JANUARY 13, 2026 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kevin Christian, APR, CPRC, Director of Public Relations
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MARION GRADUATION RATE
CONTINUES CLIMBING
MARION COUNTY – Marion County’s high school graduation rate continues climbing and is now at 85%, a four-year high.
The graduation rate is based on a cohort, defined as a group of students on the same schedule to graduate together. It measures the percentage of students who graduate within four years of entering ninth grade.
Statistics released today by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) show the state graduation rate also increased to over 92%, up from just under 90% last year.
All seven MCPS traditional high schools improved their individual graduation rates. Historically, Marion County’s graduation rate has risen over the last decade:
- 2024-2025 85%
- 2023-2024 80%
- 2022-2023 78%
- 2021-2022 83%
- 2020-2021 86%
- 2019-2020 87%
- 2018-2019 82%
- 2017-2018 78%
- 2016-2017 82%
- 2015-2016 81%
Federal regulations require each state to calculate a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate, which includes standard diplomas but excludes GEDs, both regular and adult. The U.S. Department of Education (USED) adopted this calculation method in an effort to develop uniform, accurate, and comparable graduation rates across all states. The USED required states to begin calculating the adjusted cohort graduation rate in 2010-11. This graduation rate is currently used in Florida’s school accountability system in the school grades calculation.
Because of the review process provided by FDOE, graduation rates are final and not subject to appeal. As well, these latest graduation rates will factor into school grades for this school year.
For more information about Florida’s graduation rates, visit https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/data-sys/edu-info-accountability-services/pk-12-public-school-data-pubs-reports/students.stml.
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