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As of October 2004, there were approximately
3,766,000 high school dropouts* in the United States. This
represents a dropout rate of 10.3 percent. The rate has
generally declined over the past several decades; however,
2004 saw the first increase since 1998.
Since 1970, Hispanic students have had
the highest dropout rates; the dropout rate among this group
was 23.8 percent in 2004. The high Hispanic dropout rate
is partly due to the high dropout rate among Hispanics born
outside of the United States (38.4 percent). First generation
Hispanics, those who were born in the United States but
have at least one parent born outside of the country, have
a much lower dropout rate (14.7 percent), and the rate among
second-generation or more Hispanics, those who were born
in the United States to American-born parents, is comparable
to that of other racial/ethnic groups (13.7 percent). The
dropout rates among non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic
Blacks were 6.8 and 11.8 percent, respectively, in 2004.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce,
high school dropouts are more likely to be unemployed and,
when they are employed, earn less than those who completed
high school. According to the National Center for Health
Statistics, those who did not complete high school report
worse health than their peers who did complete high school,
regardless of income.
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Line Chart: Status School Dropout Rates
for Children Aged 16-24, by Race/Ethnicity: 1990-2004
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