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

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

West Virginia had the highest high school graduation rate (4-year adjusted cohort) of 49 states in 2020, at 92.1%. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 73%. The median was 86.8% and the figure for the United States was 86.5%. Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest92.1West Virginia
Lowest73District of Columbia
Median86.849 states
United States86.5History

Map of states, 2020

Alabama: 90.6 %Alaska: 79.1 %Arizona: 77.3 %Arkansas: 88.8 %California: 84.3 %Colorado: 81.9 %Connecticut: 88.3 %Delaware: 89 %District of Columbia: 73 %Florida: 90.2 %Georgia: 83.8 %Hawaii: 86.3 %Idaho: 82.2 %Indiana: 90.9 %Iowa: 91.8 %Kansas: 88.2 %Kentucky: 91.1 %Louisiana: 82.9 %Maine: 87.4 %Maryland: 86.8 %Massachusetts: 89 %Michigan: 82.1 %Minnesota: 83.8 %Mississippi: 87.7 %Missouri: 89.5 %Montana: 85.9 %Nebraska: 87.5 %Nevada: 82.6 %New Hampshire: 88.1 %New Jersey: 91 %New Mexico: 76.9 %New York: 83.5 %North Carolina: 87.6 %North Dakota: 89 %Ohio: 84.4 %Oklahoma: 80.8 %Oregon: 82.6 %Pennsylvania: 87.4 %Rhode Island: 83.6 %South Carolina: 82.2 %South Dakota: 84.2 %Tennessee: 90.4 %Utah: 88.2 %Vermont: 83.1 %Virginia: 88.8 %Washington: 83 %West Virginia: 92.1 %Wisconsin: 90.4 %Wyoming: 82.3 %
  • Under 82
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%, 2020. Hatched areas have no value for this period. 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, 2020

West Virginia: 92.1 %West Virginia92.1Iowa: 91.8 %Iowa91.8Kentucky: 91.1 %Kentucky91.1New Jersey: 91 %New Jersey91Indiana: 90.9 %Indiana90.9Alabama: 90.6 %Alabama90.6Tennessee: 90.4 %Tennessee90.4Wisconsin: 90.4 %Wisconsin90.4Florida: 90.2 %Florida90.2Missouri: 89.5 %Missouri89.5Delaware: 89 %Delaware89Massachusetts: 89 %Massachusetts89North Dakota: 89 %North Dakota89Arkansas: 88.8 %Arkansas88.8Virginia: 88.8 %Virginia88.8Connecticut: 88.3 %Connecticut88.3Kansas: 88.2 %Kansas88.2Utah: 88.2 %Utah88.2New Hampshire: 88.1 %New Hampshire88.1Mississippi: 87.7 %Mississippi87.7North Carolina: 87.6 %North Carolina87.6Nebraska: 87.5 %Nebraska87.5Maine: 87.4 %Maine87.4Pennsylvania: 87.4 %Pennsylvania87.4Maryland: 86.8 %Maryland86.8Hawaii: 86.3 %Hawaii86.3Montana: 85.9 %Montana85.9Ohio: 84.4 %Ohio84.4California: 84.3 %California84.3South Dakota: 84.2 %South Dakota84.2Georgia: 83.8 %Georgia83.8Minnesota: 83.8 %Minnesota83.8Rhode Island: 83.6 %Rhode Island83.6New York: 83.5 %New York83.5Vermont: 83.1 %Vermont83.1Washington: 83 %Washington83Louisiana: 82.9 %Louisiana82.9Nevada: 82.6 %Nevada82.6Oregon: 82.6 %Oregon82.6Wyoming: 82.3 %Wyoming82.3Idaho: 82.2 %Idaho82.2South Carolina: 82.2 %South Carolina82.2Michigan: 82.1 %Michigan82.1Colorado: 81.9 %Colorado81.9Oklahoma: 80.8 %Oklahoma80.8Alaska: 79.1 %Alaska79.1Arizona: 77.3 %Arizona77.3New Mexico: 76.9 %New Mexico76.9District of Columbia: 73 %District of Columbia73West Virginia: 92.1 %West Virginia92.1Iowa: 91.8 %Iowa91.8Kentucky: 91.1 %Kentucky91.1New Jersey: 91 %New Jersey91Indiana: 90.9 %Indiana90.9Alabama: 90.6 %Alabama90.6Tennessee: 90.4 %Tennessee90.4Wisconsin: 90.4 %Wisconsin90.4Florida: 90.2 %Florida90.2Missouri: 89.5 %Missouri89.5Delaware: 89 %Delaware89Massachusetts: 89 %Massachusetts89North Dakota: 89 %North Dakota89Arkansas: 88.8 %Arkansas88.8Virginia: 88.8 %Virginia88.8Connecticut: 88.3 %Connecticut88.3Kansas: 88.2 %Kansas88.2Utah: 88.2 %Utah88.2New Hampshire: 88.1 %New Hampshire88.1Mississippi: 87.7 %Mississippi87.7North Carolina: 87.6 %North Carolina87.6Nebraska: 87.5 %Nebraska87.5Maine: 87.4 %Maine87.4Pennsylvania: 87.4 %Pennsylvania87.4Maryland: 86.8 %Maryland86.8Hawaii: 86.3 %Hawaii86.3Montana: 85.9 %Montana85.9Ohio: 84.4 %Ohio84.4California: 84.3 %California84.3South Dakota: 84.2 %South Dakota84.2Georgia: 83.8 %Georgia83.8Minnesota: 83.8 %Minnesota83.8Rhode Island: 83.6 %Rhode Island83.6New York: 83.5 %New York83.5Vermont: 83.1 %Vermont83.1Washington: 83 %Washington83Louisiana: 82.9 %Louisiana82.9Nevada: 82.6 %Nevada82.6Oregon: 82.6 %Oregon82.6Wyoming: 82.3 %Wyoming82.3Idaho: 82.2 %Idaho82.2South Carolina: 82.2 %South Carolina82.2Michigan: 82.1 %Michigan82.1Colorado: 81.9 %Colorado81.9Oklahoma: 80.8 %Oklahoma80.8Alaska: 79.1 %Alaska79.1Arizona: 77.3 %Arizona77.3New Mexico: 76.9 %New Mexico76.9District of Columbia: 73 %District of Columbia73
%. 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

