According to a new report, North Carolina’s public schools had the 36th lowest graduation rate in the nation for the 2005 – 2006 school year.
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that North Carolina’s four-year graduation rate was 71.8 percent, which tied Tennessee for 36th place. Even American Samoa (81.0 percent), the Northern Marianas Islands (80.3 percent), and West Virginia (76.9 percent) had higher graduation rates than North Carolina.
Between 2002 and 2006, North Carolina’s public school graduation rate increased slightly, from 70.1 percent to 71.8 percent. Over those four school years, the state was unable to exceed the 2004 – 2005 rate of 72.6 percent or surpass the national average.
Speaking of the national average, it was 73.4 percent for the 2005 – 2006 school year and the median was 76.8 percent. Nevada had the lowest graduation rate (55.8 percent), and Wisconsin had the highest rate (87.5 percent). (Data was not available for Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or the District of Columbia.)
