Georgia reports highest high school graduation rate in state history
More Georgia students are graduating from high school on time than ever before.
Georgia's four-year high school graduation rate climbed to a record 88.5% for the class of 2026, up from 87.2% in 2025, according to the Georgia Department of Education.
The statewide rate has increased by 21.1 percentage points since 2011, when it stood at 67.4%.
The department said 147 school districts recorded graduation rates of at least 90% this year. Of those, 69 districts reached or exceeded 95%.
"I'm incredibly proud of the class of 2026, and the teachers, families, school and district staff, and communities who supported them," State School Superintendent Richard Woods said in a statement.
Woods said the state is also focused on making sure graduates are prepared for life after high school through career education, work-based learning and other diploma pathways.
Georgia calculates the rate by tracking groups of students who enter ninth grade together and graduate within four years. Students who transfer into a school are added to the group, while students who transfer to another district or state are removed.
The calculation includes students who earn a regular high school diploma or a state-approved alternate diploma, according to the Department of Education.
