Maryland reports 87.6% high school graduation rate in 2024, highest since 2017

The 2024 graduation rate for Maryland high schools reached 87.6% in 2024, the highest level since 2017, according to the state Department of Education (MSDE). 

The 2024 graduation rate was 1.8 percentage points higher than in the 2022-23 school year. Hispanic students and multilingual learners saw the largest increase among student groups. 

The latest data represents students who began high school during the 2020-21 school year, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Anne Arundel County graduation rate 

In Anne Arundel County, the 2024 graduation rate rose by almost one percentage point, compared to 2023, according to data from MSDE. 

For students with disabilities, the graduation rate rose by 6.79 percentage points, the largest increase of any student group in the county. 

Graduation rates for multilingual learners increased by 4.94 percentage points, and by 2.52 percentage points for African American students. Among Hispanic students, an increase of 2.41 percentage points was reported. 

District officials said the increases for African American and Hispanic students narrowed the gaps between the two groups. 

In 2024, the district's overall high school graduation rate was 88.54%, almost one percentage point above the state's average. 

Anne Arundel County Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell cited the district's Project Graduation and other efforts to help students as part of the reason for the increase. 

"This data is evidence that the work we have put into efforts like Project Graduation and our intense focus on helping every single student get what they need to Belong, Grow, and Succeed are paying off," Dr. Bedell said. 

Six high schools showed increases of more than 2%, including Meade High School. Graduation rates at the school, which enrolls 2,300 students, were up more than 3%. Principal Dr. Ryan Durr said this is due to an entire community approach to learning.

"It's a buzz today at school. Our students are talking about it," Durr said. "When we look at this and these acknowledgments of our progress and our gains, this is not just a school thing… This is an entire school community that builds this and gets us to this point."

The district launched Project Graduation in 2022 to provide credit recovery options for students, allowing more opportunities for second-chance learning.

The initiative is available for students in grades 9 through 12 and enlists counselors, teachers and leadership teams to assess and provide support as students progress toward graduation. 

Durr said this program has helped his students tremendously. He said they are placed in small focus groups with teachers and staff assigned to make sure they are on track.

"It is time cost. You have to put that emphasis on this and make sure we are tracking our students and seeing where they are," Durr said. "Last year we really dug in and started focusing more on graduation rate, finding ways to make sure that we were meeting the needs of our scholars, and to ensure they were college and career ready when they left us."

As for the Class of 2025, Durr said the rate is on track to rise again and this news is only inspiring his current seniors to beat last year's class.

Baltimore County graduation rate

Baltimore County recorded a high school graduation rate of 85.8% in 2024, an increase of nearly one percentage point from the previous year. 

According to district officials, the 2024 graduation rate improved for almost all student groups. The graduation rate for multilingual students increased by 8.31 percentage points. For Hispanic students, the rate increased by 6.69 percentage points. 

Graduation rates also rose for students who receive special services and those who are economically disadvantaged. 

The dropout rate decreased by more than one percentage point, reaching 10.14%. 

Frederick and Harford County graduation rates 

Frederick County's 2024 graduation rate increased by more than one percentage point, reaching 94.3%. 

The district's graduation rate was almost seven percentage points above the state's overall graduation rate. The district was ranked first among other districts with more than 300,000 students. 

Graduation rates in Frederick County high schools also increased among several student groups, including Hispanic students, multilingual learners and those with disabilities. 

The high school dropout rate also declined by more than one percentage point to 2.2% in 2024, one of the lowest in the state. 

Harford County high schools recorded a 2024 graduation rate of 91.6%, the highest the district has recorded since 2011, officials said. In 2023, the graduation rate was 90.8%