Cohort Graduation Rate Calculator
The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) is the official measure US states report for high school completion. It starts with the students who entered ninth grade together, adjusts the cohort by adding transfers in and removing verified transfers out, emigrants, and deaths, then divides on-time diploma earners by that adjusted cohort. This calculator builds the adjusted cohort from your counts and reports the four-year rate, the optional five-year extended rate, and the final adjusted cohort size. Enter your numbers to see all three.
Adjusted cohort graduation rate formula
Adjusted cohort = entering cohort + transfers in - (transfers out + emigrants + deaths)
4-year rate = on-time graduates / adjusted cohort * 100
5-year rate = 5-year graduates / adjusted cohort * 100
Non-graduates = adjusted cohort - 4-year graduates
The denominator is the adjusted cohort, not the original entering class. Only regular high school diploma earners count in the numerator.
Key rules and context
- The ACGR is required of all US states under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.
- Transfers out, emigrants, and deaths can be removed only with documentation under state rules.
- GED and certificate completers are not graduates for the ACGR.
- States may publish extended five-year and six-year rates alongside the four-year rate.
- Small cohorts may be suppressed in published reports to protect student privacy.
Cohort graduation rate: frequently asked questions
What is the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR)?
The ACGR is the share of students who graduate with a regular high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade, as a member of an adjusted cohort. It is the official rate that US states report under federal education law. The cohort is adjusted by adding students who transfer in and subtracting students who transfer out, emigrate, or die.
How is the adjusted cohort built?
Start with the students who entered ninth grade together. Add students who transfer into the cohort and subtract students who verifiably transfer out, emigrate to another country, or pass away. The result is the adjusted cohort, the denominator of the rate.
What counts as a graduate in the numerator?
Only students who earn a regular high school diploma within the time frame count as graduates. Students who receive a GED, a certificate of attendance, or another non-diploma credential are not counted as graduates in the adjusted cohort graduation rate.
What is a five-year or extended-year cohort rate?
States may also report extended-year rates that give students one or more additional years to graduate. To compute a five-year rate, use the same adjusted cohort denominator but count graduates who finished within five years. Enter your five-year graduate count to see that rate.
Why might my rate differ from the published state figure?
Official figures apply detailed business rules about which transfers and exits can be removed, require documentation, and may suppress small cells for privacy. This calculator applies the core formula but cannot replicate every state rule, so treat it as an estimate and confirm against your state report card.
Official sources
- U.S. Department of Education: ED.gov programs and policy.
- National Center for Education Statistics: Public High School Graduation Rates.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 17 June 2026. See our methodology.