Kansas public school students are graduating at an all-time high

TOPEKA (KSNT) - New data shows Kansas public school students are graduating at an all-time high since the state adopted its current calculation rate for record keeping in 2010.

The graduation rate for all public school students rose to 89.3% in the 2021-2022 school year from 88.1% in the 2020-2021 school year, according to the Kansas State Department of Education. Since 2010, the graduation rate has risen by 8.4 percentage points.

Subgroups of students, such as those who qualify for free meals, have disabilities and limited English proficiencies, are also earning their high school diplomas at a record high.

While low-income students have historically had lower graduation rates, data from KSDE shows their graduation rates are rising faster than the average of all Kansas public school students. Since 2010, the graduation rate for students who qualify for free meals has risen 14.6 percentage points.