89Connecticut: 88.5 %Connecticut88.5Nebraska: 88.4 %Nebraska88.4New Hampshire: 88.4 %New Hampshire88.4North Dakota: 88.3 %North Dakota88.3Massachusetts: 88 %Massachusetts88Arkansas: 87.6 %Arkansas87.6Virginia: 87.5 %Virginia87.5Maine: 87.4 %Maine87.4Utah: 87.4 %Utah87.4Florida: 87.2 %Florida87.2Indiana: 87.2 %Indiana87.2Kansas: 87.2 %Kansas87.2Maryland: 86.9 %Maryland86.9Montana: 86.6 %Montana86.6North Carolina: 86.5 %North Carolina86.5Pennsylvania: 86.5 %Pennsylvania86.5Illinois: 86.2 %Illinois86.2Hawaii: 85.2 %Hawaii85.2Mississippi: 85 %Mississippi85Oklahoma: 84.9 %Oklahoma84.9California: 84.5 %California84.5Vermont: 84.5 %Vermont84.5Nevada: 84.1 %Nevada84.1South Dakota: 84.1 %South Dakota84.1Rhode Island: 83.9 %Rhode Island83.9Minnesota: 83.7 %Minnesota83.7New York: 82.8 %New York82.8Wyoming: 82.1 %Wyoming82.1Georgia: 82 %Georgia82Ohio: 82 %Ohio82Michigan: 81.4 %Michigan81.4Colorado: 81.1 %Colorado81.1South Carolina: 81.1 %South Carolina81.1Washington: 81.1 %Washington81.1Idaho: 80.8 %Idaho80.8Alaska: 80.4 %Alaska80.4Louisiana: 80.1 %Louisiana80.1Oregon: 80 %Oregon80Arizona: 77.8 %Arizona77.8New Mexico: 75.1 %New Mexico75.1District of Columbia: 68.9 %District of Columbia68.9
%. 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

RankStates2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Alabama91.7+1.7 pts
2Iowa91.6+0.2 pts
3West Virginia91.3+1.1 pts
4Kentucky90.6+0.3 pts
4New Jersey90.6-0.3 pts
6Tennessee90.5+0.5 pts
7Wisconsin90.1+0.4 pts
8Texas900 pts
9Missouri89.7+0.5 pts
10Delaware89+2.1 pts
11Connecticut88.5+0.1 pts
12Nebraska88.4-0.3 pts
12New Hampshire88.4-0.4 pts
14North Dakota88.3+0.2 pts
15Massachusetts88+0.2 pts
16Arkansas87.6-1.6 pts
17Virginia87.50 pts
18Maine87.4+0.7 pts
18Utah87.4+0.4 pts
20Florida87.2+0.9 pts
20Indiana87.2-0.9 pts
20Kansas87.20 pts
23Maryland86.9-0.2 pts
24Montana86.6+0.2 pts
25North Carolina86.5+0.2 pts
25Pennsylvania86.5+0.6 pts
27Illinois86.2-0.3 pts
28Hawaii85.2+0.7 pts
29Mississippi85+1 pts
30Oklahoma84.9+3.1 pts
31California84.5+1.5 pts
31Vermont84.5-0.6 pts
33Nevada84.1+0.9 pts
33South Dakota84.10 pts
35Rhode Island83.9-0.1 pts
36Minnesota83.7+0.5 pts
37New York82.8+0.5 pts
38Wyoming82.1+0.4 pts
39Georgia82+0.4 pts
39Ohio82-0.1 pts
41Michigan81.4+0.8 pts
42Colorado81.1+0.3 pts
42South Carolina81.1+0.1 pts
42Washington81.1-5.6 pts
45Idaho80.8+0.1 pts
46Alaska80.4+1.9 pts
47Louisiana80.1-1.3 pts
48Oregon80+1.3 pts
49Arizona77.8-0.9 pts
50New Mexico75.1+1.2 pts
51District of Columbia68.9+0.4 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), 2019) [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), 2019. 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=2019. 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), 2019. 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=2019.

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), 2019 [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=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_high_2019,
  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), 2019}},
  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=2019. 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), 2019
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=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2019.
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)?

Alabama, with 91.7% in 2019, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

District of Columbia, with 68.9% in 2019.

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