What does this measure?
The number of students graduating after four years of high school, expressed as a percentage of their cohort. A cohort is a class of ninth-graders beginning high school in the same academic year.
Why is this important?
High school graduation is the culmination of a successful K-12 education and the gateway to college or employment. Students who do not graduate face the prospect of unemployment or low-paying jobs.
How is our county performing?
In 2024, 90% of the 2020-21 cohort in Lancaster County graduated, compared to 88% statewide. Lancaster's rate has held fairly steady since 2011, ranging between 91-88%. Lancaster City School District's graduation rate was 77% in 2024, an increase of 8 percentage points from 2011.
Lancaster County was tied with York County for the second-highest graduation rate, behind Cumberland at 93%. Rates for Cumberland and Berks increased the most since 2011 (3 percentage points and 5 percentage points, respectively), while Dauphin County has seen a decrease of 7 percentage points in the same time period.
Notes about the data
Students are included in the cohort based on the year they entered Grade 9. Students are transferred in or out of cohorts if they transfer schools. Students who earn a GED or Certificate of Attainment are not counted as graduates.
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 83% | 84% | 86% | 85% | 85% | 86% | 87% | 86% | 87% | 87% | 87% | 87% | 88% | 88% |
| Lancaster County | 88% | 89% | 90% | 89% | 90% | 91% | 91% | 88% | 89% | 89% | 89% | 88% | 89% | 90% |
| Berks County | 84% | 83% | 85% | 84% | 84% | 87% | 86% | 86% | 87% | 87% | 87% | 87% | 87% | 89% |
| Chester County | 86% | 84% | 81% | 84% | 79% | 80% | 83% | 84% | 85% | 86% | 87% | 87% | 87% | 87% |
| Cumberland County | 90% | 89% | 90% | 91% | 91% | 93% | 93% | 92% | 92% | 93% | 93% | 92% | 93% | 93% |
| Dauphin County | 82% | 82% | 79% | 84% | 84% | 82% | 80% | 80% | 75% | 76% | 77% | 76% | 75% | 75% |
| Lebanon County | 87% | 86% | 85% | 88% | 86% | 86% | 85% | 85% | 85% | 88% | 85% | 86% | 86% | 87% |
| York County | 88% | 88% | 90% | 89% | 88% | 88% | 89% | 88% | 89% | 90% | 89% | 89% | 88% | 90% |
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 126,871 | 123,599 | 123,613 | 121,357 | 117,212 | 117,619 | 118,366 | 119,765 | 119,750 | 118,941 | 118,137 | 119,326 | 119,109 | 121,022 |
| Lancaster County | 4,824 | 4,861 | 4,731 | 4,729 | 4,575 | 4,698 | 4,738 | 4,909 | 4,780 | 4,584 | 4,628 | 4,667 | 4,567 | 4,673 |
| Berks County | 4,635 | 4,533 | 4,534 | 4,449 | 4,284 | 4,422 | 4,487 | 4,663 | 4,539 | 4,601 | 4,588 | 4,658 | 4,757 | 4,716 |
| Chester County | 6,238 | 6,358 | 6,732 | 6,880 | 6,753 | 6,440 | 6,556 | 6,803 | 6,755 | 6,705 | 6,919 | 7,044 | 6,880 | 7,145 |
| Cumberland County | 2,073 | 2,064 | 1,922 | 2,103 | 1,971 | 1,979 | 2,074 | 2,132 | 2,099 | 2,111 | 2,103 | 2,124 | 2,192 | 2,218 |
| Dauphin County | 2,766 | 2,804 | 2,848 | 2,858 | 2,879 | 3,076 | 3,016 | 3,183 | 3,199 | 3,267 | 3,239 | 3,615 | 4,058 | 4,692 |
| Lebanon County | 1,270 | 1,222 | 1,276 | 1,187 | 1,213 | 1,250 | 1,209 | 1,241 | 1,271 | 1,283 | 1,282 | 1,285 | 1,348 | 1,343 |
| York County | 4,676 | 4,681 | 4,625 | 4,601 | 4,438 | 4,589 | 4,422 | 4,687 | 4,732 | 4,812 | 4,633 | 4,844 | 4,731 | 4,777 |
| INDICATORS | TREND |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten Participation | Increasing |
| Student Performance on Grade 3 English | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance on Grade 8 Math | Not Applicable |
| High School Cohort Graduation Rate | Increasing |
| Per-Student Spending | Maintaining |
| Students Receiving Special Education Services | Increasing |
| Rate of Foster Care Admissions | Maintaining |
| Disengaged Youth | Decreasing |
| Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity | Not Applicable |
| Plans of High School Graduates | Not Applicable |
| Enrollment in Local Colleges | Decreasing |
| College Graduation Rates | Decreasing |
| Brain Drain/Gain | Increasing |
| Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity | Not Applicable |
