Iowa’s high school graduation rate continues to show long-term progress, although the state experienced a decrease for the graduating class of 2021, according to figures released today by the Iowa Department of Education. State data shows 90.2% of students in Iowa’s Class of 2021 graduated within four years, down from 91.8% for the Class of 2020. Since 2011, Iowa’s four-year graduation rate climbed 1.9 percentage points overall, with large long-term gains in nearly every student demographic subgroup. Graduation rates for students from low socioeconomic status households increased by 4.2 percentage points between 2011 and 2021. “After many years of steady progress, this slight decline follows the first full school year disrupted by the pandemic,” said Ann Lebo, director of the Iowa Department of Education. “Students transitioned between learning models while facing a multitude of challenges during the 2020-21 school year. Our focus is on the success of all students and I am proud of the work that our school partners are doing to accelerate learning and to continue to support the individual needs of their students.” More information on Iowa’s graduation and dropout rates, including rates by school district and student subgroup, are available on the Department of Education’s Graduation Rates and Dropout Rates webpage.