GED statistics measure several different stages of the testing journey: taking a subject test, completing all four GED subjects, passing an individual subject, and earning the complete GED credential. These measures are not interchangeable.
This page brings together the latest available GED statistics on test participation, pass rates, graduates, demographics, college enrollment, employment, and testing costs. Each statistic is reported with its year and population when available.
GED in 2025: Latest Statistics
The latest figures from GED Testing Service show that the GED continues to provide a widely used path to a high school equivalency credential.
In 2025:
- More than 1 million GED subject tests were taken.
- 154,839 people earned their GED diplomas.
- The number of GED learners outside the United States grew by 25%.
- More than 21 million people have earned a GED credential since the program began in 1942.
Source: GED Testing Service, 2025 Year in Review
GED Preparation
The 2025 numbers from GED Testing Service say that:
- 154,839 diplomas require at least 619,356 passed subject tests.
- More than 1 million tests were taken.
- So at least 380,000 tests, roughly 4 in 10, did not lead to a 2025 diploma.
What the numbers don’t say, but every GED prep provider knows: many candidates sit the test unprepared.
Onsego’s student data from 2025/26 shows that students who tested after scoring 65% or higher on the Onsego Final practice test passed the GED on the first attempt 98% of the time.
Sources: GED Testing Service, 2025 Year in Review; Onsego student results, 2025/26.
Key National GED Statistics
The most detailed recent national dataset provides additional insight into how people move from starting the GED to completing all four subjects and earning the credential.
- In 2023, 302,527 people took at least one GED subject test in the United States.
- Of those test takers, 181,749 completed all four subjects, approximately 60.1%.
- A total of 136,640 people earned a GED credential during the year.
- Among people who completed all four subjects, approximately 75.2% earned the credential.
- National subject pass rates ranged from 75% in Mathematical Reasoning to 88% in Science.
These figures measure different things. In particular, the 75.2% pass rate is based on people who completed all four subjects, while the 45.2% credential rate uses everyone who took at least one subject during that year.
Source: GED Testing Service, GED 101 presentation, May 2024 (reporting 2023 data)
Table of Contents
GED Test Takers, Graduates, and Completion Rates
Participation counts describe different stages of the testing journey. The national figures below show why test takers, completers, and credential earners should be reported separately.
National GED Testing Funnel, 2023
| Stage | People | Share of test takers |
|---|---|---|
| Took at least one subject | 302,527 | 100% |
| Completed all four subjects | 181,749 | 60.1% |
| Earned a GED credential | 136,640 | 45.2% |
In 2023, approximately 39.9% of national test takers did not complete all four subjects during the year. This does not mean that they failed or permanently stopped pursuing the GED. Some may have continued testing in another calendar year.
GED Testing Service has also identified barriers that can affect whether prospective learners begin or continue testing. These include fear of failure, mental health challenges, anxiety, learning differences, financial instability, caregiving responsibilities, and housing insecurity.
Source: GED Testing Service, GED 101 presentation, May 2024
Texas Participation and Credential Attainment
| Year | Test takers | Completers | Credential earners | Completion rate | Credential rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35,855 | 21,568 | 16,555 | 60.2% | 46.2% |
| 2024 | 34,215 | 20,496 | 15,694 | 59.9% | 45.9% |
| 2023 | 32,904 | 19,988 | 15,410 | 60.7% | 46.8% |
Texas shows a similar pattern: approximately 60% of test takers completed all four subjects, while about 46% earned a credential within each reported year. The state’s published pass rate uses completers—not all test takers—as its denominator.
Source: Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency Annual Statistical Report
GED Pass Rates and Why Denominators Matter
A GED pass rate is meaningful only when its denominator is stated. A rate based on people who completed all four subjects will be higher than a credential rate based on everyone who started testing.
- Nationally in 2023, approximately 75.2% of people who completed all four subjects earned a credential: 136,640 credential earners divided by 181,749 completers.
- Measured against everyone who took at least one subject, approximately 45.2% earned a credential during 2023: 136,640 credential earners divided by 302,527 test takers.
- Texas reported a 76.76% pass rate for 2025 using completers as the denominator. Its credential rate among all test takers was approximately 46.2%.
Neither measure is inherently incorrect. The difference is the population being measured.
Sources: GED Testing Service, GED 101 presentation; Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency Annual Statistical Report
Selected State-Reported Pass Rates
- Texas reported a 76.76% pass rate among completers in 2025. (Texas Education Agency)
- South Dakota reported a 79% pass rate in 2024 and printed a 74% national comparison in the same state fact sheet. (South Dakota Department of Education)
GED Scores by Subject
The GED has four independently scored subjects. Each subject uses a 100–200 scale, and a score of 145 or higher is required to pass.
| GED subject | Passing score | Score range |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Through Language Arts | 145 | 100–200 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 145 | 100–200 |
| Science | 145 | 100–200 |
| Social Studies | 145 | 100–200 |
Source: GED Testing Service: Understanding GED Test Scores
National GED Subject Pass Rates, 2023
| Subject | Pass rate |
|---|---|
| Mathematical Reasoning | 75% |
| Reasoning Through Language Arts | 82% |
| Science | 88% |
| Social Studies | 84% |
These percentages describe results on individual subject tests. They should not be interpreted as the percentage of test takers who earned the complete GED credential.
Source: GED Testing Service, GED 101 presentation, May 2024
GED Learner Demographics
Public demographic reporting is uneven across states. Available state data provide some insight into who takes and earns the GED, but state populations should not be treated as representative of all U.S. GED learners.
Age of GED Test Takers
South Dakota’s 2024 data provide one recent example:
- The average GED test taker was 25 years old.
