The table below shows the percentage of each state's active-duty Army recruits in fiscal year 2005 that held a regular high school diploma. The Department of Defense has a goal of 90% of new recruits holding a regular high school diploma and 2005 is the first time in at least 20 years that the Army has not met the goal.
| Percent of Recruits with a Regular High School Credential or Higher | ||||||
| All Recruits | Native American or Alaskan Native | Asian or Pacific Islander | Black or African American | White | ||
| U.S. States | 86.1% | 85.9% | 92.8% | 90.9% | 84.9% | |
| Mississippi | 77.9% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 88.8% | 71.6% | |
| Arkansas | 78.7% | 75.0% | 100.0% | 91.5% | 76.6% | |
| Tennessee | 79.3% | 80.0% | 100.0% | 88.4% | 77.3% | |
| Kentucky | 80.4% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 85.4% | 79.7% | |
| Virginia | 80.7% | 81.8% | 87.0% | 85.8% | 78.2% | |
| Maine | 80.8% | 66.7% | 66.7% | 62.5% | 81.4% | |
| New York | 81.1% | 72.2% | 85.6% | 84.4% | 79.9% | |
| Indiana | 81.8% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 88.9% | 81.0% | |
| Alabama | 81.9% | 75.0% | 87.5% | 91.9% | 76.9% | |
| Louisiana | 82.2% | 75.0% | 92.9% | 92.0% | 76.7% | |
| West Virginia | 82.2% | 75.0% | 100.0% | 91.7% | 81.9% | |
| New Hampshire | 82.4% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 80.0% | 82.5% | |
| Florida | 82.6% | 71.4% | 90.8% | 91.1% | 80.5% | |
| Vermont | 83.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 83.0% | |
| New Mexico | 83.0% | 92.9% | 66.7% | 94.4% | 81.1% | |
| Idaho | 83.2% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 75.0% | 82.9% | |
| Georgia | 83.4% | 100.0% | 82.5% | 92.7% | 77.4% | |
| Oregon | 83.8% | 88.4% | 84.6% | 66.7% | 83.8% | |
| Montana | 84.1% | 90.9% | 50.0% | 100.0% | 83.6% | |
| Rhode Island | 84.5% | 100.0% | 66.7% | 100.0% | 83.8% | |
| Utah | 84.7% | 66.7% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 84.3% | |
| Colorado | 84.7% | 80.0% | 94.7% | 91.6% | 83.8% | |
| Alaska | 85.1% | 85.2% | 91.3% | 91.3% | 83.3% | |
| South Carolina | 85.3% | 40.0% | 63.6% | 94.3% | 80.3% | |
| Wyoming | 85.4% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 84.7% | |
| South Dakota | 85.7% | 86.2% | 100.0% | 80.0% | 85.6% | |
| Nevada | 85.7% | 83.3% | 86.5% | 87.8% | 85.5% | |
| Michigan | 86.3% | 69.2% | 92.9% | 83.9% | 86.6% | |
| Massachusetts | 86.7% | 100.0% | 94.7% | 87.9% | 86.0% | |
| Washington | 86.9% | 68.2% | 93.1% | 92.9% | 86.4% | |
| Maryland | 87.1% | 83.3% | 97.1% | 91.1% | 83.9% | |
| Arizona | 87.1% | 95.7% | 96.3% | 92.0% | 86.2% | |
| Oklahoma | 87.2% | 89.6% | 93.8% | 96.4% | 85.9% | |
| Illinois | 87.2% | 60.0% | 92.9% | 88.5% | 86.9% | |
| Minnesota | 87.5% | 80.0% | 95.0% | 97.2% | 86.9% | |
| Pennsylvania | 87.6% | 75.0% | 94.3% | 91.6% | 87.1% | |
| Ohio | 87.9% | 71.4% | 100.0% | 91.6% | 87.4% | |
| Texas | 88.1% | 83.8% | 90.8% | 92.5% | 87.5% | |
| Delaware | 88.1% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 89.2% | 87.3% | |
| North Carolina | 88.4% | 96.8% | 89.5% | 94.7% | 85.2% | |
| Kansas | 88.5% | 100.0% | 92.3% | 98.4% | 87.5% | |
| Iowa | 89.1% | 0.0% | 88.9% | 93.3% | 89.2% | |
| Missouri | 89.2% | 71.4% | 100.0% | 90.9% | 89.0% | |
| Hawaii | 90.2% | 66.7% | 95.2% | 90.0% | 81.6% | |
| New Jersey | 90.2% | 100.0% | 94.5% | 93.6% | 88.5% | |
| Wisconsin | 90.8% | 92.3% | 100.0% | 87.2% | 90.9% | |
| North Dakota | 91.1% | 93.8% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 90.3% | |
| California | 91.1% | 84.3% | 94.8% | 94.1% | 90.4% | |
| Nebraska | 92.1% | 66.7% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 91.6% | |
| Connecticut | 92.6% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 96.5% | 91.8% | |
| District Of Columbia | 95.9% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 95.3% | 100.0% | |