In the U.S, the number of high school students dropping out are constantly increasing.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the status dropout rate decreased from 12.1% in 1990 to 6.5% in 2014. High school students living in low income houses and neighborhoods are at a greater risk of dropping out than those who may live in middle to high income houses neighborhoods.
Students who earned a high school diploma tend to live a better financial life than those who did not complete school to obtain one. Data taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016 shows that high school graduates earn a median of $678 a week while high school dropouts can earn a median of $306 per week.
Without a high school diploma, students have a difficult time finding a good paying job in order to support themselves. The average high school dropout could make $135,000, while high school graduates and college graduates could make $400,00 to $600,000. According to the U.S Census, high school dropouts are five times more likely to end up facing poverty.