Maine Has the Second-Fewest High School Dropouts in the Country

As the world continues to evolve, so does the job marketplace around the country. Education and life experience seems more imperative than ever for major companies looking to hire younger people.

The baseline for education starts with a high school diploma. According to Newsweek, some states are struggling with a rise in high school dropout rates. States like California and Florida have seen a sharp rise in the percentage of people who do not possess a high school diploma.

Maine is on the complete opposite side. Parents and teachers in the state should take a bow, because the state has the second-lowest high school dropout percentage in the nation. In fact, Maine was less than a single percentage point behind Vermont as the nation's leader.

Based on data from the United States Census Bureau, 94.6% of Maine residents age 25 and over have a high school diploma. That means just 5.4% of residents didn't complete high school, or immigrated to this country without educational papers.

That small 5.4% number is in stark contrast with California, which ranks last amongst high school dropouts. Only 84.7% of California residents age 25 and over have a high school diploma. That's nearly a 10% difference from Maine.

The U.S. Census Bureau data is backed up by another recent study done that simply looks at high school graduation rates nationwide. That study found that Maine has graduated 93.2% of high school students over the last decade. That puts Maine firmly in the top 10 in graduation rates.