Michigan’s high school graduation rate reached record high in 2024
The state education department credited secondary education activities such as career and technical education programs with helping more students graduate.
Michigan officials are celebrating new state data that shows the state’s high school graduation rate hit a record high in 2024.
The four-year graduation rate climbed to 82.8% at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, the highest level since the state adopted a federal method for calculating the rate in 2008, according to a Michigan Department of Education press release.
“I’m proud of the hard work of Michigan students, educators, support staff, families, and communities to increase the percentage of students who are graduating from high school,” state Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Rice said in the press release. “High school graduation opens the door to postsecondary credential attainment at two- and four-year institutions of higher education as well as in training programs that lead to a wide range of industry credentials. Postsecondary degrees and credentials help Michiganders earn a good living, support a family, and achieve their career dreams.”
The state data shows that graduation rates increased most among Native American and Alaskan Native students, multiracial students and English-language learners last school year.
“As a mom of two high school graduates, I know how many soccer games, flashcards, and ACT prep courses go into getting your child across the stage to receive their diploma,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in the press release. “That’s why I’m so proud that Michigan’s graduation rate has reached an all-time high.”
The Michigan Department of Education attributed the improved graduation rates to a rise in participation in secondary education activities that expose students to areas of study outside of the traditional school curriculum.
The department pointed to career and technical education programs, which give ninth through 12th grade students real world experience in 53 career fields, including agriculture, public safety, and skilled trades. Enrollment in CTE programs increased annually since the 2020-2021 school year, and the number of students who’ve completed an entire CTE program has grown to the highest level in Michigan history.
The state board of education passed a resolution in January calling for lawmakers to appropriate additional funding to expand these programs. In her executive budget recommendations for the 2026 fiscal year, Whitmer pitched $125 million in one-time funding to widen the program’s reach to so-called CTE deserts, areas of the state where CTE participation is lower than expected given school and student demographics.
Enrollment in other secondary education programs has also exceeded pre-pandemic numbers: dual enrollment, which allows high school students to earn college credit; early middle college, a five-year program in which students can earn their high school degree and complete a postsecondary education program; advanced placement courses, which are similar to college-level classes but taken in high school; and international baccalaureate, which gives students an international education in various subjects.
Even as the state shows improvement, Rice emphasized the need to ensure that all students are successful. Students in foster care, students with disabilities, and migrant students had the lowest high school graduation rates of any subgroups in 2024.
“Local school districts, intermediate school districts, and the department will redouble efforts to improve graduation rates, particularly in schools that need more support to close these gaps,” Rice said.
