Dropout Rate

How It Works

Dropout rates can be measured in two main ways. The event dropout rate measures the percentage of students who drop out in a single year, typically 3-5% nationally. The status dropout rate measures the percentage of young people aged 16-24 who are not enrolled in school and have not earned a diploma or equivalency, currently about 5.3% nationally, the lowest in recorded history. Dropout rates have declined significantly over the past two decades but remain stubbornly high for certain subgroups. Hispanic students, Black students, students from low-income families, students with disabilities, and English Learners all have higher-than-average dropout rates. Male students drop out at higher rates than female students. The most common reasons students cite for dropping out include academic struggles, disengagement, pregnancy or parenting responsibilities, the need to work, disciplinary issues, and feeling unsafe at school. Warning signs that a student may be at risk of dropping out include chronic absenteeism, course failures, being over-age for grade level, and low engagement. Effective dropout prevention programs address these risk factors early, often beginning in middle school. Schools with low dropout rates and high graduation rates are providing the academic and social-emotional support structures that keep students engaged through graduation. On OpenSchoolData, graduation rate data from EDFacts is displayed for high schools and their districts.

Related Terms

• Graduation Rate, The percentage of students who earn a regular high school diploma within four years of entering ninth grade, calculated using the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) method required by federal law.
• Achievement Gap, Persistent differences in academic performance between student groups defined by race, ethnicity, income, disability status, or English proficiency, one of the most studied problems in American education.
• School Accountability, The system by which schools and districts are held responsible for student outcomes, including state ratings, improvement plans, and potential interventions for chronically low-performing schools.