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ED4 High school completion: Percentage of young adults ages 18–24a who have completed high school by race and Hispanic origin and method of completion, 1980–2009

excel icon ED4 Excel Table

Characteristic 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Total
Total completing high schoolb 83.9 83.8 83.8 83.9 84.7 85.4 85.5 84.7 84.5 84.7 85.6 84.9 86.4 86.2 85.8 85.3 86.2 85.9 84.8 85.9 86.5 86.5 86.6 87.1 86.9 87.6 87.8 89.0 89.9 89.8
Method of completion
Diploma — — — — — — — — 80.3 80.5 80.6 80.7 81.2 81.2 78.8 77.5 76.5 76.7 74.7 76.8 — — — — — — — — — —
Equivalent — — — — — — — — 4.2 4.2 4.9 4.2 5.2 4.9 7.0 7.7 9.8 9.1 10.1 9.2 — — — — — — — — — —
White, non-Hispanicc
Total completing high schoolb 87.5 87.1 87.0 87.4 87.5 88.2 88.8 87.7 88.7 89.0 89.6 89.4 90.7 90.1 90.7 89.8 91.5 90.5 90.2 91.2 91.8 91.1 91.8 91.9 91.7 92.3 92.6 93.5 94.2 93.8
Method of completion
Diploma — — — — — — — — 84.0 85.0 85.0 85.0 86.0 86.0 84.0 83.0 81.0 81.0 80.0 82.0 — — — — — — — — — —
Equivalent — — — — — — — — 4.0 4.0 5.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 11.0 9.0 10.0 9.0 — — — — — — — — — —
Black, non-Hispanicc
Total completing high schoolb 75.2 76.7 76.4 76.8 80.3 81.0 81.8 81.9 80.9 81.9 83.2 82.5 82.0 81.9 83.3 84.5 83.0 82.0 81.4 83.5 83.7 85.7 84.7 85.0 83.5 86.0 84.9 88.8 86.9 87.1
Method of completion
Diploma — — — — — — — — 76.0 77.0 78.0 77.0 76.0 76.0 75.0 75.0 73.0 72.0 72.0 73.0 — — — — — — — — — —
Equivalent — — — — — — — — 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 6.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 11.0 — — — — — — — — — —
American Indian or Alaska Nativec
Total completing high schoolb — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 82.4 82.9 80.3 78.4 76.7 80.4 81.6 77.9 82.5 82.4
Method of completion
Diploma — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Equivalent — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Asian or Pacific Islanderc
Total completing high schoolb — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 94.6 96.1 95.7 94.9 95.1 95.8 95.8 93.1 95.5 95.9
Method of completion
Diploma — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Equivalent — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Two or more racesc
Total completing high schoolb — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 91.7 93.1 89.5 89.7 90.4 94.2 89.2
Method of completion
Diploma — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Equivalent — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Hispanicc
Total completing high schoolb 57.1 59.1 60.9 59.4 63.7 66.6 63.5 65.1 58.2 59.4 59.1 56.5 62.1 64.4 62.8 62.8 61.9 66.7 62.8 63.4 64.1 65.7 67.3 69.2 69.9 70.3 70.9 72.7 75.5 76.8
Method of completion
Diploma — — — — — — — — 54.0 55.0 55.0 53.0 57.0 58.0 54.0 54.0 55.0 59.0 52.0 55.0 — — — — — — — — — —
Equivalent — — — — — — — — 4.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 6.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 7.0 8.0 11.0 9.0 — — — — — — — — — —
— Not available.
a Excludes those enrolled in high school or below.
b From 1980 to 1991, high school completion was measured as completing 4 years of high school rather than the actual attainment of a high school diploma or equivalent.
c For data before 2003, the 1977 OMB Standards for Data on Race and Ethnicity were used to classify persons into one of the following four racial groups: White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or Asian or Pacific Islander. The revised 1997 OMB standards were used for data for 2003 and later years. Persons could select one or more of five racial groups: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Those reporting more than one race were classified as "Two or more races." For continuity purposes, respondents who reported being Asian or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander were combined. Beginning in 2003, those in each racial category represent those reporting only one race. Data from 2003 onward are not directly comparable with data from earlier years. Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected separately. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
NOTE: Diploma equivalents include alternative credentials obtained by passing exams such as the General Educational Development (GED) test. Examination of the changes in the Current Population Survey (CPS) alternative credential items in the October 2000 School Enrollment Supplement and subsequent years has indicated that these estimates may not be reliable estimates of high school equivalency completions; therefore, estimates by method of completion are not shown for 2000 and subsequent years.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, School Enrollment Supplement.