Florida’s Record Graduation Rate
Bottom Line: In Governor DeSantis’s State-of-the-State speech on Tuesday, he broke some rather remarkable news. Florida’s graduation rate reached a new record high during the 2024-2025 school year – shattering the previous pandemic-era record. Florida’s graduation rate rose to a record 92.2% up from 89.7% during the 2023-2024 school year, according to Florida’s Department of Education. The grad rate represented an increase of 2.5% over the prior year, with gains across all demographics, and is among the highest in the nation, and is easily the highest large state graduation rate in the country. Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutas had this to say: Florida’s historic graduation rate reflects the power of Governor DeSantis’ strong leadership, clear expectations, and unwavering commitment to student success. These achievements demonstrate what can be accomplished when we uphold rigorous standards, provide robust support to schools, and prepare every student for success beyond graduation.
- ‘04-’05 school year: 58.8% (all-time low)
- ‘12-’13 school year: 75.6% (first time over 75%)
- ‘17-’18 school year: 86.1% (last year prior to DeSantis administration)
- ‘20-’21 school year: 90.1% (peak graduation rate impacted by the pandemic)
- ‘22-’23 school year: 88%
- ‘23-’24 school year: 89.7% (highest non-pandemic graduation rate)
- ‘23-24 school year: 92.2% (highest on record)
What we’ve seen since the onset of Governor DeSantis’s administration which included the elimination of the Common Core curriculum which was replaced with the B.E.S.T. curriculum, the advancement of the Parental Rights in Education policies and the advent of Universal School Choice is consistent progress leading to a record high graduation rate. Florida had ranked first or second in K-College education for three consecutive years. These latest results show Florida’s best-in-the-nation performance is only improving.