US States Ranked by High School Graduation Rates

Students’ chances of tossing their graduation caps on time can vary widely by the US state where they attend high school.

In Alaska, the rate of students who graduate from high school in four years is 79.87%, compared to Kentucky’s 93.60%.

While graduation rates are one way to measure academic achievement and are used by local and state governments to track educational progress, they are complex metrics.

For starters, diploma requirements vary from state to state, meaning students in different states face different course and testing requirements to earn a diploma, influencing the rigor of education demonstrated by a high school degree.

Still, the diploma matters.

Across the nation, higher levels of education are almost always associated with higher earnings, and high school degrees are no different. On average, US adults aged 25 or over with a high school degree earn $8,216 more a year than those without one, according to Census data.

Using data from state education agencies and public data portals across all 50 states, Business Insider compiled a list of the most up-to-date high school graduation rates from each.

The US Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics regularly publishes an official list of all states’ high school graduation rates, but because of the adjustment process used for its calculations, the released data often lags by a couple of years. The most recent data, released in 2024, covers the 2021-2022 school year.

The graduation rates we used in our list come from the much more frequently updated state data.

While most percentages reflect the 2024-2025 school year, a handful of states had only 2023-2024 numbers publicly available. Those include: Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Texas.

Most states follow the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate formula, which measures the share of first-time ninth graders who earn a regular high school diploma within four years.

The formula adjusts the cohort of students by adding those who transfer into the school system and removing students who transfer out, emigrate, or die.

To put graduation rates into context, we also listed each state’s public school spending per pupil and median household income.

See what percentage of public high school students graduate in four years in every state, and where yours falls in the nationwide ranking.

50. Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska.

Jeff Manes/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Downtown Anchorage, Alaska on the water with mountains in the background. — Anchorage, Alaska.

Jeff Manes/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 79.87%

Per-pupil education spending: $21,004

Median household income: $95,665

49. Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 80.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,003

Median household income: $81,486

48. New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico.

MonaMakela/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 80.63%

Per-pupil education spending: $17,664

Median household income: $67,816

47. Vermont

Montpelier, Vermont.

jenifoto/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 82.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $28,818

Median household income: $82,730

46. Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 82.20%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,162

Median household income: $66,148

45. Idaho

Boise, Idaho.

knowlesgallery/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 82.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $11,060

Median household income: $81,166

44. Washington

Seattle, Washington.

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 82.64%

Per-pupil education spending: $18,564

Median household income: $99,389

43. Oregon

Portland, Oregon.

Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 83.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $18,083

Median household income: $85,220

42. Wyoming

Magic City of the Plains, Wyoming.

Cheri Alguire/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 83.10%

Per-pupil education spending: $20,521

Median household income: $75,532

41. North Dakota

Fargo, North Dakota.

Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 84.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $17,102

Median household income: $77,871

40. Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 84.01%

Per-pupil education spending: $18,314

Median household income: $72,389

39. Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island.

SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 84.10%

Per-pupil education spending: $22,110

Median household income: $83,504

38. Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 84.90%

Per-pupil education spending: $17,098

Median household income: $87,117

37. Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana.

Larry Gibson/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,581

Median household income: $60,986

36. Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada.

f11photo/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.40%

Per-pupil education spending: $14,812

Median household income: $81,134

35. Montana

Missoula, Montana.

Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.41%

Per-pupil education spending: $13,656

Median household income: $75,340

34. New York

New York City.

francois-roux/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $31,918

Median household income: $85,820

33. Colorado

Denver, Colorado.

f11photo/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.60%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,908

Median household income: $97,113

31. (tie) Hawaii

Four-year high school graduation rate: 86.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $23,878

Median household income: $100,745

31. (tie) South Dakota

Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 86.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,828

Median household income: $76,881

30. Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland.

Thomas Berberich/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 86.40%

Per-pupil education spending: $20,208

Median household income: $102,905

29. South Carolina

Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Kruck20/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 86.70%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,060

Median household income: $72,350

28. Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia.

Alexey_Fedoren/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 87.20%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,833

Median household income: $79,991

26. (tie) California

Four-year high school graduation rate: 87.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $20,791

Median household income: $100,149

26. (tie) North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina.

Leonid Andronov/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 87.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,995

Median household income: $73,958

25. New Hampshire

Manchester, New Hampshire

SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 87.54%

Per-pupil education spending: $22,978

Median household income: $99,782

24. Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska.

f1monaco31/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 87.90%

Per-pupil education spending: $16,147

Median household income: $76,376

23. Ohio

Akron, Ohio.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 88.30%

Per-pupil education spending: $17,257

Median household income: $72,212

22. Iowa

Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 88.80%

Per-pupil education spending: $14,369

Median household income: $75,501

21. Connecticut

Hartford, Connecticut.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 88.90%

Per-pupil education spending: $26,316

Median household income: $96,049

20. Illinois

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $21,776

Median household income: $83,211

19. Delaware

Wilmington, Delaware.

Bo Shen/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.05%

Per-pupil education spending: $22,201

Median household income: $87,534

18. Maine

Augusta, Maine.

SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.10%

Per-pupil education spending: $19,962

Median household income: $76,442

17. Pennsylvania

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.11%

Per-pupil education spending: $21,091

Median household income: $77,545

16. Mississippi

Jackson, Mississippi.

SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.20%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,324

Median household income: $59,127

15. Massachusetts

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.30%

Per-pupil education spending: $24,429

Median household income: $104,828

14. Kansas

Topeka, Kansas.

Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,558

Median household income: $75,514

13. Utah

Salt Lake City.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.80%

Per-pupil education spending: $11,347

Median household income: $96,658

12. Arkansas

Little Rock, Arkansas.

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Four-year high school graduation rate: 90.16%

Per-pupil education spending: $13,873

Median household income: $62,106

11. Texas

Four-year high school graduation rate: 90.70%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,895

Median household income: $79,721

10. Missouri

St. Charles, Missouri.

Perry Spring/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 91.40%

Per-pupil education spending: $14,241

Median household income: $71,589

9. New Jersey

Jersey City, New Jersey.

bluebeat76/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 91.80%

Per-pupil education spending: $27,234

Median household income: $104,294

8. Indiana

Four-year high school graduation rate: 91.83%

Per-pupil education spending: $13,622

Median household income: $71,959

7. Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin.

marchello74/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,952

Median household income: $77,488

6. Florida

Tampa, Florida.

Alex Baxter/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.20%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,693

Median household income: $77,735

5. Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee.

Kruck20/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.30%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,882

Median household income: $71,997

4. Virginia

Newport News, Virginia.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.70%

Per-pupil education spending: $17,104

Median household income: $92,090

3. Alabama

Mobile, Alabama.

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.77%

Per-pupil education spending: $13,627

Median household income: $66,659

2. West Virginia

Charleston, West Virginia.

Leonid Andronov/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.80%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,640

Median household income: $60,798

1. Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 93.60%

Per-pupil education spending: $14,596

Median household income: $64,526

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