PHOENIX — The four-year graduation rate of Arizona’s school districts is 75%. It’s among the lowest in the country, and the rate is declining over time.
According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, Arizona’s graduation rate ran even with the national rate a decade ago at around 78%.
Since then, the U.S. rate has steadily risen, seeing a small one-point drop in 2020 landing at 85%.
Arizona graduation rates managed to climb to 80% in 2016 but fell in recent years. In 2019, the rate was close to 79% but was under 76% for the 2021 school year.
The Arizona Auditor General released an analysis of school spending, performance, and demographics of school districts. The data included graduation rates for 105 of the state’s 209 districts with a high school population.
Graduation rates in 12 of Arizona’s 15 counties are above the statewide 75% number.
Greenlee County, which encompasses a small rural area hugging the New Mexico border, had the highest graduation rates at nearly 95%.
Other rural counties — Cochise, Coconino, Graham, La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Yuma — all had graduation rates above 80%.
Pima County, the state’s second most populous, had the lowest graduation rate at 71%. Due to its size, it weighs down Arizona’s rate.
In the Valley of the Sun, the school districts with the highest graduation rates are all unified school districts located in suburban areas.
Higley Unified School District’s 96% was the highest graduation rate of any district. Other districts in the top five include Cave Creek, Peoria, Saddle Mountain, and Scottsdale.
The districts with the lowest graduation rates are a mix of urban and suburban.
Wickenburg Unified School District reports the lowest rate of 73%. This is followed by Phoenix Union High School with a rate of 76%.
Mesa, the state’s largest school district, has a graduation rate just above the state at 77%.
Glendale and Tolleson, both high school districts, make the bottom five as well but with four-year graduation rates above 80%.
See the full list of four-year graduation rates below:
