How Can We Increase High School Graduation Rates?
State of the Union Report
- The United States ranks 20th with a high school graduation rate of approximately 85% as of the 2022–2023 school year.
- The U.S. rate has improved from 79% in 2010 but continues to lag behind top-performing nations.
- South Korea achieves near-universal graduation through a cultural emphasis on education and government investment exceeding 5% of GDP.
- High poverty rates, racial and ethnic achievement gaps, and chronic absenteeism are the key drivers of lower U.S. graduation rates.
- Finland transformed its system through comprehensive school reform, prioritizing student well-being over standardized testing.
- Countries providing free upper secondary education as a legal right consistently achieve the highest graduation rates.
Section 1: Top 35 Countries with the Highest High School Graduation Rates
Data Source: Based on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Education at a Glance (2022-2023) and Gallup World Education Survey data. Year of data: 2022. Only countries with populations over 5 million are included.
Source: OECD Education at a Glance 2022; Gallup World Education Survey 2022 (data year: 2022).
United States Ranking and Analysis
The United States ranks 20th in the table above, with a high school graduation rate of approximately 85% as of the 2022-2023 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
While the U.S. rate has improved significantly from 79% in 2010, it continues to lag behind top-performing nations by a margin of 6 to 9 percentage points. Several structural and systemic factors explain this gap.
The United States does not have a nationally unified education system; instead, responsibility falls on 50 states and over 13,000 local school districts, resulting in wide variation in resource allocation, teacher quality, and curriculum standards.
High poverty rates, racial and ethnic achievement gaps, inconsistent access to pre-kindergarten education, chronic absenteeism, and lack of mental health and counseling resources are among the primary contributors to lower graduation rates in many districts. In the 2022-2023 school year, the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public high school students was 85 percent nationally, with rates ranging from 70 percent in the District of Columbia to 93 percent in Iowa.
Top 8 Highest-Rated Countries
References
OECD Education at a Glance 2022 - www.oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance
National Center for Education Statistics - nces.ed.gov
Section 2: What Other Countries Have Done to Increase Their High School Graduation Rates
Hanguk (South Korea)
Hanguk's exceptional graduation rate stems from a deeply embedded cultural emphasis on education, backed by robust government policy.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) instituted mandatory attendance laws through high school, supported by the High School Equalization Policy enacted in 1974 that eliminated elite high school entrance exams to democratize access.
After-school tutoring programs (hagwons) are widespread, though government regulations under the Education Ministry work to balance private education access.
The National Institute for Lifelong Education promotes adult completion programs.
Hanguk 's Smart Education Initiative digitized curricula with tablets and AI-based learning platforms.
The government invests over 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in education. Key agency: Hanguk Ministry of Education (www.moe.go.kr).
Nippon (Japan)
Nippon's graduation success is rooted in the 1947 Fundamental Law of Education mandating compulsory education through lower secondary school, with strong social norms driving upper secondary (high school) completion.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) administers the School Education Law that governs curriculum standards and teacher certification nationwide.
Nippon implemented the Comprehensive Support Plan for Children and Young People to address dropout risks.
The government subsidized high school tuition through the High School Tuition Support Fund (Kotoygakko Mushouka) starting in 2010, making public high schools effectively free.
Career guidance programs integrate vocational training with academic coursework to maintain engagement. Key agency: MEXT (www.mext.go.jp).
Suomi (Finland)
Suomi transformed its education system in the 1970s through the comprehensive school (peruskoulu) reform, creating a unified nine-year basic education system accessible to all students regardless of socioeconomic status.
The Suomi National Agency for Education (EDUFI) oversees curriculum development emphasizing student well-being over standardized testing.
Upper secondary education is divided between academic general upper secondary schools and vocational institutes, both qualifying students for tertiary education. The Youth Guarantee program ensures every young person under 25 receives an education, employment, or training offer.
Schools employ welfare officers, psychologists, and special needs teachers as mandatory resources. Teacher education requires a master's degree, elevating the profession.
Key agency: Suomi National Agency for Education (www.oph.fi).
Norge (Norway)
Norge provides free upper secondary education as a legal right for all residents aged 16-24 under the Education Act.