- People ages 16–18 represented 30% of test takers and 33% of credential earners.
- People ages 19–24 represented 31% of test takers and 35% of credential earners.
- People ages 45 and older represented 4% of test takers and 3% of credential earners.
Source: South Dakota Department of Education: GED
College Enrollment After Earning a GED
- GED Testing Service reports that 35% of GED graduates enroll in a college certificate or degree program within one year. (Source page)
- Among more than 4,300 surveyed College Ready graduates in 2018, 56% reported current enrollment in a degree or certificate program. (GED Testing Service)
- A regression-discontinuity study found that GED certification increased postsecondary enrollment by 4 to 8 percentage points. (Journal of Political Economy)
- GED Testing Service reports 90% semester-to-semester re-enrollment among GED graduates who entered college. (GED Testing Service)
GED College Ready Outcomes
GED College Ready covers subject scores from 165 to 174. GED Testing Service recommends that qualifying students receive placement-test or developmental-education waivers in that subject.
GED College Ready + Credit covers scores from 175 to 200. Depending on institutional policy, eligible students may receive up to three credits each in math, science, and social studies and one in English.
More than 2,000 institutions participate in the ACE CREDIT network that considers credit recommendations.
Source: GED Testing Service: College Ready and College Ready + Credit
Employment and Earnings Outcomes
Federal employment and earnings statistics generally combine traditional high school diplomas and high school equivalency credentials, so they cannot be used to isolate outcomes for GED graduates alone.
Recent data nevertheless provide useful context:
- People with a high school diploma or equivalent spent 71.0% of weeks employed from ages 18 through 38 in the 1998–2023 NLSY97 observation period. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- People with less than a high school diploma spent 53.4% of weeks employed over the same period. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- The 2024 American Community Survey reported median annual earnings of $40,684 for people age 25 or older whose highest educational attainment was high school graduate, including equivalency. (U.S. Census Bureau)
- Full-time workers without a high school diploma earned median weekly pay of $738 in 2024, compared with $930 for workers with a high school diploma or equivalent. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Older GED-specific research has also found positive earnings differences between successful and unsuccessful GED candidates, although those historical results should not be treated as current earnings guarantees. (Industrial and Labor Relations Review)
GED Acceptance and Diploma Comparisons
The GED is widely recognized as a high school equivalency credential.
- Federal Student Aid guidance lists a GED certificate as a recognized equivalent of a high school diploma. (Federal Student Aid)
- GED Testing Service reports recognition by 97% of colleges and employers. (GED Testing Service)
- More than 21 million people have earned a GED credential since the program began in 1942. (GED Testing Service)
- A GED can satisfy the U.S. military’s education requirement, although individual branches have their own enlistment standards. (USAGov)
- Federal earnings data group high school diplomas and equivalent credentials together rather than reporting GED graduates separately. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Recognition of the credential does not guarantee college admission, employment, military enlistment, or a particular income. Individual institutions and employers retain their own requirements.
GED Costs and Availability by State
GED testing prices, online testing availability, minimum ages, residency rules, and retake policies vary by state.
For example, as of September 2026:
- Georgia charged $46 per subject, or $184 for all four subjects at the listed price. (GED Testing Service: Georgia)
- Nevada charged $31 per in-person subject and $36 per online subject. (GED Testing Service: Nevada)
- Illinois listed a subsidized $40 total in-person GED price for eligible residents. (GED Testing Service: Illinois)
Age, Residency, and State Requirements
The GED program’s baseline minimum age is 16, but states can establish additional requirements.
As of September 2026:
- The GED program’s baseline minimum age is 16 under its 2025 policy manual. Jurisdictions may set higher ages or require additional conditions. (GED Testing Service: 2025 Policy Manual)
- The official online-testing table listed a 16+ minimum in 32 states, although additional eligibility requirements may apply. (GED Testing Service)
- Six GED states—Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, New York, West Virginia, and Wyoming—did not list a regular online GED testing option. (GED Testing Service)
- Iowa and Maine do not offer the GED.
Students should confirm current requirements on GED.com because state policies can change.
Methodology and Source Notes
This page separates people, subject-test attempts, four-subject completion, and credential attainment. Rates are labeled with their denominator when the source provides enough information to calculate it.
A test taker is a person who attempted at least one GED subject during the stated period. A subject-test attempt is one administration of one subject and can exceed the number of people tested.
A completer attempted all four subjects. A credential earner completed the series and met the required score on every subject.
Testing can cross calendar years. Someone counted as an incomplete test taker in one annual report may continue and earn a credential later. Annual noncompletion therefore should not automatically be interpreted as permanent withdrawal or failure.
National participation and subject-pass figures are based on the latest public national datasets identified for each measure. Newer state reports provide more recent local examples, but state populations and reporting methods may differ.
The selected state rates on this page are examples, not a state ranking.
Federal employment and earnings tables generally combine traditional high school diplomas with equivalency credentials. Those figures provide context but cannot isolate the effect of earning a GED.
Policy pages and testing prices can change. Readers should confirm current requirements and costs on GED.com before scheduling.
No statistic guarantees an individual’s passing score, credential, college admission, job, wage, or military placement.
Prepare for the GED with Onsego
The statistics show that thousands of people earn their GED every year. Preparation can help students build the skills and confidence to become one of them.
Onsego provides self-paced preparation for all four GED subjects with short lessons, GED-style practice, full-length practice tests, and Confidence Booster lessons.
Students can explore Onsego’s online GED classes or review GED requirements by state before scheduling their tests.
Last Updated on September 16, 2026