Native High School Completion and Graduation Rates 1970–2010
| 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. 12-year completion rate, age 21–27 | |||||
| Unadjusted—GEDs have 12 years education | 0.784 | 0.852 | 0.897 | 0.914 | 0.923 |
| Adjusted with official GED statistics | — | 0.803 | 0.831 | 0.830 | 0.849 |
| Adjusted using microdata to exclude GEDs | — | — | — | — | 0.878 |
| B. High-school graduation rate, age 21–27 | |||||
| Only regular diploma-holders are graduates | — | — | — | — | 0.863 |
| C. High-school graduation rate (Heckman and LaFontaine) | |||||
| Adjusted with official GED statistics, age 20–23 | 0.807 | ||||
| Adjusted with official GED statistics, age 20–24 | — | 0.786 | 0.794 | 0.771 | — |
| Adjusted with official GED statistics, age 25–29 | — | 0.810 | 0.779 | 0.792 | — |
Notes: 1970–2000 statistics are based on census data, while 2010 statistics are based the pooled ACS years 2008– 2010. For 2008 both statistics and the GED adjustment are based on ages 19–25, for 2009 ages 20–26 (Panels A and B). Hawaii and Alaska are included. Heckman and LaFontaine’s (2010) high school graduation rates in panel C refer to natives and immigrants in the United States for more than 10 years (for age 20–24) or 15 years (for age 25–29). In 1990–2000 they do not include completers of 12 years of education who did not receive a diploma; in 1970–1980, they presumably do, since the distinction cannot be made in the microdata.