The Class of 2024 had the highest graduation rate recorded, according to the Department of Education.
(Sakeeb Sabakka/Flickr)
The Class of 2024 broke the record for Indiana’s highest graduation rate, according to a new report from the Indiana Department of Education.
About 90 percent of students graduated high school this year. The Class of 2024 marked a slight increase — about 1 percent — over the Class of 2023. Despite the landmark graduation rate, minority and low-income students still lag behind across the state.
The Department of Education released the report Monday. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education, thanked collaboration between families, educators and communities for the improvements.
“Together, we must continue to keep our foot on the gas pedal in 2025, ensuring we keep improving our education system in Indiana and increasing opportunities for students,” Jenner said.
The department also released its graduation rates using federal standards and equations. In 2024, Indiana’s federal graduation rate was about 89 percent — still higher than rates from the last five years.
And across the state, fewer students needed a waiver to graduate. That means more students met post-secondary readiness requirements for graduation. Non-public school students performed slightly better than public school students.
Asian and white students topped the rates in 2024. About 96 percent of Asian students graduated, surpassing white students’ 92 percent graduation rate.
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander students had the lowest graduation rate. Roughly 82 percent of those students graduated. Black and Hispanic students continued to graduate at lower rates than the overall average. However, all three groups made progress and improved graduation rates compared to 2023.
Students who received free and reduced lunch fared worse than higher-income students, lagging by about 2 percent.
About 85 percent of students in special education graduated, marking an increase compared to 2023.
MCCSC students overall rise above state average
Students in the Monroe County Community School Corporation performed better overall than Indiana’s average. About 96 percent of MCCSC students graduated in 2024. That’s up from MCCSC’s 2023 rate of 92 percent.
MCCSC schools match Indiana’s issues with racial and income disparities.
White and Asian students had higher graduation rates than Black and Hispanic students. White students had the highest graduation rate — about 96 percent.
About 90 percent of Black students graduated, and about 94 percent of Hispanic students graduated.
All 47 multiracial students graduated.
The graduation rate for students who received free and reduced meals was 4 percent lower than students who could pay for their own meals. Despite still falling behind wealthier students, these lower-income students boosted their graduation rate from 89 percent in 2023 to 93 percent in 2024.
Special education students showed improvement, with about 84 percent graduating this year. That is up from 76 percent in 2023.
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on X @aubreymwright.
