Georgia’s high-school seniors recorded another all-time-high graduation rate – and significant year-over-year improvement – in 2025. The four-year graduation rate rose to 87.2% – up from 85.4% in 2024, and an all-time high since the state began using the adjusted cohort calculation first required in 2011 by federal law.

A total of 134 Georgia school districts recorded graduation rates at or above 90%, and 60 districts recorded rates at or above 95%. Georgia’s statewide graduation rate has increased by 19.8 percentage points since 2011.

“I am so proud of Georgia’s class of 2025 and the teachers, staff, and families who supported them,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said.“Seeing this increase in a single year is a strong indicator of the work Georgia’s schools and districts are doing to keep students engaged in their education and prepare them for successful lives after high school. While more work remains to be done, more Georgia students are graduating than ever before – and they’re doing so prepared to pursue futures full of opportunity.”

District & School Spotlights: “A Sense of Hope”

Across Georgia, schools and districts are putting initiatives in place to ensure all students graduate high school and can take their next steps toward successful futures.

In Clayton County, the district graduation rate increased by 3.3 percentage points – rising from 83 to 86.3%. Superintendent Dr. Anthony Smith has set a vision of postsecondary readiness, focusing on expanded wraparound supports, flexible credit recovery and intervention programs, robust CTAE pathways, and comprehensive college and career readiness initiatives.

Leaders have increased credit recovery opportunities, with satellite sites at four traditional high schools along with the district’s Perry Career Academy. Students in these programs are paired with a mentor and a designated teacher working directly with them on credit recovery.

“In Clayton County, we are proud to see our graduation rate increase by 3.3 percentage points, rising from 83% to 86.3%,” Superintendent Smith said.“This progress reflects our commitment to ensuring that every student is better prepared for each subsequent grade level and course. Our vision for postsecondary readiness includes expanded wraparound supports, flexible credit recovery and intervention programs, robust CTAE pathways, and comprehensive college and career readiness initiatives that engage students and families. Ultimately, our mission is clear – No Dead Ends – graduate ready for enrollment in higher education, enlistment in the armed forces, employment in high-demand industries, and/or entrepreneurship as a future leader and innovator.”

In Pickens County, Superintendent Dr. Travis Thomas entered his role with a goal that every student would graduate enlisted, employed, or enrolled and with a plan for their next steps – and in 2025, the district’s graduation rate rose 3.6 points, exceeding 95%.

The district hosted various signing days for seniors planning to enter college or join the workforce, as well as a military enlistee ceremony for seniors committing to serve. Additionally, conversations with students about their futures took place earlier, at the elementary level.

“We want our graduates leaving us with a plan and prepared for their next steps,” Superintendent Thomas said. “Doing so provides them with both direction and focus and sets them up to be more productive adults.”

Douglas County Schools focused specifically on early identification and intervention for at-risk students, using both academic and behavioral data, to produce a four-point gain in graduation rate – from 86.7% to 90.7%. District leaders expanded credit recovery options and tutoring support by incorporating an on-campus Performance Learning Center at each high school, and implemented monitoring support to ensure an added layer of district oversight.

“We are immensely proud that the Douglas County School System has achieved a 90% graduation rate for the first time in recent history,” Superintendent Dr. Trent North said. “This achievement is the result of targeted strategies designed to support student success. We fostered additional collaboration among administrators, teachers, and support staff, while also cultivating a culture of high expectations in which every employee takes responsibility for student learning outcomes. As we build on this success, we will remain committed to increasing college and career readiness, which will positively impact our continued graduation rate growth.”

Fulton County’s Skyview High School – which works to help at-risk youth earn a traditional high-school diploma and prepare them for postsecondary success – saw an 8.4-point increase in its graduation rate. At Skyview, a locally approved charter school, every student has an individual success plan and is paired with a teacher who works with them one-on-one to set weekly goals and monitor their progress.

Students have access to a rich suite of wraparound services to ensure they don’t just graduate, but are successful after high school – from FAFSA workshops to resume-writing help and job interview prep. Ultimately, it’s the individual relationships that make the difference for students, Principal Shelley Leger said.

“I have this rule,” Leger said. “As long as they connect with one individual in our building, we’re able to get through to that child. We’re often giving them that sense of hope that they may have lost.”

Namon Robinson, who graduated from Skyview in 2024 at 21 years old, is now enrolled in college and serves as a mentor to current students at the school. He describes Skyview as “the only place or thing in my life that was consistent. They never closed the door, they never said no, they never said goodbye.”

Once describing himself as someone who didn’t take education seriously, Robinson – who faced significant barriers, including his mother’s severe illness – ultimately served as the class speaker at his 2024 graduation.

“Never say you can’t do something,” he told his classmates. “Despite all the roadblocks and challenges and dead ends…never let people’s negative expectations affect your progress. This isn’t the end for us – we are just getting started.”

How Georgia calculates its graduation rate

Georgia calculates a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate as required by federal law. This rate is:

• The number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma, divided by
• The number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class

Adjusted Cohort Definition: From the beginning of ninth grade, students entering that grade form a cohort that is subsequently adjusted by adding any students who transfer into the cohort during the next three years and subtracting any students who transfer out.

Georgia Graduation Rates – 2011 to 2025

2025 – 87.2%

2024 – 85.4%

2023 – 84.4%

2022 – 84.1%

2021 – 83.7%

2020 – 83.8%

2019 – 82.0%

2018 – 81.6%

2017 – 80.6%

2016 – 79.4%

2015 – 79.0%

2014 – 72.6%

2013 – 71.8%

2012 – 68.7%

2011 – 67.4%