High school graduation is one of the most consequential milestones in a young person's life. Counties where significant numbers of students fail to graduate face not just an education crisis, but an economic and social one. The lifetime earnings gap between high school graduates and dropouts exceeds $300,000.
The national average graduation rate is 87.5%. We identified the 25 counties that fall furthest below this benchmark. In these communities, systemic barriers prevent too many students from reaching the finish line.
The 25 Counties with the Lowest Graduation Rates
Ranked by graduation rate from lowest to highest.
| Rank | County | State | Graduation Rate | School Score | Per-Pupil Spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morehouse Parish | Louisiana | 4.0% | 32.3 | $8,066 |
| 2 | Oglala Lakota County | South Dakota | 5.0% | 42 | $9,701 |
| 3 | Sabine Parish | Louisiana | 18.0% | 28.4 | $7,707 |
| 4 | Candler County | Georgia | 21.5% | 0.8 | $5,074 |
| 5 | White County | Georgia | 27.5% | 9.7 | $6,240 |
| 6 | Wheeler County | Oregon | 33.6% | 0.4 | $4,865 |
| 7 | Clarke County | Georgia | 36.3% | 37.6 | $8,733 |
| 8 | Red River Parish | Louisiana | 42.0% | 42 | $9,640 |
| 9 | Niobrara County | Wyoming | 42.0% | 11.5 | $6,387 |
| 10 | East Feliciana Parish | Louisiana | 47.0% | 27 | $7,579 |
| 11 | Ferry County | Washington | 48.5% | 44.4 | $10,380 |
| 12 | Montcalm County | Michigan | 49.7% | 9.3 | $6,201 |
| 13 | Clearwater County | Idaho | 52.0% | 35.6 | $8,458 |
| 14 | Clallam County | Washington | 52.1% | 42.6 | $9,769 |
| 15 | Mahnomen County | Minnesota | 53.1% | 43.3 | $9,978 |
| 16 | Bethel Census Area | Alaska | 57.7% | 48.4 | $13,032 |
| 17 | Bent County | Colorado | 57.9% | 1.2 | $5,152 |
| 18 | Dawes County | Nebraska | 58.4% | 41.4 | $9,444 |
| 19 | Manistee County | Michigan | 58.9% | 3.8 | $5,655 |
| 20 | Brule County | South Dakota | 61.0% | 24.8 | $7,391 |
| 21 | Marion County | Ohio | 61.4% | 12.5 | $6,444 |
| 22 | Todd County | South Dakota | 62.0% | 28.7 | $7,709 |
| 23 | Berrien County | Michigan | 63.4% | 18.2 | $6,912 |
| 24 | Kusilvak Census Area | Alaska | 63.7% | 49.6 | $14,876 |
| 25 | Bennett County | South Dakota | 64.0% | 28.6 | $7,706 |
Important
Counties with graduation rates below 70% are losing more than a quarter of their students before high school completion. The economic and social consequences — lower tax bases, higher social service costs, and reduced civic participation — affect entire communities, not just the individuals who drop out.
What Drives Low Graduation Rates?
Research consistently identifies the same factors in counties with low graduation rates:
- Economic distress: When families struggle to meet basic needs, teenagers often leave school to work.
- Limited early intervention: Counties without robust elementary and middle school support systems see students fall behind long before high school.
- Transportation barriers: In rural counties, simply getting to school can be a challenge, particularly for students without reliable vehicles.
- Teen parenthood: Counties with high teen birth rates see significant dropout spikes, particularly among young women.
- School climate: Bullying, lack of belonging, and perceived irrelevance of curriculum all contribute to students disengaging.
Methodology
Graduation rate data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data, using the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR). The national average of 87.5% is based on the most recent available NCES release. Counties with missing or suppressed data were excluded.
Data sources: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023). All figures are estimates and may differ from other published analyses due to methodology differences.