SIOUX FALLS - Public high school graduation rates in the Dakotas are higher than the national average.

A report from the National Center for Education Statistics released Tuesday shows that the average graduation rate for incoming freshmen in North Dakota is 88.4 percent. The South Dakota rate is 81.8 percent.

Across the country, more than 3.1 million public school students received a high school diploma in 2009-10 resulting in an average freshman graduation rate of 78.2 percent.

State rates ranged from 57.8 percent in Nevada and 59.9 percent in the District of Columbia to 91.1 in Wisconsin and 91.4 percent in Vermont.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

More From KXRB