Mississippi Graduation Rates

A larger share of Mississippi high schoolers than ever before are graduating.
The state department of education announced that the graduation rate rose to 82.3 percent last year. That’s still below the national average of 83.2 percent, but the share of students earning diplomas within four years has been on the rise in Mississippi since 2015.
The trend began after Mississippi changed graduation requirements. Previously, students had to pass four subject-area tests to graduate. The changes created alternate paths to graduation. Governor Phil Bryant said, “The commission which is the nation’s premiere education organization representing the state recognized what we have done together to make our system of public education the most innovative in America.”
The dropout rate fell to 10.8 percent from 11.8 percent, moving down for the third consecutive year as graduation rates climb.