Systems Indicators
4-Year & 5-Year Graduation Rates
The 4-year graduation rate is the percentage of students in a graduating class (cohort) who earned a high school diploma within four years of entering ninth grade. It is a measure of student success that helps us understand how many students are successfully completing high school.
The 5-year graduation rate is the percentage of students in a graduating cohort who earned a high school diploma within five years of entering ninth grade. It is a measure of student success that helps us understand how many students are successfully completing high school. The cohort represents 4 years from the beginning of 9th grade.
A high school diploma is a standard requirement for most employment opportunities, as well as for enrollment in higher education. There is a strong connection between high school educational attainment and future health and economic outcomes. There are many factors at the individual, school, and community level that can impact a student’s ability to graduate and/or graduate on time. Graduation rates can serve as an indicator of the health of our local, state, and national systems that impact students and their ability to succeed.
The charts below present graduation rates for students belonging to different populations. The disparities seen in the charts highlight the need to reduce systemic inequality in educational opportunities.
The chart below reports the percentage of students who graduated from high school in 4 years by race/ethnicity since 2018. While some improvement in graduation rates is observed over time, particularly for Hispanic youth, disparities for Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Multiracial students compared to White students persist.
The chart below reports the percentage of students who graduated from high school in 4 years by gender since 2018. Overall, the 4-year graduation rate for male students is lower than for female students. The graduation rate for females has slightly but steadily increased over time while the rate for male students has remained relatively consistent.
The chart below reports the percentage of students who graduated from high school in 4 years by select demographic characteristics since 2018, including students experiencing economic disadvantage, English language learners (ELL), students experiencing homelessness, and students with disabilities. Each demographic group reports a 4-year graduation rate that is significantly lower than the county average.
The chart below reports the percentage of students who graduated from high school in 5 years by race/ethnicity since 2017. While some improvement in graduation rates is observed over time, particularly for Hispanic youth, disparities for Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Multiracial students compared to White students persist.
The chart below reports the percentage of students who graduated from high school in 5 years by gender since 2017. Overall, the 5-year graduation rate for male students is lower than for female students.
The chart below reports the percentage of students who graduated from high school in 5 years by select demographic characteristics since 2017, including students experiencing economic disadvantage, English language learners (ELL), and students with disabilities. Each demographic group reports a 5-year graduation rate that is significantly lower than the county average.
