Gender Differences in On-Time High School Graduations

A new study by researchers in the School of Social Work at Rutgers University finds that both men and women have shown a decline in on-time graduation from high school in recent decades. But the declines for men are more severe than for women.

The study found that by age 24 about 80 percent of all American had secured a high school diploma or its equivalent. This is about the same percentage as was the case a generation ago. But today, the percentage of Americans who receive this educational credential on-time has declined from previous decades.

The decline has been particularly pronounced for men. For men born between 1945 and 1949, 66.6 percent had secured a high school diploma by the age of 18. For men born between 1980 and 1984, only 60.8 percent had earned a high school diploma by the age of 18.

One possible explanation for the decline is that state’s have made it harder to graduate form high school. Many states have graduation examinations that must be passed and some states have increased the number of required courses for high school students.

The article, “National High School Graduation Rate: Are Recent Birth Cohorts Taking More Time to Graduate?” was published on the website of the journal Education and Urban Society. It may be accessed here.