Census ACS 5-Year · 52 states
States With Highest High School Graduation Rates
A high school diploma remains the baseline educational credential for most employment in America. States with the highest completion rates, Montana, Wyoming, and Minnesota, tend to have strong K-12 systems, cultural emphasis on education completion, and economies that reward basic educational attainment. The national high school completion rate has risen steadily over decades to roughly 88%, but significant gaps persist. States with lower completion rates often have higher poverty, larger immigrant populations (where adults may have been educated in other countries' systems), and historical underinvestment in rural or minority-serving schools. A high school diploma correlates with substantially better life outcomes: higher employment, higher income, better health, and lower incarceration rates. Closing the completion gap in lagging states remains a priority for educators and policymakers seeking to expand economic opportunity.
Key Findings
- 1Montana leads with a high school graduation rate of 94.6%, followed by Maine (94.5%) and Vermont (94.5%).
- 2The gap between #1 Montana and #52 Puerto Rico (80.4%) is 14.2 percentage points.
- 3The national median across all states is 91.3% (Virginia at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: Montana, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Minnesota, North Dakota, Alaska, Wisconsin, Utah.
Full Ranking: States With Highest High School Graduation Rates
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | High School+ | Bachelor's+ | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 94.1% | 29.9% | $74,815 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 93.4% | 32.8% | $75,670 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 88.6% | 23.3% | $57,917 |
| 4 | Washington | 92.2% | 38.8% | $94,952 |
| 5 | Virginia | 91.3% | 41.5% | $90,974 |
| 6 | Vermont | 94.5% | 42.6% | $78,024 |
| 7 | Utah | 93.3% | 36.9% | $91,750 |
| 8 | Texas | 85.7% | 33.1% | $76,292 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 89.6% | 30.4% | $67,097 |
| 10 | South Dakota | 93.0% | 31.1% | $72,421 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 89.6% | 31.5% | $66,818 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 89.5% | 37.3% | $86,372 |
| 13 | Puerto Rico | 80.4% | 29.1% | $25,096 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 91.9% | 34.5% | $76,081 |
| 15 | Oregon | 91.7% | 36.2% | $80,426 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 89.1% | 27.8% | $63,603 |
| 17 | Ohio | 91.6% | 30.9% | $69,680 |
| 18 | North Dakota | 93.8% | 32.3% | $75,949 |
| 19 | North Carolina | 89.7% | 34.7% | $69,904 |
| 20 | New York | 87.9% | 39.6% | $84,578 |
| 21 | New Mexico | 87.7% | 30.2% | $62,125 |
| 22 | New Jersey | 90.7% | 42.9% | $101,050 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | 94.1% | 39.8% | $95,628 |
| 24 | Nevada | 87.4% | 27.4% | $75,561 |
| 25 | Nebraska | 92.1% | 34.1% | $74,985 |
| 26 | Montana | 94.6% | 34.5% | $69,922 |
| 27 | Missouri | 91.6% | 31.9% | $68,920 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 86.6% | 24.2% | $54,915 |
| 29 | Minnesota | 93.9% | 38.8% | $87,556 |
| 30 | Michigan | 91.9% | 31.8% | $71,149 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | 91.4% | 46.6% | $101,341 |
| 32 | Maryland | 91.0% | 42.7% | $101,652 |
| 33 | Maine | 94.5% | 35.3% | $71,773 |
| 34 | Louisiana | 86.9% | 26.6% | $60,023 |
| 35 | Kentucky | 88.5% | 27.0% | $62,417 |
| 36 | Kansas | 91.9% | 35.2% | $72,639 |
| 37 | Iowa | 93.2% | 30.9% | $73,147 |
| 38 | Indiana | 90.2% | 28.8% | $70,051 |
| 39 | Illinois | 90.3% | 37.2% | $81,702 |
| 40 | Idaho | 91.7% | 31.2% | $74,636 |
| 41 | Hawaii | 92.9% | 35.5% | $98,317 |
| 42 | Georgia | 89.0% | 34.2% | $74,664 |
| 43 | Florida | 89.6% | 33.2% | $71,711 |
| 44 | District of Columbia | 92.8% | 63.6% | $106,287 |
| 45 | Delaware | 91.4% | 35.3% | $82,855 |
| 46 | Connecticut | 91.3% | 41.9% | $93,760 |
| 47 | Colorado | 92.8% | 44.7% | $92,470 |
| 48 | California | 84.6% | 36.5% | $96,334 |
| 49 | Arkansas | 88.6% | 25.1% | $58,773 |
| 50 | Arizona | 89.1% | 32.6% | $76,872 |
| 51 | Alaska | 93.5% | 31.2% | $89,336 |
| 52 | Alabama | 88.1% | 27.8% | $62,027 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Montana has the highest high school graduation rate at 94.6%, according to latest Census ACS data. Maine and Vermont round out the top three.
Puerto Rico has the lowest high school graduation rate at 80.4%. California is second-lowest at 84.6%.
The median across all 52 states is 91.3%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.