RankStates2020 (%)Change on 2019
1West Virginia92.1+0.8 pts
2Iowa91.8+0.2 pts
3Kentucky91.1+0.5 pts
4New Jersey91+0.4 pts
5Indiana90.9+3.7 pts
6Alabama90.6-1.1 pts
7Tennessee90.4-0.1 pts
7Wisconsin90.4+0.3 pts
9Florida90.2+3 pts
10Missouri89.5-0.2 pts
11Delaware890 pts
11Massachusetts89+1 pts
11North Dakota89+0.7 pts
14Arkansas88.8+1.2 pts
14Virginia88.8+1.3 pts
16Connecticut88.3-0.2 pts
17Kansas88.2+1 pts
17Utah88.2+0.8 pts
19New Hampshire88.1-0.3 pts
20Mississippi87.7+2.7 pts
21North Carolina87.6+1.1 pts
22Nebraska87.5-0.9 pts
23Maine87.40 pts
23Pennsylvania87.4+0.9 pts
25Maryland86.8-0.1 pts
26Hawaii86.3+1.1 pts
27Montana85.9-0.7 pts
28Ohio84.4+2.4 pts
29California84.3-0.2 pts
30South Dakota84.2+0.1 pts
31Georgia83.8+1.8 pts
31Minnesota83.8+0.1 pts
33Rhode Island83.6-0.3 pts
34New York83.5+0.7 pts
35Vermont83.1-1.4 pts
36Washington83+1.9 pts
37Louisiana82.9+2.8 pts
38Nevada82.6-1.5 pts
38Oregon82.6+2.6 pts
40Wyoming82.3+0.2 pts
41Idaho82.2+1.4 pts
41South Carolina82.2+1.1 pts
43Michigan82.1+0.7 pts
44Colorado81.9+0.8 pts
45Oklahoma80.8-4.1 pts
46Alaska79.1-1.3 pts
47Arizona77.3-0.5 pts
48New Mexico76.9+1.8 pts
49District of Columbia73+4.1 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. 2 states with data in other periods have no value for 2020 and are left out rather than filled from another source. 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), 2020) [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), 2020. 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=2020. 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), 2020. 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=2020.

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), 2020 [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=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_high_2020,
  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), 2020}},
  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=2020. 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), 2020
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=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduation-rate/us-states?period=2020.
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)?

West Virginia, with 92.1% in 2020, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

District of Columbia, with 73% in 2020.

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. 2 states have no value for 2020 and are not ranked.

US states: more rankings