Drop Out Crisis in New Jersey

• Approximately 19,000 students did not graduate in 2007; the lost lifetime earnings for that class of dropouts alone is
  estimated at $49 billion.
• The number of young people ages 18-24 not in school and not working in NJ increased by 34% between 2002 and 2006.
• Teens make up 10% of population and account for 20% of all arrests.
• It is estimated that only 63% of African Americans and 67% of Hispanic High School Students will graduate.
• Approximately 75% of NJ prison inmates have not graduated from HS.
• Students living in low-income families drop out of school at six times the rate of their peers from high income families.
• It is estimated that NJ would save more than $258.6 million in health care costs over the lifetimes of each class of dropouts had they earned their diplomas.
• If male high school graduation rate increased by 5%, it is estimated that NJ's economy would see a combination of crime-related savings and additional revenue of about $189 million.

Download a PDF of Every Member Every Year and Our Nation's Drop Out Crisis

Source: The America's Promise Alliance, the Alliance for Excellent Education; US Census, US DOE, National Center for Education Statistics, Association for Children of NJ, KidsCount 2008.