The Norge Directorate for Education and Training (UDIR) administers Kunnskapsloft (Knowledge Promotion Reform) which restructured curriculum competencies and vocational pathways.
The government offers financial support through the Norge State Educational Loan Fund (Lanekassen) ensuring no financial barrier prevents enrollment.
The Ny GIV initiative (New Drive) targeted at-risk youth through intensive basic skills instruction in mathematics and Norwegian.
Municipalities are legally obligated to offer individualized training plans for students with special needs.
Immigrant integration programs include dedicated Norwegian language instruction. Key agency: Norge Directorate for Education and Training (www.udir.no).
Sverige (Sweden)
Sverige's Education Act of 2010 established that all young people between ages 16 and 20 are entitled to upper secondary education.
The Sverige National Agency for Education (Skolverket) manages curriculum, grading standards, and school inspection.
The government launched the School Commission in 2015 to address declining PISA scores and strengthen teacher competence requirements.
A principal's obligation to report school absence and connect students to social services is codified in law.
Sverige's Introductory Programme specifically addresses newly arrived immigrants and students who did not meet eligibility requirements for national programs.
School health services including counselors and psychologists are universally available. Key agency: Swedish National Agency for Education (www.skolverket.se).
Deutschland (Germany)
Deutschland employs a dual education system (Duales Ausbildungssystem) combining classroom instruction with apprenticeships across more than 300 recognized occupations, administered jointly by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and state Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK).
The Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz) governs apprenticeship quality and standards nationally.
Each of Deutschland's 16 Lander (states) maintains its own comprehensive school laws requiring attendance through age 18.
The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur fur Arbeit) funds vocational guidance counselors in all secondary schools.
Programs for disadvantaged youth include Berufseinstiegsbegleitung (job entry mentoring) and Assistierte Ausbildung (supported apprenticeships).
Immigration integration classes are state-mandated for non-German-speaking students. Key agency: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (www.bmbf.de).
Canada
Education in Canada is provincially administered, with no federal department of education, but all provinces mandate school attendance to ages 16-18.
The Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC) facilitates interprovincial cooperation and data sharing.
Ontario's Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat specifically targets at-risk students through evidence-based instructional strategies.
British Columbia reformed graduation requirements in 2018 with the BC Education Plan emphasizing personalized learning, flexible credentials, and co-curricular engagement.
The First Nations Education Act and provincial Indigenous education strategies address the historically low graduation rates of Indigenous students through culturally relevant programming.
Quebec offers a free adult education system allowing students to complete diplomas at any age.
Key agency: Council of Ministers of Education Canada (www.cmec.ca).
Australia
Australia's National Education Agreement commits all states and territories to providing schooling to age 17.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) develops the nationally consistent curriculum and administers NAPLAN literacy and numeracy testing.
The Gonski Review (2011) led to needs-based school funding reforms, directing additional resources to disadvantaged schools.
The Australian Government's Closing the Gap strategy specifically funds Indigenous student graduation programs including boarding school scholarships and community engagement officers.
States like Victoria operate the Senior Secondary Pathways program offering vocational education and training (VET) as equal credentials alongside academic certificates.
The Student Wellbeing Hub provides national resources on mental health, attendance, and engagement.
Key agency: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (www.acara.edu.au).
Section 3: What the U.S. Could Do to Increase Its High School Graduation Rates
The United States currently ranks approximately 20th globally in high school graduation rates, with an 85% graduation rate as of the 2022-2023 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. While this represents progress from the 79% rate in 2010, significant disparities remain across racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic lines. Students from low-income families, English Language Learners, students with disabilities, and students in rural or urban high-poverty schools continue to graduate at substantially lower rates than their peers.
To increase its high school graduation rates, the United States could adopt a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach drawing upon the most effective international models while addressing uniquely American challenges. Strategies could simultaneously address academic preparation, economic barriers, social-emotional supports, teacher quality, school accountability, and systemic equity gaps.
Early intervention programs beginning in pre-kindergarten would ensure that students arrive at high school academically prepared. Evidence shows that students who read proficiently by third grade are significantly more likely to graduate. Federal expansion of Head Start and state pre-K programs, modeled after Suomi's universal early childhood education, would address foundational skill deficits before they compound.
