Buildings Demography Environment GIS Information Policy Technology Transportation More subjects
Note: The Office of Geographic and Demographic Analysis is no longer a division of the Dept. of Administration. The work units which made up this division can be found on the left menu of this page. Resources found on the GDA website are being migrated to other domains. Logo

Indicator 1 4 : High school graduation

Goal: Minnesotans will excel in basic and challenging academic skills and knowledge. Minnesotans value an educated citizenry, well prepared for work and for participation in democracy and community life. The state now requires students to pass basic tests in reading, writing and mathematics in order to graduate from high school, and challenges them to meet the “high standards” of the Profile of Learning in 10 learning areas, ranging from science to the arts.

Rationale: A high school diploma is a sign of basic academic competence. It is generally considered a minimum requirement for entry into the workforce and is an essential prerequisite for additional education and training.

Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, total (percent)

Year
199678.5%
199778.2%
199878.0%
199978.9%
200078.5%
 graph
Local data

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, American Indian (percent)

Year
199637.0%
199741.0%
199843.4%
199942.5%
200042.6%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, Asian or Pacific Islander (percent)

Year
199669.0%
199768.2%
199867.5%
199968.8%
200068.0%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, Black/ African American (percent)

Year
199633.1%
199735.6%
199835.9%
199938.6%
200037.0%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, Hispanic (percent)

Year
199644.3%
199745.0%
199850.1%
199948.5%
200043.9%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, White (percent)

Year
199682.2%
199781.9%
199881.9%
199982.8%
200082.8%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, total (percent)

Year
199611.3%
199711.3%
199811.1%
199910.7%
200010.7%
 graph
Local data

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, American Indian (percent)

Year
199639.9%
199737.9%
199835.4%
199934.7%
200034.4%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, Asian or Pacific Islander (percent)

Year
199616.7%
199717.8%
199816.8%
199915.3%
200015.7%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, Black/ African American (percent)

Year
199644.0%
199739.8%
199838.4%
199936.4%
200037.4%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, Hispanic (percent)

Year
199638.7%
199737.6%
199832.8%
199931.2%
200033.0%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, White (percent)

Year
19968.7%
19978.7%
19988.5%
19998.2%
20008.0%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, total (percent)

Year
199610.2%
199710.5%
199811.0%
199910.4%
200010.8%
 graph
Local data

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, American Indian (percent)

Year
199623.1%
199721.0%
199821.1%
199922.8%
200023.0%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, Asian or Pacific Islander (percent)

Year
199614.4%
199714.1%
199815.7%
199915.9%
200016.3%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, Black/ African American (percent)

Year
199622.9%
199724.6%
199825.7%
199925.0%
200025.6%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, Hispanic (percent)

Year
199616.5%
199718.7%
199818.0%
199920.6%
200019.9%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, White (percent)

Year
19969.1%
19979.3%
19989.7%
19999.0%
20009.2%
 graph

Data source: Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning

About this indicator: There has been no significant change since 1996 in the percentage of public school ninth-graders who four years later graduate, continue in school or have dropped out. There has been a marked consistency in recent years in the percentage of ninth-graders who graduate four years later. Between 1996 and 2000, the percentage has floated between 78 and 79 percent.

Graduation rates vary widely among different racial and ethnic groups. While in 2000 83 percent of white students graduated on time, the rates were much lower for all other racial and ethnic groups:
• 68 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander students (same as 1996)
• 47 percent of Hispanic students (up from 45 percent in 1996)
• 43 percent of American Indians (up from 37 percent in 1996)
• 37 percent of Black/African American students (up from 33 percent in 1996)

Substantial numbers of students of color do continue in high school beyond four years and eventually graduate.

For comparison: Minnesota is one of only a few states to track students over four years in this way. Direct comparison with other states' published figures on high school graduation may therefore be misleading.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports the percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds who have completed high school. Nationally, the three-year average for 1998-2000 was 85.7 percent. Minnesota ranked sixth among all 50 states at 91.9 percent, behind Alaska, Maine, Missouri and North and South Dakota.

Things to think about: Gender and family income are also linked to graduation rates, although the differences are not as drastic as those by race/ethnicity. In 1999-2000, the graduation rate was higher for girls, 82 percent, than for boys, 75 percent. Only 61 percent of lower-income students (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch) graduated on time in 1999-2000, compared to 84 percent of students not eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Technical notes: The Minnesota graduation statistics track only students who stay in the same school district from the ninth grade on. This excludes students who have dropped out before ninth grade and those who enter a school district after ninth grade. Students who graduated in 2000 were the first required to pass Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests in reading and math. Beginning in 2001, graduates were also required to pass a statewide writing test. There is no evidence that this has affected graduation rates.

Sources:

  • Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, Completion Study for the Class of 2000, http://cfl.state.mn.us,
  • U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core Data, www.nces.ed.gov

Related data trends:

  • Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, White (percent)
    • Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, White (percent)
      • Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, White (percent)
        • Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, Black/ African American (percent)
          • Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, Black/ African American (percent)
            • Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, Black/ African American (percent)
              • Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, Asian or Pacific Islander (percent)
                • Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, Asian or Pacific Islander (percent)
                  • Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, Asian or Pacific Islander (percent)
                    • Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, American Indian (percent)
                      • Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, American Indian (percent)
                        • Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, American Indian (percent)
                          • Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, Hispanic (percent)
                            • Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, Hispanic (percent)

                              • Related indicators:

                              Other related indicators:

                              • School attendance rates (Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, http://cfl.state.mn.us)
                              • Minnesota fourth-graders and eighth-graders achieving “proficient” scores on national math, reading and science tests (U.S. Department of Education, National Assessment of Educational Progress, www.nces.gov/nationsreportcard)
                              • Percentage of students who pass the eighth-grade Basic Standards Tests by the twelfth grade (Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, http://cfl.state.mn.us)
                              • Number of limited-English-speaking students who master English (Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, http://cfl.state.mn.us)

                              Retrieve school district data for: Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, total (percent)

                              Retrieve county data for: Public school ninth-graders who four years later dropped out, total (percent)

                              Retrieve school district data for: Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, total (percent)

                              Retrieve county data for: Public school ninth-graders who four years later continued, total (percent)

                              Retrieve school district data for: Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, total (percent)

                              Retrieve county data for: Public school ninth-graders who four years later graduated, total (percent)

Technical problems? Contact: andrew.koebrick@state.mn.us