Where in the U.S. Have the Highest (and Lowest) High School Graduation Rates?

The United States is a colossal country with an incredible range of beliefs, livelihoods, and experiences. One thing that unifies the vast majority of America is school. Federal laws require that children receive some form of education (public, private, homeschooling, etc.) for a period of time. In 2021, the average high school graduation rate in the United States was 85.3%. This incredibly detailed chart by the U.S. Career Institute explores how this rate varies across U.S. counties.

Click below to zoom

Visually, I really appreciate the use of formal, “prestigious” colors for the heat map and throughout the chart. The header font is excellent; I am planning to use it in some of my own projects! The diploma-like border is a nice touch. Let’s take a closer look at the extra-large and small counties so we can get a more complete picture of how graduation rates vary across America.

Here are the top five extra-large counties with the high school highest graduation rates:

1. Alleghany, Pennsylvania – 95%
2. Oakland, Michigan – 94%
3. Collin, Texas – 94%
4. Montgomery, Pennsylvania – 94%
5. King, Washington – 93%

And here are the five extra-large counties with the lowest high school graduation rates:

1. Bronx, NY – 73%
2. Kern, California – 74%
3. Fresno, California – 76%
4. El Paso, Texas – 78%
5. Los Angeles, California – 79%

Here are the top 5 small counties with the highest high school graduation rates:

1. Falls Church City, Virginia – 99%
2. Clear Creek, Colorado – 99%
3. Petroleum, Montana – 99%
4. Morgan, Utah – 98%
5. Gilpin, Colorado – 98%

And lastly, here are the top 5 small counties with the lowest high school graduation rates:

1. Kenedy, Texas – 26%
2. Presidio, Texas – 53%
3. Hudspeth, Texas – 56%
4. Clark, Idaho – 60%
5. Issaquena, Mississippi – 61%

I suppose not everything is bigger in Texas after all. All kidding aside, I looked into why the education system in Texas is failing so many children. Some issues I encountered are low teacher salary, dropouts from traditional schooling in favor of trade school or other alternatives, gun violence, mental health struggles, and conflict surrounding how to assess children’s performance. It is such a massive state, so it is no wonder that reform comes slowly and with a lot of resistance.