Ohio Has Some of Lowest High School Graduation Rates in Midwest

Ohio Graduation Rates – Class of 2011

Source: U.S. Department of Education | Download Data | Notes

As we wrote earlier this week, low-income and black and Hispanic students are significantly less likely to graduate high school on time than their wealthier and White peers.

And comparing Ohio to other Midwestern states too, Ohio falls on the lower end, particulary for low-income students. However, it’s not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison.

Midwest Graduation Rates – Low Income Students – Class of 2011

Source: U.S. Department of Education | Download Data | Notes

Less than two-thirds of Ohio low-income students graduated high school within four years, according to data for the Class of 2011 recently released by the U.S. Department of Education.

That’s one of the lowest graduation rates for low-income students in the Midwest. Only Michigan and Minnesota had lower rates.

Most states — including those in the Midwest — now measure their graduation rates by dividing the number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma divided by the number of students who start ninth grade together. Students who transfer into the class are added; students who transfer out, emigrate or die are subtracted.

But not all states define what a “regular” high school means the same way, so the rates may not be strictly comparable.