Minnesota’s four-year high school graduation rate is one of the highest in the country.

According to an analysis by Education Week magazine, Minnesota was fourth in the nation with 79.2 percent of students receiving their diplomas on time. Wisconsin’s was second in the country at 81.7 percent. The rates are for 2006.

Both states landed far above the national average, which was 69.2 percent.

Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said there’s still work to be done to improve the graduation rate, especially among racial minorities and those living in poverty.

While 84 percent of white high school students in Minnesota graduated on time, the rate was only 37 percent for Hispanics and 40 percent for American Indians.

Experts caution that graduation rates need to be examined closely because they are calculated in a variety of ways.