College Dropout Rates by State

Bit of a different question here, but anyone know which state has the highest number of college dropouts? Not planning to be one but it could influence my decision on where to apply.

When considering college dropout rates by state, it's important to note that these statistics are often influenced by a wide range of intricate factors, such as the individual colleges within the state, the demographic make-up of students, socio-economic factors, and educational policies within the state.

Based on data from the National Student Clearinghouse, the state with the highest college dropout rate tends to be Alaska, with an average six-year college completion rate of around 32.6% as of recent available data. This means that around two-thirds of students in Alaska do not complete their degree within six years.

However, keep in mind that this is a broad statistic and does not necessarily represent the dropout rate at specific colleges or universities within the state. Some colleges in states with high overall dropout rates might maintain high graduation rates, and vice versa.

For instance, though Alaska has the highest college dropout rate, Alaska Pacific University, one of the major universities in the state, has a relatively high graduation rate.

Remember, there are many factors to consider when choosing a college, such as your intended major, the college's reputation, student-faculty ratio, extracurricular opportunities, financial aid, etc. The dropout rate is just one of many factors to look at and it's more beneficial to look at the dropout rate of specific schools rather than entire states.