Graduation rates may be down nationwide for some minority groups including Hispanics.

But how does El Paso measure up to the rest of the country?

According to a recent nationwide study, minorities are graduating from high school at a rate of only a little more than 50 percent.

But here in el paso it's a different story, especially for Hispanic students.

The study conducted by the civil rights project at Harvard and the Urban Institute finds that only 53 percent of Hispanic high school students actually graduate from high school nationwide.

But according to the El Paso collaborative for academic excellence, Hispanics in El Paso have the highest high school graduation rates in the state.

Hispanic high school students in El Paso graduate at a rate of 78 percent. Almost 17 percent higher than Dallas and Austin.

And some El Pasoans are more than pleased.

Andy Flores says, "I think that's great. I mean you hear a lot about drop outs and I know a lot of drop outs but I think majority of them aren't, they aren't Hispanic. I'm really glad to hear that, I really believe that's a positive thing. I'm hoping it stays that way."

The El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence says graduation rates for Hispanic students in El Paso have actually gone up by almost ten percent in the past eight years.

The overall graduation rate of all high school students in El Paso combined is almost 78 percent.