High School Graduation Rate Comparison
Education

California vs Massachusetts: High School Graduation Rate

Massachusetts has a higher high school graduation rate than California.

California flag
California
CA • West
84.0%
4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate for public high schools (NCES).
Massachusetts flag
Massachusetts
MA • Northeast
Winner
89.0%
4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate for public high schools (NCES).

Visual Comparison

California 84.0%
Massachusetts 89.0%

Difference: 5.00 percentage points — Massachusetts leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for high school graduation rate.

California #31 · 84.0%
Massachusetts #19 · 89.0%
Lowest Highest

Top 10 States — High School Graduation Rate

#1 Iowa flag Iowa
92.0%
#2 Kentucky flag Kentucky
92.0%
#3 Virginia flag Virginia
92.0%
#4 Alabama flag Alabama
91.0%
#5 Missouri flag Missouri
91.0%
#6 Nebraska flag Nebraska
91.0%
#7 New Jersey flag New Jersey
91.0%
#8 West Virginia flag West Virginia
91.0%
#9 Arkansas flag Arkansas
90.0%
#10 Connecticut flag Connecticut
90.0%
Selected states
#31 California flag California
84.0%
#19 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
89.0%

California ranks 31st and Massachusetts ranks 19th nationally for high school graduation rate.

What This Means

California vs Massachusetts: High School Graduation Rate in context

Massachusetts has a high school graduation rate of 89.0%, compared with 84.0% in California. 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate for public high schools (NCES).

California
84.0%
Massachusetts
89.0%
Difference
5.00 percentage points

People Also Ask

California vs Massachusetts High School Graduation Rate — Common Questions

Q What is California's high school graduation rate?

California's high school graduation rate is 84.0%.

Q What is Massachusetts's high school graduation rate?

Massachusetts's high school graduation rate is 89.0%.

Q Which state has a higher high school graduation rate — California or Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has a higher high school graduation rate than California.

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.