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• By Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz, Ph.D., & Joanna Sánchez, Ph.D. • IDRA Newsletter • November-December 2025 •

IDRA’s most recent annual attrition study reveals that 18% of the freshman class of 2020-21 in Texas left school prior to graduating in 2023-24. The statewide attrition rate dropped by four percentage points from the previous year, indicating positive trends in high school retention.

Our new analysis reports the lowest attrition rates recorded for Texas public schools since IDRA’s hallmark study in 1986. This is particularly notable as the class of 2024 was the first cohort to return to in-person instruction following the COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures. These students faced unique challenges as they navigated their high school experience and re-engaged academically and socially after disruptions.

The attrition rate for Latino students reached the lowest recorded at 22%, down from 26% the previous year. The rate for Black students also declined four points reaching 27%, a level matched only twice.

This year marks IDRA’s 39^th attrition study in a series of annual reports on trends in student dropout and attrition from Texas public high schools. IDRA’s latest report presents state and county attrition rates for 2023-24 based on fall student enrollment data reported by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

In 1986, IDRA released its first comprehensive study of school dropouts in Texas for the Class of 1986, pioneering a now industry-wide standard for measuring statewide high school attrition. Prior to that, the state did not report dropout data, leaving many students who had already left or were being lost from public schools largely unaccounted for.

This problem prompted IDRA to develop its original attrition methodology to calculate the number and percentage of high school students who leave school before graduating with a high school diploma. IDRA’s hallmark study led to the state law requiring TEA to collect and report dropout data each year.

IDRA has since continued to measure high school attrition each year by applying the same theoretical and mathematical framework. Attrition rates are an indicator of schools’ holding power, or the ability to retain students in school until they graduate.

Even with this great improvement, schools are still twice as likely to lose Latino students and Black students as white students before they graduate.

Attrition is the decrease in cohort size from freshman to senior years. Therefore, attrition is the percentage change in grade level enrollment between a base year (freshman year) and an end year (senior year) for a class. In other words, attrition measures how many students who enter high school freshman year are still in school four years later. IDRA’s methodology has allowed for ongoing comparative cohort analyses over time.

IDRA Study Highlights

The 2023-24 statewide attrition rate of 18% is 15 percentage points lower than the initial rate of 33% found in 1985-86, and the lowest attrition rate recorded. Attrition trends among public high school students show encouraging improvements since the COVID-19 pandemic, which negatively affected student retention nationwide.

Attrition rates across racial-ethnic student groups this year also show improvement. However rate gaps between Black and Latino students and their white peers continue.

• Key findings from IDRA’s latest attrition study include the following:
• After several years of worsening attrition rates, Texas public schools reached their lowest attrition rate reported by IDRA’s attrition study.
• In four decades, the overall attrition rate declined from 33% in 1985-86 to 18% in 2023-24.
• Schools lost almost one out of every five high school students from the Class of 2024, translating to more than seven students per hour.
• Total statewide attrition and rates for all major racial-ethnic groups (Black, Latino, white) improved since the academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-21). For the Class of 2024, Latino students and Black students were approximately two times more likely to leave school without graduating than their white peers.
• The attrition rate gap between white students and Black students has increased by 71% between 1985-86 and 2022-23; For Latino students, this gap has narrowed by 19%.

IDRA recently published the 2023-24 study online. It includes detailed methodology, historical statewide and county-level attrition rates, and figures for total students lost to attrition disaggregated by race-ethnicity.

It also includes an analysis of TEA’s most recent dropout report and Texas’ ranking nationally as reported by NCES.

Studies show that the strongest school-related predictor of dropping out is poor academic performance. Students perform better in school if they feel welcome, safe and secure. IDRA identified six policies and practices that lead to higher dropout rates (see graphic). Communities can work together to examine these six policies and practices and to take action for the benefit of students and the future of Texas.

Resources

Quintanilla-Muñoz, C., & Sánchez, J. (October 2025). Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2023-24 – Public School Attrition Rate for Latino Students in Texas Reaches Historic Low. IDRA.

Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz, Ph.D., is an IDRA research analyst (christina.munoz@idra.org). Joanna Sánchez, Ph.D., is IDRA’s senior policy researcher (joanna.sanchez@idra.org).

FAQs

What is student attrition in Texas public schools?

Student attrition measures the percentage of students who enter high school as freshmen but leave before graduating four years later.

What did IDRA’s 2023-24 attrition study find?

The study found that Texas public school attrition rates fell to 18%, the lowest level recorded since IDRA began tracking attrition in 1986.

Which student groups saw improvement?

Attrition rates declined for all major racial-ethnic groups, including Latino and Black students.

Are there still gaps in attrition rates?

Yes. Latino and Black students remain about twice as likely to leave school before graduating as white students.

Why does IDRA track attrition annually?

IDRA pioneered statewide attrition measurement to ensure transparency, accountability and long-term comparisons across student cohorts.

How is attrition different from dropout rates?

Attrition tracks changes in cohort size from freshman to senior year, while dropout rates rely on reported student exits during a given year.

What helps keep students in school?

Research shows students are more likely to stay enrolled when they feel safe, supported and academically engaged.

[© 2025, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the November-December edition of the IDRA Newsletter. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]