A new report based on data from the U.S. Department of Education finds that only 70 percent of all high school students graduate on time and only 32 percent leave high school “college ready.” Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the United States, the latest report from Jay Greene of the Manhattan Institute, expands upon his findings about low graduation rates throughout the country and examines the number of high school graduates from the class of 2001 who actually possess the minimum qualifications to apply to four-year colleges.
According to Green, a student must meet three criteria to be considered “college ready.” He or she must graduate from high school, must take certain courses in high school that colleges require for the acquisition of necessary skills, and must be able to demonstrate basic literacy skills. While only 32 percent of all students meet these requirements, the results for minority students are even more dismal.
|
Graduation Rate |
“College Ready” Rate |
|
| Total Students | 70 | 32 |
| Asian | 79 | 38 |
| White | 72 | 37 |
| American Indian | 54 | 14 |
| Hispanic | 52 | 16 |
| African-American | 51 | 20 |
Source: Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the United States
The state with the highest graduation rate in the nation was North Dakota (89 percent), and the state with the lowest graduation rate was Florida (56 percent). The state with the highest college-readiness rate was West Virginia (49 percent), while the state with the lowest college-readiness rate was Nevada (22 percent).
The complete report is available from the Manhattan Institute at: http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_03.htm