Life After High School 2019

The first few years after high school are often viewed as crucial, laying the groundwork for the rest of a young person’s life. Decisions made between the ages of 18-24 often guide further steps in a young person’s life and can influence their ability to establish a satisfying and financially sustaining career. With that in mind, this report aims to answer the question of what young people in New Orleans are doing after high school by looking at their educational and employment pathways.

Specifically, this report works to answer some key questions we often hear with regards to young people’s post-high-school lives: How many of New Orleans high school graduates continue their educational journeys and go to college, and when they do, for how long, and where? How many enter the workforce and find jobs? If they’re working, in what industries are they employed and are they making a true living wage? What are the best economic opportunities available in New Orleans and nationally right now, and what may be the best opportunities five or ten years in the future? What skills do they need to take advantage of those possibilities?

We hope that this report serves as a foundation for a broader discussion about these pivotal questions. While we have used some of the best economic and educational data sources available (see the methodology section for a full breakdown), no amount of data can ever construct a complete picture of the individual experiences of every young person in the city. But the data can offer us a strong baseline impression about the lives of New Orleans’ youth after high school from which we can draw important conclusions about how to better serve young people going forward.