National Center for Education Statistics:
What are the dropout rates of high school students?
Response:
The status dropout rate represents the percentage of 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in high school and who lack a high school credential (either a diploma or an alternative credential such as a GED certificate). In 2020, there were 2.0 million status dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24, and the overall status dropout rate was 5.3 percent. In this Fast Fact, status dropout rates are estimated using the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a household survey that covers the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities).
The status dropout rate varied by race/ethnicity in 2020. The status dropout rate for Asian 16- to 24-year-olds (2.4 percent) was lower than the rates for Black (4.2 percent) and White (4.8 percent) 16- to 24-year-olds, and all three rates were lower than the rate for those who were Hispanic (7.4 percent). The status dropout rate for Asian 16- to 24-year-olds was also lower than the rates for those who were of Two or more races (6.5 percent) and American Indian/Alaska Native (11.5 percent), and the rate for those who were Black was lower than the rate for those who were American Indian/Alaska Native.1
The overall status dropout rate for 16- to 24-year-olds decreased from 7.4 percent in 2010 to 5.3 percent in 2020. During this time, the status dropout rate declined for those who were Hispanic (from 15.1 to 7.4 percent) and Black (from 8.0 to 4.2 percent). In 2020, the status dropout rates for those who were American Indian/Alaska Native, of Two or more races, White, or Asian were not measurably different from the rates in 2010.2 The status dropout rates in 2019—the year prior to the coronavirus pandemic—did not measurably differ from the rates in 2020 for any racial/ethnic group.3
In 2020, the overall status dropout rate was higher for male 16- to 24-year-olds than for female 16- to 24-year-olds (6.2 vs. 4.4 percent). Status dropout rates were higher for males than for females among those who were Hispanic (8.9 vs. 5.9 percent) and Black (5.6 vs. 2.9 percent). However, the status dropout rates for males and females did not measurably differ for those who were of Two or more races, White, or Asian.4
Continue reading at NCES.ed.org.
SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Status Dropout Rates. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved July 6, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/coj.