Graduation Rates: City Folk v. Country Bumpkins

Studies show that those living in large cities have a higher high school dropout rate versus those living and attending schools in more suburban and rural areas.

The gap, however, has widened drastically over the last few years between dropout rates in cities and suburbs. According to a study coordinated by America’s Promise Alliance, listing the average high school graduation rate in the nation’s 50 largest cities was 53 percent, compared with 71 percent in the suburbs.

The cause for the high urban dropout rates? Many city schools have a lack of funding and are failing in all respects. In areas, the gap is even more distinguishable. Cleveland, Baltimore, and New York were all cities that have drastically higher rates of graduation in suburbs versus the city.