This issue brief examines the educational outcomes of students who were classified as high school dropouts 8 years after most of their 1988 cohort of 8th graders would have completed high school. Some students who drop out return a short time later to earn a diploma, some may pursue an alternative credential such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, and others may enroll in a postsecondary institution without having earned a high school credential. Data on public and private school students from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), examines the educational attainment of 1988 eighth-graders who had dropped out of high school at least once since eighth grade. Results show that the majority of students (63%) who drop out of high school go on to earn a high school diploma or alternative certification. (Contains 3 tables.)