Iowa #1 in Nation for Graduation Rate

The Education Department released data today showing that Iowa has the highest high school graduation rate in the 50 states, more than eight percent above the national average.

According to the report, Iowa's high school graduation rate for the 2013-14 school year was 90.5 percent. Nebraska came in second at 89.7 percent. The national average was 82.3 percent... the highest since a consistent formula started being used across all states five years ago.

Cedar Rapids Community Schools had the largest gain in graduation rates in the entire state, up 4.1 percent. Cedar Rapids graduation rates as a whole are slightly behind the state average, at 85 percent for the 2013-14 school year.

The following are Iowa's graduation rates for the four previous school years ending in 2014, the last which statistics are available for:

• 2014: 90.5%
• 2013: 89.7%
• 2012: 89.3%
• 2011: 88.3%

The trend is obviously a good one. Today's report was released by the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics.

[via KCCI and Educate Iowa]