Florida Governor Ron DeSantis today announced that Florida’s 2018-19 graduation rate increased to 86.9 percent, an increase of 0.8 percentage points over last year and a jump of 27.7 percentage points since 2003-04.
“I applaud Florida’s students, parents and educators for their hard work and dedication that lead to these increased graduation rates,” said Governor DeSantis. “While these results are a positive mark of Florida’s upward progress, we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent. We must continue striving for educational excellence and making Florida the number one state in the nation for education.”
“Today’s results show that more Florida students than ever are positioning themselves for success after high school,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran. “I am very proud of them for their diligence and commitment to the value of education. Through Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida will continue raising the bar to ensure all students receive the world-class education they deserve.”
Florida’s Graduation Rates, 2003-04 through 2018-19
Statewide highlights of Florida’s 2018-19 graduation rate include:
- Black or African American students’ graduation rate increased to 81.5 percent in 2018-19, a rise of 0.6 percentage points over last year and an increase of 13.5 percentage points since 2014-15.
- Hispanic students’ graduation rate increased to 85.9 percent in 2018-19, an improvement of 0.8 percentage points over last year and an increase of 9.2 percentage points since 2014-15.
- Students with disabilities increased their graduation rate to 80.6 percent, a 3.6 percentage point increase over last year and a 23.8 percentage point improvement since 2014-15.
- Economically disadvantaged students improved their graduation rate to 82.9 percent, an increase of 0.9 percentage points over last year and a rise of 12.5 percentage points since 2014-15.
Graduation Rates by Subgroup, 2014-15 to 2018-19
Subgroup | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 1 Year Change | 5 Year Change |
All Students | 77.9% | 80.7% | 82.3% | 86.1% | 86.9% | 0.8% | 9.0% |
White | 82.8% | 85.1% | 86.2% | 89.0% | 90.2% | 1.2% | 7.4% |
Black or African American | 68.0% | 72.3% | 74.8% | 80.9% | 81.5% | 0.6% | 13.5% |
Hispanic/Latino | 76.7% | 79.5% | 81.3% | 85.1% | 85.9% | 0.8% | 9.2% |
Asian | 90.9% | 91.9% | 93.2% | 95.8% | 95.6% | -0.2% | 4.7% |
American Indian or Alaska Native | 75.7% | 76.5% | 80.0% | 80.1% | 77.5% | -2.6% | 1.8% |
Two or More Races | 81.5% | 82.7% | 83.1% | 87.0% | 88.2% | 1.2% | 6.7% |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 82.6% | 84.7% | 87.2% | 89.2% | 86.7% | -2.5% | 4.1% |
Students with Disabilities | 56.8% | 61.6% | 66.0% | 77.0% | 80.6% | 3.6% | 23.8% |
Economically Disadvantaged | 70.4% | 74.4% | 76.8% | 82.0% | 82.9% | 0.9% | 12.5% |
District and school-level graduation rates are available online here.