Ohio's High School Graduation Rate Continues to Fall

Ohio's graduation rate for high school students is now below the national average, according to the most recent statistics from the Department of Education. President Barack Obama announced on Monday that the nation's graduation rate has improved to 83.2 percent, but Ohio lags behind with a 2014-2015 graduation rate of 80.7 percent.

Ohio's graduation rate ranks 33rd in the nation if you include the District of Columbia. The Buckeye State outperformed neighboring Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Mississippi, Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, Louisiana, Florida, Washington, Georgia, Idaho, New York, Wyoming, and South Carolina. All other states had a better graduation rate than Ohio.

For Ohio, the improvement of the national graduation rate stands in contrast to its own struggles. Graduation rates fell in the state for the third straight year in 2014-2015. In 2013-2014, the state graduated 81.8 percent of its eligible high school students.In 2012-2013, the state graduated 82.2 percent of its seniors.

By comparison, the nation as a whole improved 1.8 percent versus last year, rising to 83.2 percent from 81.4 percent.

"We have made a lot of progress," Obama said, speaking at a high school in Washington, D.C.. "I just want to be honest with you. We still got more work to do...There are still too many states that are cutting back on public education.

"It's why if you're 18, you got to vote," he told the audience.

The worst graduation rate in the nation is New Mexico's 68.6 percent. The best is Iowa, which is graduating 90.8 percent of its high school students.

You can check the stats for the nation here. There are pulldown menus and different ways at looking at the information.

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