Atlanta Public Schools (APS) achieved an 88.4 percent graduation rate for cohort 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

This marks the highest all-time graduation rate for the district and once again the district has surpassed the state’s graduation rate of 85.4% by 3 percentage points.

“It is our intention to continue building upon what we’ve accomplished to ensure APS produces high-performing graduates who are prepared for a four-year university or technical college, ready to obtain a desired certification or credential leading directly to work, and a future that guarantees a successful career and life,” Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson said in a press release. 

Here are more details:

A total of 2,873 students graduated on-time from APS in 2024. The percentage of students who graduated in 2024 is higher than any other year since 2012, when the state adopted the cohort rate as required by federal law. This is an increase of 61 graduates from 2023. The 2024 cohort included 3,250 students, 3 larger than the 2023 cohort. See Figure 1. 

Figure 1: APS Graduation Rates (Graduate Counts/Cohort Size)

Of the 16 schools with graduating classes, 9 achieved percentage-point gains compared to 2023. The largest increase from a traditional high school was Douglass High School, which achieved a 12.7-percentage-point gain. Other traditional schools achieving gains include Washington (+9.7), Therrell (+7.1), South Atlanta (+4.4), Jackson High School (+1.5), Midtown (+1.5), Charter/Partner schools with gains included KIPP Collegiate (+1.3) and Carver STEAM (+0.2). Single Gender school BEST HS also increased by 0.4 percentage points.  See Figure 2.

Figure 2: 2024 APS Graduation Rates and Change from 2023

In addition, eleven schools had graduation rates greater than 90 percent: Atlanta Classical Academy (100%), Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy (100%), Drew Secondary (98.2%), KIPP Collegiate (94.3%), BEST (94.1%), North Atlanta (92.9%), Midtown (92.8%), Carver Early (92.7%), South Atlanta (92.2%), Therrell (91.7%) and Jackson High School (90.6%).

Among other results:

·       Graduation rates for Black students (86.2%) and Hispanic students (90.2%) reached all-time highs with the 2024 cohort, while the rate for White students (97.0%) was higher than the cohort 2023 rate. See Figure 3.

·       Nearly 11 percentage points separated the graduation rates of Black students and White students. This is one percentage point lower than the cohort 2023 difference.

·       Graduation rates for students with disabilities (78.8%) reached an all-time high with a 2.6 percentage point increase over 2023.

·       The 2024 rate for English learners (82.5%) reached an all-time high with a 16.8 percentage point increase over 2023.

·       Graduation rates for Economically Disadvantaged students (86.5%) reached an all-time high with a 3.7 percentage point increase over 2023.

Figure 3: APS Graduation Rates by Race

“We are proud of the continued progress the district is making,” Atlanta Board of Education Chair Erika Y. Mitchell said in the press release. “The district’s graduation rate of 88.4% is an indicator that APS is continuously headed toward the pathway of excellence, and it is important to acknowledge the efforts of our students and staff, who have once again reached another historic graduation rate milestone.”