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2017 Graduation Statistics

This dashboard indicates the graduation rates by school district for the 2016-2017 school year. Click to access, then hover your mouse over a school district to view additional information and special considerations. 

Click the map for interactive graduation data.

State of Colorado - Grand Totals

Class of 2017
4-year graduation rate: 79.0%

How are these rates calculated?
Special Considerations

Class of 2016
4-year graduation rate: 78.9%
5-year graduation rate: 84.1%

Class of 2015
4-year graduation rate: 77.3%
5-year graduation rate: 83.3%
6-year graduation rate: 84.9%

 

The four-year graduation rate for the Class of 2017 was 79.0 percent. Under the “Anticipated Year of Graduation” (AYG) cohort formula that was implemented in 2010, students are assigned an unchanging anticipated year of graduation (AYG) when they enter into 9th grade. The anticipated year of graduation is assigned by adding four years to the year that a student transitions from eighth grade. The formula anticipates that a student transitioning from eighth grade at the end of the 2012-2013 school year who enters ninth grade in fall 2013 will graduate with the Class of 2017. For more information, please see Frequently Asked Questions.

CDE Press Release - State’s graduation rate improves slightly to 79 percent

Graduation and Completion Data 

Please see the Dropout Prevention website for more information.


 Class of 2017 Graduation Rate Calculation

Four-Year Graduation Rate =

Number of students receiving a regular diploma in four years or less of entering from 9th grade during the 2016-17 school year

DIVIDED BY

(Number of students entering from 9th grade plus number of transfers in minus number of verified transfers out)


NOTE: In the interest of tracking student success, students are assigned an Anticipated Year of Graduation from the time that they enter ninth grade. Therefore, while most students return to school after eighth grade, Colorado districts are also held accountable for students who never attend ninth grade.

NOTE: Beginning in 2006-07, Colorado school districts could not report students as transfers unless an official request for the student’s educational records is received from the school in question. If this request is not received, the Colorado district is required to report the student as a dropout.

Class of 2016 Completion Rate Calculation

Four-Year Completion Rate =

Number of students receiving a regular diploma plus those completing with a non-diploma certificate or HSED in four years or less of entering from 9th grade during the 2016-17 school year

DIVIDED BY

(Number of students entering from 9th grade plus number of transfers in minus number of verified transfers out)


The completion counts and rates include all students who graduate in 4-years with a regular diploma plus students who complete 4-years with a HSED or non-diploma certificate. It is important to note that graduates are included in the completer count and rate, therefore the completion counts and rates for any school or district will be greater than or equal to the graduation rate.

 

Special Considerations

  • Small districts: 43 of Colorado's 185 school districts had a 2017 graduation cohort base (students who could have potentially graduated as part of the class of 2015) of 15 or fewer students.
  • ASCENT (Concurrent Enrollment): Forty-four (44) Colorado school districts were approved to offer the Accelerating Students through Concurrent Enrollment (ASCENT) program in 2016-17. Forty-one of those school districts reported serving at least one student under the program. ASCENT students are not counted as 4-year graduates because they complete a fifth year of public high school while taking higher education coursework. 

  • Other non-graduating completers: The 2017 4-year completion rate for the state is 1.8 percentage points higher than the 4-year graduation rate. The completion rate includes all graduates plus students who receive a GED or certificate of completion. 
  • Alternative Education Campuses (AECs): In the 2016-2017 school year, there were 91 Alternative Education Campuses located in 45 local education agencies (districts, BOCES and CSI). Over 90% of the students served at AEC schools are considered at high risk of dropping out.