High school in the United States encompasses a diverse and evolving educational experience for over 15 million students enrolled in roughly 24,000 public schools. The student population is nearly evenly split by gender, and more than half identify as non-white, with a significant portion being English language learners. Academically, the national average GPA is about 3.0, with approximately 86% of students graduating on time and only around 5% dropping out—though these rates vary by state and demographic group.