Outcomes · K-12 education statistics
Adjusted cohort graduation rate(ACGR)
The share of a class that graduated with a regular diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
The adjusted cohort graduation rate follows a group of students from the year they enter ninth grade and asks how many earned a regular high school diploma within four years. The cohort is 'adjusted' by adding students who transfer in and removing those who transfer out, emigrate or die — removals a school must be able to document.
It is not the share of seniors who graduated, and reading it that way overstates performance: students who left the cohort before twelfth grade are still counted in the denominator. Two further cautions — a regular diploma excludes GEDs and most alternative certificates, and rates covering only four years understate districts that successfully graduate students in five.
Also known as: ACGR, high school graduation rate, four year graduation rate.
See adjusted cohort graduation rate in the data
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Adjusted cohort graduation rate — FAQ
What is adjusted cohort graduation rate in school and district data?+
The share of a class that graduated with a regular diploma within four years of starting ninth grade. The adjusted cohort graduation rate follows a group of students from the year they enter ninth grade and asks how many earned a regular high school diploma within four years. The cohort is 'adjusted' by adding students who transfer in and removing those who transfer out, emigrate or die — removals a school must be able to document.
Why does adjusted cohort graduation rate matter?+
It is not the share of seniors who graduated, and reading it that way overstates performance: students who left the cohort before twelfth grade are still counted in the denominator. Two further cautions — a regular diploma excludes GEDs and most alternative certificates, and rates covering only four years understate districts that successfully graduate students in five.
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.