The Oregon Department of Education reported a record-high four-year graduation rate of 83% for the 2024–25 school year. But that statewide milestone contrasts with graduation outcomes in southwest Oregon, where most counties fell below the average even as some districts posted significant gains.
Curry County’s four-year graduation rate was about 72%, and Coos County’s was rougly 69%.
Several counties, however, improved compared with the previous school year. In Klamath County, the graduation rate rose to nearly 81%, up 6 percentage points.
At 85%, Jackson County’s graduation rate was the only one in the region higher than the statewide average.
Within Jackson County, the Medford School District did especially well, with more than 88% of students graduating in four years.
Interim Superintendent Jeanne Grazioli said the district tracks individual student progress.
"We have intentional systems that we regularly review data," she said. "We look at individual students almost to a point where we're case managing our students and identifying who might be not on track to graduate."
In Curry County, at the Brookings-Harbor School District, the graduation rate increased by nearly 2 percentage points, even as the county's overall rate dipped slightly.
Superintendent Helena Chirinian said they’re always working to increase graduation rates.
"We need to keep working on student engagement when they're here and building relationships," she said. "Those things are the things that will make a difference."
Several districts reported record graduation rates for the Class of 2025, including Medford, Klamath County School District, Douglas County SD 4 and Grants Pass.
“This milestone reflects a shared commitment to student success across our district,” Grants Pass Superintendent Tim Sweeney said in a press release. “Our focus remains on empowering each student to reach their potential and leave our schools ready for their next steps.”
While Oregon's test scores remain low and many school districts struggle with attendance, superintendents insist their graduates are ready for the real world.
"[The test is] a one-time measurement. It's not like a holistic measure towards graduation necessarily," Grazioli said. "There's kids that opt out of that. It doesn't necessarily tell the whole story about graduation."
Chirinian agreed, noting that students graduate based on credits earned in classes, not on test scores.
"I do worry a little bit about [them being] on time for work," she said. "But we have some great kids, and they will be just fine. And we have some kids who will go out in the real world, and it will be a little bit of a learning curve, but they'll be okay."
State data also showed notable outcomes for certain student groups. Students enrolled in career and technical education programs graduated at especially high rates statewide — nearly 98%.
In Brookings-Harbor, about 94% of CTE students graduated in four years, while Medford's rate topped 95%.
The data also tracked dropout rates, which averaged 2.9% statewide.
Klamath County matched the state dropout average, but other southwest Oregon counties exceeded it. Coos County recorded a 6.1% dropout rate, and Douglas County reached 4.6%.
That number is larger in "high mobility districts," Chirinian said, where families often move in and out of town.
"If they don't report where they're going or the records request from another high school doesn't come, they will be counted as a dropout for us," she said.
The state data also includes metrics on "completer rates", which include students who earn a traditional diploma as well as those who receive a GED or other approved credential. The statewide average was about 85%.
Jackson County reached 88%, while Josephine County exceeded 84%.
