Georgia's high-school graduation rate increased in 2022, rising to 84.1% – an all-time high since the state began using the adjusted cohort calculation now required by federal law, and up from 83.7% in 2021.
SCCPSS achieved a graduation rate of 87.6%, the eighth year in a row that the district's graduation rate has exceeded the state's rate. That is a decline of 2.5 points compared to the 2020-21 SY. The 2022 graduation rate was affected by increases in the percentage of cohort students who withdrew to attend an adult education program, who were removed due to lack of attendance, and those with an exit status of Unknown (which includes unverifiable transfers).
It is also important to note that students in the 2022 cohort were set to complete their second and third years of high school during the years most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
State School Superintendent Richard Woods said, “Teachers and students who persevered through the challenges of the last several years deserve credit for Georgia's graduation rate increasing and other recent positive indicators, like Georgia students beating the SAT national average once again. I commend Georgia's educators and the class of 2022, and am confident we will continue to see improvements as we expand opportunities for students and invest in the academic recovery of our state."
Early College High School and Woodville-Tompkins Technical and Career High School maintained their 100% graduation rate.
How Georgia calculates its graduation rate
Georgia calculates a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate as required by federal law. This rate is:
- The number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma, divided by
- The number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduating class
Adjusted Cohort Rate Definition: From the beginning of ninth grade, students who are entering that grade for the first time form a cohort that is subsequently adjusted by adding any students who transfer into the cohort during the next three years and subtracting any students who transfer out.
