Washington: Three out of 10 US public school students do not graduate from high school, and major city school districts only graduate one out of two students, according to a new study.

In a report on graduation rates around the country, the EPE Research Center and the America Promise Alliance also showed that high school graduation rate - finishing 12 grades of school - in big cities falls to as low as just 34.6% in Baltimore, Maryland, and barely over 40% for the troubled Ohio cities of Columbus and Cleveland.

And it said that black and native American students have effectively a one-in-two chance of getting a high school diploma.

"Our analysis finds that graduating from high school in America's largest cities amounts, essentially, to a coin toss," the study released on Tuesday said.

"Only about one-half (52%) of students in the principal school systems of the 50 largest cities complete high school with a diploma."

Based on 2003-2004 data, the report said that across the country, the graduation average for public school students is 69.9%, with the best success rate in suburbs - 74.9% - and rural districts - 73.2%.

Asian-Americans score the highest graduation rate, at 80%, with whites at 76.2% and Hispanics at 57.8%. Women graduate at a much higher rate than men, 73.6% to 66 %.

In the country's city schools, the study found that in urban areas generally, just 60.4% graduate, and in the principal school districts of the top 50 cities, barely half graduate.
Source : PTI