1 in 10 Schools Have Too Many Dropouts
According to John Hopkins University analysis of Education Department Data, the U.S. has too many 'dropout factories'--schools where less than 60 percent of freshmen make it to their senior year.
Approximately 1,700 U.S. high schools (12 percent) fit the description. Most of the schools are located in large cities or poverty stricken rural areas, but they are definitely scattered across the U.S.
Dropout Factories by State
| State | Percent of Schools |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 15% |
| Alaska | 17% |
| Arizona | 17% |
| Arkansas | 2% |
| California | 12% |
| Colorado | 9% |
| Connecticut | 9% |
| Delaware | 21% |
| Florida | 51% |
| Georgia | 39% |
| Hawaii | 18% |
| Idaho | 3% |
| Illinois | 10% |
| Indiana | 3% |
| Iowa | 2% |
| Kansas | 3% |
| Kentucky | 13% |
| Louisiana | 13% |
| Maine | 1% |
| Maryland | 7% |
| Massachusetts | 8% |
| Michigan | 13% |
| Minnesota | 2% |
| Mississippi | 23% |
| Missouri | 4% |
| Montana | 6% |
| Nebraska | 3% |
| Nevada | 44% |
| New Hampshire | 4% |
| New Jersey | 4% |
| New Mexico | 27% |
| New York | 15% |
| North Carolina | 23% |
| North Dakota | 4% |
| Ohio | 10% |
| Oklahoma | 6% |
| Oregon | 1% |
| Pennsylvania | 8% |
| Rhode Island | 13% |
| South Carolina | 52% |
| South Dakota | 1% |
| Tennessee | 14% |
| Texas | 18% |
| Utah | 0% |
| Vermont | 2% |
| Virginia | 8% |
| Washington | 8% |
| West Virginia | 4% |
| Wisconsin | 5% |
| Wyoming | 4% |
Source: Associated Press
At least 20 percent of the schools in eight different states have graduation rates less than 60 percent. South Carolina and Florida have the highest percentages--more than 50 percent of the schools in each one of these states were labeled dropout factories by John Hopkins University. Utah is the only state without a dropout factory.
Nationally, the high school graduation rate is 70 percent, but for black and Hispanic students, the rate is only 50 percent. Of the 70 percent of U.S. who do graduate high school, only 32 percent will be college ready according to the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.