Universal access to high-quality counseling services is essential. Many American high schools have counselor-to-student ratios exceeding 400:1, far above the recommended 250:1. Congress could mandate and fund adequate counselor staffing, with counselors trained in both academic advising and mental health support, as mandated in countries such as Norge and Sverige.
Expanding career and technical education (CTE) pathways, modeled after Deutschland's dual education apprenticeship system, would increase engagement for students who do not thrive in exclusively academic environments. Public-private partnerships between the federal government, state workforce agencies, and industry sectors could create paid apprenticeships as graduation pathway options.
Addressing chronic absenteeism, which predicts dropout more reliably than academic performance, requires automated early warning systems linked to school, family, and community intervention protocols. States could mandate multi-tiered attendance response systems with legal obligations for schools and local governments to engage absent students.
Financial barriers could be eliminated. Hunger, housing instability, and the need to work prevent many students from completing high school. Expanding free and reduced-price meal programs, after-school programs, and emergency student assistance funds through the Department of Education would reduce these barriers.
Section 4: References
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) - Graduation Rates
OECD Education at a Glance 2022
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)
Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training
Swedish National Agency for Education
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT)
Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC)
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), U.S. Department of Education
Section 5: U.S. Organizations Advocating to Improve High School Graduation Rates
| Organization Name | Contact Information | Primary Activity in This Area |
|---|---|---|
| America's Promise Alliance |
www.americaspromise.org info@americaspromise.org (202) 657-0600 |
National nonprofit promoting education and youth development through the GradNation campaign, which works with states, districts, and communities to increase high school graduation rates to 90% and beyond. Publishes an annual Building a Grad Nation report tracking state-by-state progress and documenting evidence-based improvement strategies. |
| Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University |
everyone.jhu.edu everyonegraduates@jhu.edu |
Research center identifying students at risk of dropping out and supporting implementation of evidence-based early warning systems and dropout prevention programs nationwide. Developer of the early warning indicator (EWI) model — tracking attendance, behavior, and course performance — now used by school districts serving millions of students. |
| Alliance for Excellent Education |
all4ed.org all4ed@all4ed.org (202) 828-0828 |
Policy advocacy organization promoting reforms to improve high school graduation rates and post-secondary success, particularly for disadvantaged students. Publishes research on dropout costs to the economy and advocates for federal investments in early warning systems, school turnaround programs, and extended learning time. |
| National Dropout Prevention Center |
www.dropoutprevention.org ndpc@clemson.edu (864) 656-2599 |
Research and resource center at Clemson University providing practitioners, administrators, and policymakers with evidence-based dropout prevention strategies. Maintains a registry of effective programs and provides technical assistance to states and districts implementing early intervention systems. |
| Jobs for the Future (JFF) |
www.jff.org info@jff.org (617) 728-4446 |
Advocates for early college high schools and career pathway programs that raise graduation rates for students who might otherwise drop out by connecting high school with postsecondary credentials and employment. Research shows JFF-supported early college models graduate at rates 10–20 percentage points higher than comparison schools. |
| Communities In Schools (CIS) |
www.communitiesinschools.org (703) 518-2500 |
Nation's largest dropout prevention organization, operating in 2,700+ schools across 25 states and serving over 1.5 million students by connecting them with community resources addressing barriers to graduation. CIS's integrated student support model has been shown in rigorous studies to improve attendance, credit accumulation, and graduation rates. |
| National Education Association (NEA) |
www.nea.org (202) 833-4000 |
Nation's largest professional employee organization advocating for adequate school funding, equitable resources, and supportive learning environments that enable all students to graduate. Lobbies for Title I funding increases, special education funding adequacy, and school climate improvements as prerequisites for closing graduation rate gaps. |
Section 6: Individuals Advocating to Improve High School Graduation Rates
| Name, Title & Contact | Selected Publications on High School Graduation Rates |
|---|---|
| Robert Balfanz, PhD Research Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Education; Co-Director, Everyone Graduates Center balfanz@jhu.edu |
