Outcomes · K-12 education statistics
Dropout rate
The share of students who leave school without a diploma — defined differently by different publishers.
A dropout rate measures students who leave school without completing a diploma. The event dropout rate counts leavers within a single year; the status dropout rate counts everyone in an age range currently without a diploma and not enrolled; the cohort dropout rate is the mirror of the graduation-rate cohort.
Because those three definitions produce very different numbers for the same population, a dropout rate is only interpretable alongside its definition. Comparing a state's event rate to another's status rate is a common and serious error.
Also known as: drop out rate, school dropout.
See dropout rate in the data
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Dropout rate — FAQ
What is dropout rate in school and district data?+
The share of students who leave school without a diploma — defined differently by different publishers. A dropout rate measures students who leave school without completing a diploma. The event dropout rate counts leavers within a single year; the status dropout rate counts everyone in an age range currently without a diploma and not enrolled; the cohort dropout rate is the mirror of the graduation-rate cohort.
Why does dropout rate matter?+
Because those three definitions produce very different numbers for the same population, a dropout rate is only interpretable alongside its definition. Comparing a state's event rate to another's status rate is a common and serious error.
Where does this school and district data come from?+
Core statistics come from the National Center for Education Statistics — the Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Civil Rights Data Collection. The most recent graduation rates and state report-card outcomes come directly from state education agencies, which publish sooner than the federal series. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with NCES or any state agency.