Iowa is near but not at the top of the class when it comes to high school graduation rates. The annual “Diploma’s Count” report from Education Week magazine shows New Jersey leads the nation, with just over 82% of students completing high school on time.
Iowa is ranked third among the states, behind second place Wisconsin. Iowa’s on-time graduation rate was just under 81%. The statistics are for the 2006 school year and show Iowa’s high school graduation rate improved over the decade, while top place New Jersey’s graduation rate actually fell.
Among neighboring states, Nebraska’s graduation rate was 78.7%. Missouri’s was 74.4%. The high school graduation rate in Illinois in 2006 was 74.1%. Minnesota’s was 79.2% and South Dakota’s was 77.1%. Wisconsin’s was the highest among Iowa’s neighboring states — 81.7%, a percentage point higher than Iowa’s high school graduation rate.