
By 2019, North Carolina’s graduation rate had increased to 87%, above the national average of 86% and 25 th among the states. In 2011, North Carolina’s graduation rate was 78%,īelow the national average and 26 th among the states. The state needs 9,989 more ninth graders to complete high school in four years or less to meet the statewide high school graduation rate goal. The analysis below uses NC DPI data to provide the most up-to-date look at high school graduation rates in North Carolina. We can examine national trends from 2011 to 2019 but have data on North Carolina’s performance from 2006 to 2022. State-by-state data on graduation rates has been available since 2011 and is released on a slower schedule than North Carolina-only data from the Department of Public Instruction ( NC DPI). And for every student who fails to graduate, communities bear the burden of lost skilled labor, tax revenue, and lower economic activity.

Without a diploma, these non-graduates are at a distinct disadvantage: they cannot enroll in postsecondary education and training programs, are not qualified to serve in the military, and earn a national average of $8,000 less annually compared to high school graduates. Students who leave high school without a diploma are less likely to be employed, earn less money, are more likely to engage in criminal activity or require social services, and tend to live shorter and less healthy lives. The economic impact of on-time high school graduation is significant for both individuals and their communities. Delays in completion as a result of being held back or a break in enrollment are associated with much higher risks of eventually dropping out. Why does High School Graduation Rate matter?Ĭompleting high school on time-meaning graduating in four years or less-is critical for student success. This goal is aligned with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Every Student Succeeds Consolidated State Plan. Iowa had the highest graduation rate (92%) among all states in 2019.īy 2030, the goal is that 95% of North Carolina high school students will graduate within four years or less. Tennessee was the top-performing Southern state with (91%). In 2019, the most recent year of data for all states, North Carolina’s high school graduation rate was 87%, placing our state 25th among all states.


In 2022 North Carolina’s high school graduation rate was 86%. The high school graduation rate is the percent of public high school students who graduated in four years or less. What does High School Graduation Rate mean?