(1) "Putting Middle Grades Students on the Graduation Path," National Middle School Association, 2009 — Introduced the early warning indicator concept showing that sixth-grade attendance, behavior, and course performance predict high school graduation, fundamentally changing how schools identify at-risk students.. (2) "Sent Away and Pushed Out: One Million Students Lost to School Suspensions in the 2011-12 School Year," Everyone Graduates Center, 2014 — Documented the scale of school suspensions and their negative impact on graduation rates, providing a major impetus for restorative justice practices and suspension reform policies.. (3) "Grad Nation: A Guidebook to Help Communities Tackle the Dropout Crisis," America's Promise Alliance, 2010 — Comprehensive practitioner guide translating research on dropout prevention into actionable strategies for communities, schools, and policymakers, widely used by state education agencies.. |
| John M. Bridgeland Chief Executive Officer, Civic Enterprises; Former Director, USA Freedom Corps |
(1) "The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts," Civic Enterprises / Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2006 — First large-scale survey of high school dropouts revealing that most left school despite passing grades, citing boredom and lack of engagement — findings that reshaped dropout prevention from remediation to engagement.. (2) "A More Perfect Union: A National Report on Hispanic Education," Civic Enterprises, 2010 — Documented the drivers of the Hispanic graduation gap and recommended community-school partnership models that have informed federal Hispanic-serving institution support programs.. (3) "Finding the Dropout Crisis: A Study of High Schools with the Lowest Graduation Rates in the United States," Civic Enterprises, 2009 — Identified dropout factory high schools nationwide and analyzed the conditions producing chronically low graduation rates, driving federal School Improvement Grant policies.. |
| Gary Orfield, PhD Distinguished Research Professor of Education, Law, Political Science, and Urban Planning, UCLA gorfield@gseis.ucla.edu |
(1) "Dropout Nation: Confronting the High School Crisis in America," Civil Rights Project / Proyecto Derechos Civiles, 2004 — Introduced the concept of dropout factories — schools with graduation rates below 60% — and documented their disproportionate concentration in communities of color, focusing policy attention on institutional conditions.. (2) "Losing Our Future: How Minority Youth Are Being Left Behind by the Graduation Rate Crisis," Harvard Civil Rights Project, 2004 — First major national analysis of graduation rate disparities by race and ethnicity using longitudinal data, revealing that gaps are far larger than official statistics showed.. (3) "Brown at 60: Great Progress, a Long Retreat and an Uncertain Future," Civil Rights Project / UCLA, 2014 — Documented school resegregation trends and their relationship to persistently lower graduation rates in high-poverty, racially isolated schools, informing equity-focused graduation reform.. |
| Elaine Allensworth, PhD Lewis-Sebring Director, University of Chicago Consortium on School Research allensworth@uchicago.edu |
(1) "The High School Diploma: Making It More Than an Empty Promise," Consortium on Chicago School Research, 2014 — Documented that grade point average — not standardized test scores — is the strongest predictor of high school graduation and college success, reshaping GPA monitoring and intervention policy.. (2) "The Role of Ninth Grade in Producing Dropout Rates for Chicago's Public High Schools," Consortium on Chicago School Research, 1997 — Showed that ninth-grade course failure and attendance are the most powerful early predictors of dropout, establishing the ninth-grade transition as the pivotal intervention point.. (3) "From High School to the Future: A First Look at Chicago Public School Graduates' College Enrollment, College Preparation, and Graduation from Four-Year Colleges," Consortium on Chicago School Research, 2006 — Traced student pathways from high school to college and documented how low high school graduation rates cascade into postsecondary attainment gaps.. |
| Cecilia Elena Rouse, PhD Dean, Woodrow Wilson School; Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Princeton University; Former Chair, Council of Economic Advisers rouse@princeton.edu |
(1) "The Labor Market Consequences of an Inadequate Education," Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2007 — Quantified the lifetime earnings loss and fiscal cost to government associated with high school non-completion, establishing the economic investment case for dropout prevention.. (2) "School Reform in the Twenty-First Century: A Look at the Effect of Class Size and School Vouchers on the Academic Achievement of Minority Students," NBER Working Paper, 2005 — Evaluated class size reduction and school choice effects on minority student achievement and graduation probability, contributing to evidence base for targeted school resource investment.. (3) "Do High School Graduation Standards Affect High School Graduation Rates?," Economic Inquiry, 2011 — Analyzed the effects of raising graduation standards on graduation rates across states, finding nuanced tradeoffs that could inform the design of exit exam and graduation requirement policies.. |
| Ivory A. Toldson, PhD Professor of Counseling Psychology, Howard University; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Negro Education itoldson@howard.edu |
