US states with the highest high school graduation rates, ranked

November 5, 2026 · Business Insider

Kentucky has the highest high school graduation rate in the US at 93.60%.

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Business Insider looked at the most recent reported graduation rates across all 50 US states.
Kentucky had the highest graduation rate at 93.60%, while Alaska had the lowest, falling under 80%
High school diploma requirements can vary by state, leading to differences in attainment.

Students' chances of tossing their graduation caps on time can vary widely by the US state where they attend high school.

In Alaska, the rate of students who graduate from high school in four years is 79.87%, compared to 93.60% in Kentucky, the highest in the country.

While graduation rates are one way to monitor academic achievement and are used by local and state governments to track educational progress, they are complex metrics to define and measure. Diploma requirements vary from state to state, and students in different states face different course and testing requirements to earn it.

Still, the diploma matters.

Across the nation, higher levels of education are almost always associated with higher earnings, and high school degrees are no different. On average, US adults aged 25 or over with a high school degree earn $8,216 more a year than those without one, according to Census data.

Using data from state education agencies and public data portals across all 50 states, Business Insider compiled a list of the most up-to-date high school graduation rates from each.

While most percentages reflect the 2024-2025 school year, Oklahoma's most recent data is from the 2023-2024 school year.

Most states follow the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate formula, which measures the share of first-time ninth graders who earn a regular high school diploma within four years. The formula adjusts the student cohort by including those who transfer into the school system and removing those who transfer out, emigrate, or die.

To put graduation rates into context, we also listed each state's public school spending per pupil and median household income.

See what percentage of public high school students graduate in four years in every state, and where yours falls in the nationwide ranking.

50. Alaska

Jeff Manes/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 79.87%

Per-pupil education spending: $21,004

Median household income: $95,665

49. Arizona

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 80.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,003

Median household income: $81,486

48. New Mexico

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 80.63%

Per-pupil education spending: $17,664

Median household income: $67,816

47. Vermont

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 82.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $28,818

Median household income: $82,730

46. Oklahoma

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 82.20%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,162

Median household income: $66,148

45. Idaho

knowlesgallery/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 82.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $11,060

Median household income: $81,166

44. WashingtonSeattle.

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 82.64%

Per-pupil education spending: $18,564

Median household income: $99,389

43. Oregon

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 83.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $18,083

Median household income: $85,220

42. Wyoming

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 83.10%

Per-pupil education spending: $20,521

Median household income: $75,532

41. North Dakota

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 84.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $17,102

Median household income: $77,871

40. Michigan

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 84.01%

Per-pupil education spending: $18,314

Median household income: $72,389

39. Minnesota

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 84.90%

Per-pupil education spending: $17,098

Median household income: $87,117

38. Louisiana

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,581

Median household income: $60,986

37. Nevada

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.40%

Per-pupil education spending: $14,812

Median household income: $81,134

36. Montana

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.41%

Per-pupil education spending: $13,656

Median household income: $75,340

34. (tie) Rhode Island

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $22,110

Median household income: $83,504

34. (tie) New York

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $31,918

Median household income: $85,820

33. Colorado

f11photo/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 85.60%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,908

Median household income: $97,113

31. (tie) Hawaii

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 86.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $23,878

Median household income: $100,745

31. (tie) South Dakota

Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 86.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,828

Median household income: $76,881

30. Maryland

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 86.40%

Per-pupil education spending: $20,208

Median household income: $102,905

29. South Carolina

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 86.70%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,060

Median household income: $72,350

28. Georgia

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 87.20%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,833

Median household income: $79,991

26. (tie) California

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 87.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $20,791

Median household income: $100,149

26. (tie) North Carolina

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 87.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,995

Median household income: $73,958

25. New Hampshire

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 87.54%

Per-pupil education spending: $22,978

Median household income: $99,782

24. Nebraska

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 87.90%

Per-pupil education spending: $16,147

Median household income: $76,376

22. (tie) Ohio

Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 88.80%

Per-pupil education spending: $17,257

Median household income: $72,212

22. (tie) Iowa

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 88.80%

Per-pupil education spending: $14,369

Median household income: $75,501

21. Illinois

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $21,776

Median household income: $83,211

20. Maine

SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.10%

Per-pupil education spending: $19,962

Median household income: $76,442

19. Pennsylvania

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.11%

Per-pupil education spending: $21,091

Median household income: $77,545

18. Mississippi

SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.20%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,324

Median household income: $59,127

17. Massachusetts

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.30%

Per-pupil education spending: $24,429

Median household income: $104,828

16. Utah

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 89.80%

Per-pupil education spending: $11,347

Median household income: $96,658

15. ArkansasLittle Rock, Arkansas.

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Four-year high school graduation rate: 90.16%

Per-pupil education spending: $13,873

Median household income: $62,106

14. Kansas

Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 90.50%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,558

Median household income: $75,514

12. (tie) Connecticut

Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 91.20%

Per-pupil education spending: $26,316

Median household income: $96,049

12. (tie) Texas

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 91.20%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,895

Median household income: $79,721

11. Delaware

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 91.39%

Per-pupil education spending: $22,201

Median household income: $87,534

10. Missouri

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 91.40%

Per-pupil education spending: $14,241

Median household income: $71,589

9. New Jersey

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 91.80%

Per-pupil education spending: $27,234

Median household income: $104,294

8. Indiana

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Four-year high school graduation rate: 91.83%

Per-pupil education spending: $13,622

Median household income: $71,959

7. Wisconsin

marchello74/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.00%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,952

Median household income: $77,488

6. FloridaTampa, Florida.

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.20%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,693

Median household income: $77,735

5. Tennessee

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.30%

Per-pupil education spending: $12,882

Median household income: $71,997

4. Virginia

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.70%

Per-pupil education spending: $17,104

Median household income: $92,090

3. AlabamaMobile, Alabama.

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Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.77%

Per-pupil education spending: $13,627

Median household income: $66,659

2. West Virginia

Leonid Andronov/Getty Images

Four-year high school graduation rate: 92.80%

Per-pupil education spending: $15,640

Median household income: $60,798

1. KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Four-year high school graduation rate: 93.60%

Per-pupil education spending: $14,596

Median household income: $64,526

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