Study: Mpls. Graduation Rates Fall Below 50 Percent

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Less than half of all Minneapolis students do not graduate high school, according to a recent study by the Center for Reinventing Public Education.

The study, "Measuring Up", looked at the graduation rates of students from 50 major cities across the U.S. They looked at overall graduation rates, four-year graduation rates and the number of students who take ACT/SATs.

According to the study, 51 percent or less of Minneapolis students graduated high school in four years. This is almost 25 percent less of the national average of 75 percent.

And even less graduate at all.

The statistics are not limited to Minneapolis public schools. It includes students at both public and charter schools.

The study also found that only four percent of Minneapolis high school students took the ACT or SAT.

"The implications of this report should serve as a call to action. In order for America's cities to move forward and for all of our youth to have real opportunities to learn, urban public education needs to focus on more than just incremental improvement," the study states.

St. Paul was slightly better, with graduation rates at just under 70 percent.

The entire "Measuring Up" study can be found online.