Chicago Public Schools’ graduation rate increases to 83.4% for class of 2026

In 2026, the graduation rate for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students reached an impressive 83.4%, an increase of nearly one percentage point from the previous class of 2025, officials announced on Wednesday. This represents the second consecutive year of growth in the district's four-year graduation rate, following a decline for the class of 2024, which had a rate of 82.5%.

At an event held at the Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center in North Park, CPS CEO MacKenzie King emphasized the positive figures alongside college enrollment data. About 70% of CPS graduates in the class of 2025 had enrolled in college, a statistic that stood out against the national average of around 50% for high-poverty schools.

King noted the shift in students' focus from merely attending college to identifying where they would go, a change she attributed to the district's efforts. Additionally, the district highlighted the growing number of students graduating with college credit, a program that began prior to King's tenure but has faced challenges in some schools.

Despite these hurdles, CPS has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students graduating with college credit, totaling up to almost 10 percentage points since 2018. As part of the success story, CPS shared tales of several graduates, including Laila Mendez, who earned multiple degrees and now works in a high-paying Los Angeles-based firm, and Gedeon Mawutodji, who credits his guidance counselors and principal for his successful college journey.

The district has also been more accommodating to students' needs, offering multiple opportunities to make up missed work or classes. At Von Steuben, an exemplar school, a strong emphasis on attendance has led to a remarkably high graduation rate - over 96% for the class of 2025, dipping slightly to 93.7% for 2026. Principal Jennifer Sutton shared the strategies the school employs, such as tying extracurricular participation to good attendance and regularly consulting with students about their post-graduation plans.

While Sutton could not be interviewed for further clarification, her methods appear to be a significant factor in the school's outstanding performance.