Wisconsin’s high school graduation rates reach record high

MADISON — New data published today shows high school graduation rates in the state are at an all-time high.

 

For the 2023-24 school year, 91.1 percent of Wisconsin high school students graduated on time, marking the highest rate since the four-year adjusted cohort was introduced in 2009-10.

 

“This achievement reflects the hard work and commitment of Wisconsin’s students and teachers,” State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly said. “It’s the result of countless hours, determination, and the strength of our community. This success shows what we can achieve when we work together. Moving forward, we must continue to build on this momentum and ensure every student is set up for success beyond graduation.”

 

The data is part of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s annual certified data release, with the department’s WISEdash Public Portal also being updated with certified enrollment figures for 2024-25, along with 2023-24 attendance rates and more.

 

“Although we should celebrate our successes, we should all continue to be concerned about – and work to reduce – the disparities in graduation rates between different groups of students,” Dr. Underly said. “The reality is that students of color and other marginalized students are not doing as well, although those cohorts are also seeing some improvement. We need to double-down on making investments for those kids who need it the most. We should also be concerned that the federal government seems to want to end the collection of disparities data, which would hide these challenges rather than solve them.”

 

In 2023, the DPI partnered with Graduation Alliance, using federal ESSER funding, to re-engage chronically absent and academically at-risk students. The ENGAGE Wisconsin program has seen continued success, and Gov. Tony Evers’ 2025-27 budget proposal includes additional funding to sustain its efforts.

 

Data released today shows chronic absenteeism rates fell to 17.7 percent for the 2023-24 school year, while attendance rates climbed to 92.4 percent, marking the lowest and highest levels, respectively, since the 2020-21 school year.

 

Each year, all Wisconsin public school districts and independent charter schools collect information about their students, staff, and courses based on federal and state reporting requirements. These datasets are submitted to the DPI and are stored and linked in a data warehouse.

 

The DPI's WISEdash Public Portal uses dashboards, or visual collections of graphs and tables, to provide multi-year educational data about Wisconsin schools and students. Data on the portal are redacted and available by school, district, or state. Data can be displayed for multiple years and can also be grouped and filtered by a variety of demographics, including grade level, gender, race/ethnicity, economic status, disability, English proficiency, and migrant status. For more information, visit the Wisconsin DPI’s website.