(1) "Breaking Barriers: Plotting the Path to Academic Success for School-Age African-American Males," Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, 2008 — Documented the factors predicting academic success versus dropout among Black male students, challenging deficit-based narratives and identifying school and community protective factors.. (2) "No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear About Black People," Journal of Negro Education, 2011 — Critiqued the misuse of statistics about Black student dropout rates and proposed methodologically rigorous approaches to understanding and improving Black student educational outcomes.. (3) "School Factors That Contribute to the Underachievement of Students of Color and What Culturally Competent School Leaders Can Do," New Directions for Youth Development, 2008 — Identified school climate, cultural competence, and discriminatory discipline as the primary institutional drivers of racial gaps in graduation rates, informing culturally responsive school reform.. |
| Linda Darling-Hammond, EdD President and CEO, Learning Policy Institute; Professor Emerita, Stanford University Graduate School of Education ldh@lpinstitute.org |
(1) "Steady Work: How Finland Builds a Strong Teaching and Learning System," Learning Policy Institute, 2017 — Documented how Finland's investment in teacher quality — drawing on the strongest evidence about what works — produces some of the world's highest graduation rates with minimal dropout.. (2) "Preparing Teachers for a Changing World: What Teachers Could Learn and Be Able to Do," Jossey-Bass, 2005 — Established the teacher preparation standards linked to student graduation outcomes, influencing federal Title II teacher quality requirements.. (3) "The Right Start: Creating a Strong Foundation for the Teaching Career," Phi Delta Kappan, 2012 — Showed that teacher induction and support programs are critical to both teacher retention and the stability of school environments that predict higher graduation rates.. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current US high school graduation rate?
As of the 2022-2023 school year, the US four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public high school students was 85%. Rates vary widely by state, ranging from 70% in the District of Columbia to 93% in Iowa.
How does the US graduation rate compare to other countries?
The US ranks approximately 20th globally with an 85% graduation rate, lagging behind top-performing nations by 6 to 9 percentage points. Countries like South Korea, Japan, and Finland consistently outperform the US in secondary school completion.
Why does the US struggle to match top-performing countries in graduation rates?
The US lacks a nationally unified education system, with responsibility spread across 50 states and over 13,000 local school districts, creating wide variation in resources and standards. Contributing factors also include high poverty rates, racial and ethnic achievement gaps, chronic absenteeism, and insufficient access to mental health and counseling services.
What has South Korea done to achieve high graduation rates?
South Korea enacted the High School Equalization Policy in 1974 to democratize access by eliminating elite entrance exams, and mandated high school attendance by law. The government also invests over 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in education, digitized curricula through its Smart Education Initiative, and promotes adult completion programs through the National Institute for Lifelong Education.
How did Japan make high school more accessible to increase graduation rates?
Japan subsidized high school tuition starting in 2010 through the High School Tuition Support Fund, making public high schools effectively free. The Ministry of Education also implemented the Comprehensive Support Plan for Children and Young People to address dropout risks, while career guidance programs integrate vocational training with academics to keep students engaged.
What education reforms helped Finland achieve high graduation rates?
Finland transformed its education system in the 1970s through the comprehensive school reform, creating a unified nine-year basic education system accessible to all students regardless of socioeconomic background. This systemic approach eliminated early tracking and ensured equitable resource distribution across schools nationwide.
About the Author
Ronald Bonfilio has devoted his career to public service spanning more than five decades. His service began with the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968, where he conducted medical laboratory research at Fort Detrick and at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He subsequently held a distinguished series of federal positions, including roles with the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Agency for International Development (Vietnam), the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, and the U.S. State Department (Iraq), where he served as a Senior Economic Advisor and Agricultural Advisor. He also served 15 years with the U.S. Government Accountability Office as a Program Analyst and Auditor.
Ronald Bonfilio holds a degree in Economics from the University of Maryland, and degrees in Chemistry and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts. He is a former Certified Public Accountant.