Hidalgo County
Began 8th grade in 2008
13,735 students
Graduated from high school
11,033 (80.3%)
Statewide: 78.8%
Enrolled in college
7,467 (54.4%)
Statewide: 53.1%
Graduated from college
3,165 (23.0%)
Statewide: 23.2%
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 2008.
Of the 13,735 students in Hidalgo County who began 8th grade in 2008, 23.0 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 39 years old; one who started 8th grade in 2008 is now about 28.
We have broken down these numbers by ethnicity, gender and economic status.
Ethnicity
A breakdown, by ethnicity, of outcomes for cohorts of students who attended eighth grade in a Texas public school. You can see who graduated from high school, who enrolled in higher education and who completed a certificate or degree.
Ethnicity | Class size | Graduated high school | Enrolled in college | Graduated from college |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 35 | 27 | 19 | 8 |
Hispanic | 13,319 | 10,687 | 7,200 | 3,024 |
White | 300 | 251 | 196 | 98 |
Other | 81 | 68 | 52 | 35 |
Total | 13,735 | 11,033 | 7,467 | 3,165 |
Gender
A breakdown, by gender, of outcomes for cohorts of students who attended eighth grade in a Texas public school. You can see who graduated from high school, who enrolled in higher education and who completed a certificate or degree.
Gender | Class size | Graduated high school | Enrolled in college | Graduated from college |
---|---|---|---|---|
Female | 6,751 | 5,501 | 3,906 | 1,828 |
Male | 6,984 | 5,532 | 3,561 | 1,337 |
Total | 13,735 | 11,033 | 7,467 | 3,165 |
Economic status
A breakdown, by economic status, of outcomes for cohorts of students who attended eighth grade in a Texas public school. You can see who graduated from high school, who enrolled in higher education and who completed a certificate or degree.
Economic status | Class size | Graduated high school | Enrolled in college | Graduated from college |
---|---|---|---|---|
Disadvantaged | 11,659 | 9,192 | 5,905 | 2,344 |
Not disadvantaged | 2,076 | 1,841 | 1,562 | 821 |
Total | 13,735 | 11,033 | 7,467 | 3,165 |