Every year, thousands of students across the United States leave high school without earning a diploma. It’s easy to assume students drop out because they don’t care about school, but the reality is much more complicated.
Research shows there is rarely a single reason. Students often leave school because multiple challenges build over time, from chronic absenteeism and financial hardship to family responsibilities, mental health struggles, and a lack of connection to school.
Whatever the reason a student drops out, the consequences can last a lifetime.
High school graduates earn significantly more over their careers, experience lower unemployment rates, and are less likely to become involved with the criminal justice system than students who leave school before graduating.
The good news? The dropout crisis is preventable.
And new research shows that meaningful service, strong relationships, and a sense of belonging can make a measurable difference: a difference that buildOn’s U.S. programs are specifically designed to make.
Help more students stay in school, graduate, and become leaders in their communities. Make a tax-deductible donation today to support buildOn’s service-learning programs.
What You’ll Find in This Story
Why students leave high school before graduating
The long-term impact of dropping out
How buildOn is helping students stay in school
Why Do Students Drop Out?
A buildOn student connects with a member of NBCU staff at an All-In service immersion in the Bronx.
Leaving school is rarely the result of one bad day or one difficult semester.
The National Dropout Prevention Center groups the reasons students leave school into three broad categories: students may be pushed out by challenges within the school environment, pulled out by circumstances outside of school, or simply fall out after becoming disconnected over time.
Some of the most common factors include:
Chronic absenteeism
Academic struggles
Financial hardship
Family caregiving responsibilities
Mental health challenges
Bullying or feeling unsafe at school
Limited connection to teachers, classmates, or extracurricular activities
For many students, these challenges compound over time until leaving school feels like the only option.
buildOn students help serve food at Harrison Apartments in Bridgeport. Food insecurity and financial issues often cause students to drop out.
Who Is Most at Risk?
The dropout crisis does not affect every student equally.
Students living in poverty face significantly greater barriers to graduating from high school. Many attend under-resourced schools while balancing responsibilities outside the classroom that make it harder to stay engaged.
These are the students buildOn was created to serve.
Nearly 90% of students participating in buildOn’s U.S. Service Learning Program live in poverty. Yet they consistently outperform comparable peers in graduation, attendance, and college enrollment.
buildOn students distribute food to their neighbors in Chicago with the Zakat Foundation.
Why Does Connection Matter?
One of the strongest predictors of whether students stay in school is whether they feel connected to it.
A buildOn student in Detroit distributes food at Avalon Village.
Students who have meaningful relationships with peers and trusted adults, opportunities to lead, and a sense that they belong are more likely to attend school consistently and graduate.
That’s where buildOn comes in.
Image: buildOn.
