What Is the Dropout Rate in America?

Answer 1

Depends on how you define "drop out." The National Center for Education Statistics says this:
[1] 18-24 not in h/s and without diploma or equivalent: 9.9%
[2] 18-24 not in h/s but with diploma or equivalent: 87.1%
[3] in 2003-2004, students who did not complete their year: 4%

Although 1 and 2 seem to disagree with each other, it looks like about 10-12% of people who are old enough to have earned a high school diploma or equivalent have not done so.
Interesting government document, downloaded as a PDF file.


"The status dropout rate measures the percentage of individuals who are not enrolled in high school and who do not have a high school credential, irrespective of when they dropped out. The status dropout rate is higher than the event rate in a given year because the status dropout rate includes all dropouts in a particular age range, regardless of when or where they last attended school.
National status dropout rates: In October 2003, approximately 3.6 million 16- through 24-year-olds were not enrolled in high school and had not earned a high school diploma or alternative credential such as a GED. These status dropouts accounted for 9.9 percent of the 36 million 16- through 24-year-olds in the United States in 2003 (table 6-A).

National Status Completion Rates
The status completion rate indicates the percentage of young people who have left high school and who hold a high school credential. The rate reported here is based on CPS data and represents the percentage of 18- through 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in high school and who have earned a high school diploma or equivalent credential, including a GED. The status completion rate includes individuals who may have completed their education outside of the United States, so the rate is not suited for measuring the performance of the education system in this country.
• National status completion rates: In 2003, some 87.1 percent of 18-through 24-year-olds not enrolled in high school had received a high school diploma or equivalency credential (table 9-A).

National event dropout rates: Four out of every 100 students enrolled in high school in October 2002 left school before October 2003 without completing a high school program (table 1-A)."