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Eighty-five percent of Minnesota’s class of 2025 made it to the graduation finish line within four years. It’s a new high for the state’s public K-12 students, and it marks significant ground gained after graduation rates slipped in the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Data released Friday also showed significant improvement among Asian, Black and Native American students as well as students receiving special education services and students from families with economic challenges. 

Four-year high school graduation rates are closely watched as a measure of success in K-12 public school systems. Experts consider them a more comprehensive indicator of achievement than state standardized test scores. 

There was concern when the rate ticked down to 83 percent in 2021 during the pandemic, but by 2024 it 

Minnesota Education Commissioner Willie Jett applauded 2025’s highest-ever rate. He said he was proud of the graduates and thanked the “educators, families and community members” who supported them.

Despite the overall positive news, state officials are closely monitoring the performance of students who don’t speak English at home, Jett noted.

During the surge of federal immigration agents into the Twin Cities, officials saw attendance plummet at some schools with large numbers of immigrant children, raising concerns about how it might impact their learning.

“It's affected the class of 2026 and all of our students,” Jett said of the federal raids. “A student in the eighth grade experienced the pandemic, and now ‘Metro Surge.’ And so those are two big shocks and disruptions to both academics and a student's social emotional state that will continue having an impact, and we will be navigating the effects of this for years.”

Jett told reporters earlier this week he believed school efforts to 

 helped generate better graduation rates. 

“There's an overall increase in educational engagement,” Jett said. “There's an increase in students reporting that they believe their teachers and others in their lives care about them.  Also, there’s an increase in reporting that an adult in school help connect (students) with post-secondary career and educational opportunities.” 

Those stronger ties surfaced in Minnesota’s statewide survey of K-12 students.

During the pandemic the survey showed student mental health was 

last year there were significant improvements.

 Students reported less bullying, less substance use, better mental health and closer connections to schools and families.

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Elizabeth Shockman

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Minnesota’s four-year high school graduation rate continued to inch upward in 2025 after dipping in the pandemic. As they applauded the gains, state officials expressed concern about students affected by the federal immigration raids.

Minnesota graduation rates hit record high in 2025

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