Texas

Began 8th grade in 2011

720,396 students

Graduated from high school

584,214 (81.1%)

Enrolled in college

373,396 (51.8%)

Graduated from college

158,172 (22.0%)

Each year, approximately 300,000 students begin eighth grade in a Texas public school. National employment and earnings statistics suggest that these students will have materially better prospects as adults if they finish high school and enroll in and complete a post-secondary certificate or degree program. Using data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency, the Tribune is providing a look into the outcomes of students who started eighth grade in a Texas public school from 1997 to 2011.

Of the 720,396 students in Texas who began 8th grade in 2011, 22.0 percent received a certificate or degree from a Texas college or university within six years of their anticipated high school graduation date. For context, a 13-year-old student who started 8th grade in 1997 is about 41 years old; one who started 8th grade in 2011 is now about 27.

We have broken down these numbers by ethnicity, gender and economic status.

Click or tap the map to enable panning and zooming.

Ethnicity

Students in 8th grade cohorts who graduated from high school, enrolled in higher education and completed a certificate or degree, broken down by ethnicity.

Outcome of 8th grade class by ethnicity, 2011

Ethnicity Class size Graduated high school Enrolled in college Graduated from college
Black 47,060 36,713 24,297 6,884
Hispanic 177,619 143,168 82,984 30,941
White 115,129 94,844 66,538 33,812
Other 20,390 17,382 12,879 7,449
Total 720,396 584,214 373,396 158,172

Gender

Students in each 8th grade cohort who enrolled in higher education and completed a certificate or degree, broken down by gender.

Outcome of 8th grade class by gender, 2011

Gender Class size Graduated high school Enrolled in college Graduated from college
Female 350,244 291,328 199,756 92,940
Male 370,152 292,886 173,640 65,232
Total 720,396 584,214 373,396 158,172

Economic status

Students in each 8th grade cohort who enrolled in higher education and completed a certificate or degree, broken down by economic status when they entered 8th grade.

Outcome of 8th grade class by economic status, 2011

Economic status Class size Graduated high school Enrolled in college Graduated from college
Disadvantaged 415,662 320,836 176,958 57,328
Not disadvantaged 304,734 263,378 196,438 100,844
Total 720,396 584,214 373,396 158,172