The state has released new four-year graduation rates. Some counties in the east beat the state average, while some fell way below.

State data released Thursday showed 69.9 percent of the North Carolina's public high school students who were freshmen in 2003
graduated by the end of June this year. That's a slight increase from last year's four-year graduation rate of 69.5 percent.

Pitt County's four-year graduation rate in 2008 is 54 percent. The 2007 rate was much better, at 62.4 percent, though still below the state average.

Edgecombe County's four-year graduation rate is one of the lowest in the state. The rate released for 2008 is 33.5 percent. That is a steep drop from 2007's rate of 65.1 percent.

Craven, Martin and Onslow Counties were among those in Eastern Carolina who beat the state average. Craven County's four-year graduation rate for 2008 is 75.2 percent. Martin County's four-year graduation rate for 2008 is 72.5 percent. Onslow County's four-year graduation rate for 2008 is 77 percent.

Read more about the rates by clicking here.

You can look up every county's four-year graduation rate by clicking here.

You can also look up individual high school rates by clicking here.