Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza Announce Record High Graduation Rate

January 30, 2019

Graduation Rate Rises to 75.9 Percent, Increases Across All Boroughs

NEW YORK—Mayor de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza today announced that New York City’s 2018 four-year high school graduation rate has reached a record high of 75.9 percent. The dropout rate has fallen to a record low of 7.5 percent. The graduation rate rose in every borough and among every ethnicity.

“Nothing is more important to me than children from every zip code having access to an excellent education,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Mayoral control of education works. For the fifth year in a row graduation rates are up, dropout rates are down, and the achievement gap has narrowed - and there will be more progress to come. Congratulations to the students, educators, and their families on yet another record-breaking year in our classrooms.”

“A record number of New York City students are getting a high school diploma and going on to college, and that is a real difference in the lives and futures of thousands of our young people,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “We congratulate our students, families, and educators, and we celebrate the progress under this administration and over 16 years of mayoral control. But we are clear-eyed: we have a lot of work to do, and we must do it with great urgency. We will only realize our vision for public education in New York City when we accelerate learning and instruction in each of our classrooms, partner with every family and community, develop our talented educators, and advance equity now for the students we serve.”

The rates below are the graduation and dropout percentages among the cohort of all students who entered 9th grade in the fall of 2014. All percentage point changes are comparisons to the previous year.

• The graduation rate rose to 75.9 percent, a 1.7 point increase.
• The dropout rate fell to 7.5 percent, a 0.3 point decrease.

Graduation rates improved across all ethnicities, with a decrease in the gap between Black and White students and Hispanic and White students:

• The graduation rate was 88.1 percent for Asian students in 2018, a 0.6 point increase from 2017.
• The graduation rate was 72.1 percent for Black students in 2018, a 2.1 point increase from 2017.
• The graduation rate was 70.0 percent for Hispanic students in 2018, a 1.6 point increase from 2017.
• The graduation rate was 84.2 percent for White students in 2018, a 1.0 point increase from 2017. 

Dropout rates fell across all ethnicities:

• The dropout rate was 3.7 percent for Asian students in 2018, a 0.3 point decrease from 2017.
• The dropout rate was 7.6 percent for Black students in 2018, a 0.3 point decrease from 2017.
• The dropout rate was 10.5 percent for Hispanic students in 2018, a 0.2 point decrease from 2017.
• The dropout rate was 4.0 percent for White students in 2018, a 0.4 point decrease from 2017.

The 4-year graduation rate is over 75 percent for the first time ever, and increased across all five boroughs. The dropout rate decreased across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. The graduation rate across the 25 Renewal and Rise high schools has increased by 20.0 percentage points from 52.5 percent in 2014 to 72.4 percent in 2018. The dropout rate across Renewal and Rise Schools has decreased by 3.9 percentage points from 18.2 percent in 2014 to 14.3 percent in 2018.

The largest improvement in graduation and dropout rates was in Brooklyn:

The improvements in graduation and dropout rates reflect larger improvements in postsecondary awareness, readiness, and access across New York City public schools. Earlier this school year, Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza announced:

• The highest-ever postsecondary enrollment rate – 59 percent. A record-high 45,115 students in the Class of 2017 enrolled in college, up from 43,466 in the Class of 2016 and 40,641 in the Class of 2013.
• The highest-ever college readiness rate – 51 percent of all students, and 67 percent of graduates, in the Class of 2018 graduated high school on time and met CUNY’s standards for college readiness in English and math.
• New York City students have now outperformed their New York State peers on State ELA exams for three years in a row, after doing so for the first time in 2016. They have closed the gap with their New York State peers on State math exams.

The Mayor has also announced record performance and participation on Advanced Placement and SAT exams.

Together, the Equity and Excellence for All initiatives are building a pathway to success in college and careers for all students. Our schools are starting earlier – free, full-day, high-quality education for three-year-olds and four-year-olds through 3-K for All and Pre-K for All. They are strengthening foundational skills and instruction earlier – Universal Literacy so that every student is reading on grade level by the end of 2nd grade; and Algebra for All to improve elementary- and middle-school math instruction and ensure that all 8th graders have access to algebra. They are offering students more challenging, hands-on, college and career-aligned coursework – Computer Science for All brings 21st-century computer science instruction to every school, and AP for All will give all high school students access to at least five Advanced Placement courses. Along the way, they are giving students and families additional support through College Access for All, Single Shepherd, and investment in Community Schools. Efforts to create more diverse and inclusive classrooms, including Equity & Excellence for All: Diversity in New York City Public Schools are central to this pathway.

More information on New York City’s graduation results can be found online.