The Nation's High Schools (National Card)
Updated Mar 2012 - State cards provide a statistical snapshot of high schools for each state in the nation and the District of Columbia. The cards include economic information, data on high school graduation and college completion rates, academic achievement, and states’ progress in building a longitudinal data system. Where applicable, statewide numbers are compared to the national average and include national rankings. To see findings for your state, click here.

The Economic Benefits of Helping High School Dropouts Earn High School Diplomas and College Degrees (National Profile)
Updated Dec 2011 - Nationally, only 27 percent of recovered dropouts are expected to complete a postsecondary degree after earning a high school diploma. This is an unacceptably low rate given that in today’s knowledge-based economy, a high school diploma just is not enough for workers looking to fill a job that can comfortably support a family. This national and state-by-state data builds upon the Alliance's previous work that estimates the economic benefits if half of the high school dropouts from the Class of 2010 were to have graduated. This new data goes to the next level and illustrates the significant economic benefits that the nation and states would likely see if 60 percent of those “new graduates” were to earn a degree beyond high school, meeting the national goal for postsecondary completion. To see findings for your state, click here.

Education and the Economy: Boosting the Nation's Economy by Improving High School Graduation Rates (National Profile)
Mar 2011 - Cutting the high school dropout rate in half for just one class would likely lead to billions of dollars in increased earnings, provide a boost to home and automobile sales, and create more than 50,000 new jobs nationwide, according to a study released by the Alliance for Excellent Education and funded by State Farm®. These findings demonstrate the economic benefits the nation—as well as each state—would likely see if its number of high school dropouts was cut in half. The state profiles estimate the potential gains in important factors including individual earnings, home and auto sales, job growth, overall economic growth, spending and investment, tax revenue, and human capitol. To see findings for your state, click here.

Accelerating the College and Career Readiness of the Nation's Students (National Card)
Updated May 2011 - In 2009, the Common Core State Standards Initiative was launched with forty-eight states, the District of Columbia, and two territories coming together under the auspices of the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers to develop a common core of state K–12 English language arts and mathematics standards. Within the last year, forty-four states and the District of Columbia adopted these standards and are now working on implementation. The attached profile captures the progress made in adopting both the common core state standards, subsequent work in ensuring those standards are accompanied by college- and career-ready assessments, and the potential benefits of preparing all students for success in college and a career. To see information specific to your state, click here.

Potential Economic Impacts of Improved Education on the United States
This economic impact fact sheet helps policymakers and the public understand the extent of the economic costs to society of an educational system that serves so many students poorly. It also provides an overview of the potential economic benefits that a state could enjoy were it to invest in a high school system that prepares all high school students for graduation and success after high school.

Understanding the Nations's High School Graduation Rates
Unacceptably low graduation rates, particularly among poor and minority students, have been obscured for far too long by inaccurate data, calculations, and reporting, and inadequate accountability systems at the state and federal levels. Understanding High School Graduation Rates provides the latest graduation rate statistics, demonstrates graduation gaps between demographic groups, illustrates the discrepancies in graduation rates reported by government and independent sources, and examines the economic costs of dropouts to individuals and society.

HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS COST THE UNITED STATES BILLIONS IN LOST WAGES:
If the high school dropouts from the Class of 2008 had instead earned diplomas along with their classmates, the nation’s economy could have benefited from an additional $319 billion in wages, taxes, and productivity over these students’ lifetimes. A chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/HighCost.pdf.

THE UNITED STATES’ ECONOMY COULD SEE BILLIONS IN WEALTH ACCUMULATION BY RAISING THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE:
If the high school dropouts who currently head households in the U.S. had earned their diplomas, the country’s economy would have benefited from an additional $74.3 billion in wealth accumulated by families. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/hiddenbenefits.pdf.

THE UNITED STATES COULD SAVE BILLIONS IN HEALTH CARE COSTS BY RAISING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES
If all of the students in the United States who are estimated to drop out of school this year earn diplomas instead, the country could save more than $17.1 billion over the course of those young people’s lifetimes. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/HandW.pdf.

THE UNITED STATES’ ECONOMY WOULD SEE BILLIONS IF THE MINORITY GRADUATION RATE WAS RAISED TO THE LEVEL OF THEIR WHITE CLASSMATES
If U.S. high schools and colleges were to raise the graduation rates of Hispanic, African-American, and Native-American students to the levels of white students by 2020, the potential increase in personal income in the country would add more than $310 billion to the U.S.' economy. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/demography.pdf.

THE UNITED STATES SPENDS BILLIONS ANNUALLY ON REMEDIAL EDUCATION FOR RECENT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES
The United States spends over $3.7 billion each year to provide community college remediation education for recent high school graduates who did not acquire the basic skills necessary to succeed in college or at work. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/remediation.pdf.

FIVE PERCENT INCREASE IN MALE GRADUATION RATE COULD SAVE THE UNITED STATES BILLIONS IN CRIME-RELATED SPENDING
Were the U.S. to increase the graduation rate and college matriculation of its male students by only 5 percent, the country could see combined savings and revenue of almost $7.7 billion each year. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/SavingFutures.pdf.

TEACHER TURNOVER COULD COST THE UNITED STATES BILLIONS ANNUALLY
More than 394,139 teachers in the U.S. will not be returning to the schools where they taught last year. What’s more, replacing these individuals could cost the country up to $4.9 billion. More information, as well as a chart with state-by-state breakdown for all fifty states and the District of Columbia, is available at http://www.all4ed.org/files/TeacherAttrition.pdf.