Maryland high school graduation rate reaches seven-year high
High school graduation rates hit a seven-hear high of 88% in 2024, new state data shows. (Getty Images photo.)
By Erin Sjostedt
Maryland's high school graduation rate climbed to 88% in 2024, reaching its highest point since 2017, according to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The increase of nearly 2 percentage points over the previous year marks a significant recovery following pandemic-era declines.
The 2024 data from MSDE shows significant gains among student groups that have historically faced barriers to graduation. Hispanic students saw their graduation rate rise over seven percentage points from 2023-2024, while multilingual learners experienced a dramatic increase of over 10%.
'Last year was the largest year-over-year gain of any student group, and I think that's a testimony to targeted, sustained supports that are making the difference,' said Theresa Timmons Parrott, an MSDE official focused on multilingual education. 'It's a step in the right direction, but it's not the finish line.'
Anne Arundel County Public Schools reported a graduation rate of 89%, two percentage points above the state average. North County High School in Glen Burnie, a Title I school, achieved a 7% increase in its graduation rate.
Bob Mosier, chief communications officer for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, said 'every student group is different, and so it's providing students with what it is that they need on an individual basis to be successful.'
'A nearly full-point jump in overall graduation rate is a very significant accomplishment,' said Mosier. 'We also had six schools that increased by two percentage points or more.'
Mosier credited the district's progress in part to Project Graduation, a systemwide initiative launched two years ago to provide tailored support to students at risk of not finishing high school on time.
'It really is a laser-like focus on individual students and what those students need in order to graduate, graduate on time,' Mosier said about the project. 'We put that in place two years ago, … and we're starting to see that pay off now.'
In Baltimore City, the four-year graduation rate rose by one percentage point for the 2023 graduating class. MSDE said the district focused on ninth-grade intervention and reducing chronic absenteeism, two predictors of long-term academic success. According to MSDE's public dataset, Baltimore also saw improved outcomes among English language learners and students experiencing homelessness.
Statewide, female students continued to graduate at higher rates than male students, and white and Asian students graduated at higher rates than their Black and Hispanic peers. Students with disabilities graduated at a rate of 69%, still well below the statewide average. Economically disadvantaged students' graduation rate increased slightly from 2023, graduating at a rate of 82%.
The graduation rate report comes as Maryland begins to implement the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, a landmark education reform law that aims to expand early childhood education, increase college and career readiness and close equity gaps. Several of the strategies outlined in the Blueprint — including community school models and increased funding for English language learners — align with areas of progress highlighted in the 2024 data.
'If you dig down into the Blueprint, it really lays the foundation for the strategies we're seeing pay off,' Parrott said. She attributes a large portion of the progress made to broaden access to early childhood education, target funding for multilingual learners, and mandate college and career readiness pathways by tenth grade.
While the Blueprint for Maryland's Future has driven recent graduation gains, lawmakers enacted adjustments this year due to a projected $3 billion budget shortfall. The Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act, passed in April 2025, includes a three-year delay in implementing teacher collaborative time and provisions to freeze increases in funding if state revenues significantly decline.
Still, regional disparities persist. While some districts reported graduation rates above 90%, others, particularly in rural counties on the Eastern Shore and in Western Maryland, sit at 80% and below. Education advocates say these gaps underscore the need for continued investment and monitoring.
'This is great news for Maryland,' State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright said in a press release from MSDE. 'When we set high standards, deliver strong instruction, and invest in proven supports, our students show that they will exceed expectations.'
As the 2025 graduating class enters its final year, educators and policymakers are cautiously optimistic. The latest data suggests that Maryland's post-pandemic recovery is underway, however state education officials say it will require long-term commitment to equity, funding and student support services to maintain.
– Capital News Service is a student-staffed reporting service operated by the University of Maryland's Phillip Merrill College of Journalism. Stories are available at the CNS site and may be reprinted as long as credit is given to Capital News Service and, most importantly, to the students who produced the work.
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