The Rankings

Vermont
High School Graduation Rate: 2011

Almost 75% of incoming ninth graders in the U.S. graduate within four years from a high school with a regular degree. This varies, however, across the country. Education is a vital contributor to health as people must be able to learn about, create and maintain a healthy lifestyle, plus understand and participate in their options for care.

High School Graduation estimates the percentage of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four years and are considered regular graduates. The National Center for Education Statistics collects enrollment and completion data and estimates the graduation rate for each state. The rate is the number of graduates divided by the estimated count of freshmen four years earlier. This estimated count of freshmen is the sum of the number of 8th graders five years earlier, the number of 9th graders four years earlier and the number of 10th graders three years earlier divided by three. Enrollment counts also include a proportional distribution of students not enrolled in a specific grade. Data are not adjusted for the presence or quality of basic health and consumer health education in the curriculum, for continuing education programs nor for other non-traditional learning programs. Also, individual states are increasingly altering graduation requirements, which may affect their reported number of regular graduates, their graduation rate and the comparability of these rates across time.

Education is a vital contributor to health as consumers must be able to learn about, create and maintain a healthy lifestyle, and understand and participate in their options for care.

A National Action Plan To Improve Health Literacy has been developed by United States Department of Health and Human Services.