High School Drop-Out Rate

Lookbook Vol. 2

DEFINITION

The percent of women 25 years of age or older with no high school diploma or equivalent (dropout rate proxy) for the year 2019.64

11 percent

10.8 percent

OKLAHOMA

Data Highlight:

NATIONAL AVERAGE Oklahoma ranks 38 (of 51) in drop-out rate for women. Wyoming reports the best outcome at 4.9 percent, and California reports the worst at 15.7 percent of women with no high school diploma or equivalent.64

Why We Care:

While the high school dropout rate is strongly correlated with a host of negative health outcomes, the phenomenon is especially harmful to women. Women who do not complete high school are more likely to struggle financially than their male counterparts when factoring in the wage gap between men and women at all levels.65 Adults over the age of 25 who dropped out of high school report that they are in worse health than the reports of those who did not drop out. This is consistent with research that shows that individuals who complete high school experience far fewer chronic health conditions in their lifetime.65,66 For women especially, teen pregnancy contributes to drop out rates as the role of parenting can be stressful and demanding, and teen mothers often have access to fewer supports than older parents.26

What We Can Do:

- Ensure students have access to a broad range of services to help them plan and achieve long term goals - Provide specialized support for expecting and parenting young adults

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