| High School Graduates, 1870–1910 | ||||
| Percent | ||||
| Year | Number | 17-Year-Olds | Male | Female |
| 1870 | 16,000 | 2.0 | 7,000 | 9,000 |
| 1890 | 44,000 | 3.0 | 19,000 | 25,000 |
| 1910 | 156,000 | 8.6 | 64,000 | 93,000 |
Source: Historical Statistics of the United States, 2 vols. (Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1975), 1: 386. |
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