2020 High School Graduation Rates in Minnesota Hold Steady During Pandemic

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — High school graduation rates in Minnesota held steady in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the last few months of the school year.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Thursday that almost 84% of last year’s seniors graduated in four years. That’s a new record but only by one-tenth of a percentage point over 2019. Dropout rates continued a steady decline, dropping from 4.4% to 3.7%.

Still, large gaps remain between student groups. About 89% of white and Asian students graduated in four years compared to 70% of Hispanic students, 69% of Black students and about 56% of American Indian students. That group saw a nearly 5% increase in graduates last year, the biggest gain of any student group in 2020.

Data for the class of 2021 won’t be available until sometime next year.