Mapping High School Graduation Rates By State

A high school diploma not only represents the development of essential knowledge and skills but is also a critical step toward personal and professional growth.

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti, shows the percentage of public school students who graduate with a regular high school diploma in each U.S. state. Data is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, for the school year 2021–22.

West Virginia Has the Highest Graduation Rate

The U.S. average high school graduation rate was 87% in the school year 2021–22.

West Virginia has the highest graduation rate, with 91% of its students graduating. Meanwhile, the District of Columbia has the lowest graduation rate, with 76%.

State	Percentage
West Virginia	91
Tennessee	90
Wisconsin	90
Kentucky	90
Massachusetts	90
Iowa	90
Missouri	90
Texas	90
Virginia	89
Kansas	89
Connecticut	89
Mississippi	89
New Hampshire	88
Delaware	88
Utah	88
Alabama	88
Arkansas	88
Indiana	88
Florida	87
Illinois	87
Pennsylvania	87
Nebraska	87
California	87
New York	87
North Carolina	86
Maryland	86
Ohio	86
Maine	86
Hawaii	86
Montana	86
New Jersey	85
North Dakota	85
Georgia	84
South Carolina	84
Minnesota	84
Washington	84
Rhode Island	83
Louisiana	83
Vermont	83
Colorado	82
Wyoming	82
Nevada	82
Oregon	81
Michigan	81
Idaho	80
Alaska	78
Arizona	77
District of Columbia	76
New Mexico	Not available
Oklahoma	Not available

Given that West Virginia typically struggles in rankings like this, this top placement might be surprising to some. This high graduation rate is part of a concerted effort by the state to increase its graduation rate.

In 2011, West Virginia’s graduation rate sat at 72% (which would put them dead last by today’s standards). How did the state see such a significant improvement? A data-driven early warning system was put in place to target individuals when they are at most risk of dropping out and using interventions to keep them on pace to graduate.

Alabama, also an early adopter of this system, saw a steep improvement in their graduation rate over the past decade and a half.

If you enjoy posts like these, check out Mapped: Personal Finance Requirements by State, which visualizes where high school students are required to take a personal finance course.