District rate increases to 86.20%, with progress across student groups
Rochester, MN - The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) today released graduation rate data for the Class of 2025, including data for Rochester Public Schools (RPS) students. Results for RPS show sustained improvement over the past three years in the district’s overall graduation rate and significant progress for students from multiple demographic subgroups.
From 2023 to 2025, the district's four-year graduation rate increased from 83.99% to 86.20%, a gain of 2.21 percentage points.
RPS focuses on three-year trends in graduation rates because multiple years of data depict a more accurate picture of overall progress than year-to-year changes in student achievement. Graduation rates can fluctuate from year to year due to differences in cohort size, student mobility, and other factors both inside and outside of schools.
Multiple RPS student groups showed notable gains in graduation rates over the three-year period between 2023 and 2025:
Hispanic or Latino students increased by 9.92 percentage points
Asian students increased by 8.83 percentage points
Students eligible for free/reduced-price meals increased by 7.67 percentage points
Black or African American students increased by 6.93 percentage points
Students with disabilities increased by 6.14 percentage points
In contrast, students from other demographic groups held steady or showed modest declines:
White students slightly declined by .92 percentage points
Students who do not qualify for free or reduced price lunch (FRPL) slightly declined by 1.07 percentage points
Students whose first language is not English declined by 2.21 percentage points
The small number of American Indian students included in the data makes it difficult to accurately assess the trend in the graduation rate of American Indian students. In 2023, 18 of 20 American Indian students graduated in four years, resulting in a 90% graduation rate. In 2024, 10 of 15 American Indian students graduated on time, resulting in a rate of 66.67%. In 2025, 11 of 14 American Indian students graduated, resulting in a graduation rate of 78.57%.
“This data tells a clear and balanced story,” said Superintendent Kent Pekel. “Over three years, we are seeing real progress, particularly for many student groups where improvement matters most. As people review these results, it is important to note that most students who do not graduate in four years do not drop out of school. A significant majority of them remain enrolled and earn their diplomas in five or six years. We don’t give up on any of our students, and we do what it takes to help them get across the finish line of high school graduation and move on to the worlds of postsecondary education and a career.”
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
RPS remains focused on its mission to equip every student with the knowledge, independence, and resilience to pursue a fulfilling path. Key initiatives in supporting graduation outcomes include:
Ensuring that all students learn to read so they can read to learn in every academic subject
Strengthening supports for students who struggle during the critical 9th grade year of high school.
Expanding access to high school classes that prepare students for success in both postsecondary education and careers, notably including careers in the trades.
Improving attendance and student engagement.
Providing students with the advice, support, and relationships they need to succeed in school and develop plans for life after high school.
Rochester Public Schools is committed to transparency and will continue to analyze this data to inform strategies that ensure equitable opportunities and successful outcomes for every student.
Graduation Rate Data Tables (2023–2025)
Overall Graduation Rate
Graduation Rates by Student Group
Graduation Rates by School
MDE Pilot Data and Future Improvements to the Minnesota Report Card
In addition to data on high school graduation rates, today MDE also released pilot data on the percentages of students who take courses that constitute what MDE defines as a “well-rounded education,” along with the percentages of 9th grade students who earn credit in all of their courses, and the percentages of students who take college and career preparation classes in high school.
Superintendent Pekel made the following comment about the new pilot measures: "I am glad that MDE is focusing on these factors, all of which we are working to address in RPS. However, since these measures are new and we have not yet had the opportunity to evaluate the degree to which they accurately incorporate data from RPS, we will carefully study the data from these new measures before we incorporate them into our school improvement work in RPS. My previous experience with the development of new measures such as these suggests that we may find problems that need to be corrected in the calculations to ensure that they are valid and reliable indicators of what is happening in our schools.”
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About Rochester Public Schools:
Rochester Public Schools, located in Rochester, Minnesota, has the seventh-largest enrollment in Minnesota and covers a large part of Olmsted County, extending into Wabasha County. The district’s programs serve more than 17,500 students from birth through adulthood in sixteen elementary schools, four middle schools, three comprehensive high schools, various alternative schools, as well as six districtwide programs and an online school. Our mission is to equip every student with the knowledge, independence, and resilience to pursue a fulfilling path.