According to the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics, the 2009 high school dropout rate for African Americans stood at 9.3% compared to whites at 5.2%

The Manhattan Institute released a study in 2006 that surveyed the 100 largest school districts in the United States. It found that only 48% of African American males earn a high school diploma; 11% less than African American females. More disconcerting is the news that 1 in 4 black males who drop out of high school will end up incarcerated.