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NEWS RELEASE
Date: January 29, 2026
Media Contact: Liz Merah
Class of 2025 Sets Oregon High School
Graduation Rate Record
83.0% graduation rate marks the highest on-time completion rate in state history; the previous record of 82.6% was set by the Class of 2020, whose senior year ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Salem, OR) – According to data released today by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), the Class of 2025 achieved Oregon’s highest high school graduation rate ever, with 83.0% of students earning a diploma on time. That represents 1,546 more graduates than last year and surpasses the previous record of 82.6%, set by the Class of 2020.
The Class of 2025 is also the first graduating cohort since the pandemic positioned to complete all four years of high school in person, making this milestone an important signal of recovery, stability, and renewed momentum across Oregon’s schools.
“Achieving proficiency in core skills and graduating from high school create future possibilities for every child to reach their full potential,” Governor Tina Kotek said. “I’m grateful to our educators whose hard work is showing progress in these positive trends.”
“This graduating class shows what’s possible when students are supported and expectations are clear,” said Dr. Charlene Williams, Director of the Oregon Department of Education. “Earning a diploma opens doors to college, careers, and opportunity, and today’s graduation rate reflects the hard work of Oregon’s students, families, educators, and communities. But it also reminds us that our work starts much earlier, with strong literacy, steady attendance, and the supports students need to stay on track from their first day of school to their last.”
On-time graduation rates have increased by an average of about 1 percentage point each year since 2013-14, and the rate has increased more than 9 percentage points over the last decade.
Record-High Graduation Rates for Student Groups
Students completing two credits in an approved Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program of Study continued to lead all student groups, graduating at a record rate of 97.8%, 15.8 percentage points higher than the statewide average.
Many other student groups achieved the highest graduation rates ever recorded in Oregon:
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 74.0% (up 3.9 percentage points)
- Students in Special Education: 72.2% (up 3.4 points)
- Students In Foster Care: 54.4% (up 3.4 percentage points)
- Students Experiencing Poverty: 71.3% (up 2.2 percentage points)
- English Learners, Anytime in High School: 69.8% (up 1.8 points)
- English Learners, Exited Prior to High School: 89.5% (up 1.7 points)
- Students experiencing houselessness, 62.5%: (up 1.2 percentage points)
- Hispanic/Latino Students: 79.9% (up 1.1 percentage points)
These gains signal meaningful progress for student populations that have historically faced significant barriers to graduation.
Looking Ahead
ODE continues to strengthen the pipeline to graduation through early literacy efforts, high school success programs, and Oregon’s new Education Accountability Act (SB 141), which establishes clear statewide targets for student outcomes and ensures schools and districts receive timely, data-driven support when students need it.
Graduation is not the beginning of the work; it is the result of years of opportunity, engagement, and support.
Every student in Oregon deserves a clear path from early learning to high school completion, so they leave ready to learn, earn, and thrive. ODE remains committed to ensuring that path is strong, equitable, and aligned to student success.
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