Why have Utah's high school dropout rates been sliced in half?

SALT LAKE CITY — Almost 90% of Utahns are leaving high school with a diploma in hand.

And on the flip side, the state's dropout rate has been sliced in half in recent years, from 16.2% to 8.5%, according to a report released by the Utah State Board of Education.

The report revealed that Utah's overall four-year cohort graduation rate has risen to 89.9% for the 2025 cohort — up from 88.8% for the 2024 cohort.

Statistically, a one-percentage point increase might not seem significant — but that point represents hundreds of Utah youth now better equipped with job skills, increased earning potential and a path to higher education.

Such long-term trends, according tothe State School Board, reflect the collective efforts of schools, educators, families and communities all partnering to help students stay on track and earn a high school diploma.

"Utah's students, families, and educators continue to demonstrate what is possible when high expectations are paired with strong support," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Molly Hart in a Board of Education release.

"We are especially encouraged to see meaningful gains for student groups that have historically faced barriers to graduation, alongside continued reductions in dropout rates statewide," she said.

The reported graduation rates for the 2025 cohort includes all students who started ninth grade in the 2021-22 school year, students with severe cognitive disabilities who have had their cohort reassigned to 2025, and students who transferred into the Utah public education system after ninth grade.

The "graduate" category includes students who have earned a basic high school diploma, an "alternate diploma" for students with a significant cognitive disability, or an adult education high school diploma by Sept. 30 "following the end of their cohort school year."

The "dropout" category includes students who have not completed graduation requirements after withdrawing from school or being expelled.

Graduation: Breaking down the rates by Utah's communities

White students in Utah had the highest high school completion rate in 2025, with 92.1% meeting graduation requirements.

Meanwhile, Black students in Utah achieved the largest bump in high school graduation rates, going from 80.6% in 2024 to 83.9% in 2025.

Pacific Islander and American Indian students also recorded graduation rate improvements. Pacific Islander rates increased from 81.9% to 85%, while American Indian graduation rates rose from 77.5% to 80.1%.

American Indian and Black students had the largest dropout percentage decline in 2025.

Hispanic/Latino students — the school system's largest minority group — also notched a slight graduation uptick in 2025, increasing from 81.8% to 83.2%.

And Utah high school students classified as "English learners" have improved their graduation rate by more than 12% since 2017, hitting almost 80% for the 2025 cohort.

For the first time, the school board is reporting graduation and dropout rates for Utah students in foster care, students experiencing homelessness and military-connected students.

Ninety-seven percent of military-connected students in Utah are graduating from high school.

Graduation rates are less encouraging among foster care and homeless youth: 62.8% and 72.8%, respectively.

Confronting Utah's growing reading crisis

While encouraged by rising high school graduation rates, Utah educators also face well-documented challenges.

According to the most recent Nation's Report Card, Utah students are generally outperforming their peers across the country. But reading scores among the state's eighth graders continue to decline.

According to data released by the National Assessment of Education Progress earlier this year, Beehive State students performed "significantly higher" in math than the national public average for both fourth and eighth graders in 2024.

Utah's fourth and eighth graders also outperformed their national counterparts, on average, in reading.

But while the average reading score of eighth grade students in Utah was higher than the average reading score for students in the nation, eighth graders in Utah are reading at lower levels than in earlier years.

In a recent Deseret News opinion column, Utah education advocate Christine Ivory noted that less than half of Utah's third grade students (48%) are reading grade level.

"This quiet reading crisis in our state and across the nation will eventually explode into unskilled workers faced with limited possibilities. National data shows that only 31% of students are reading at or above grade level," wrote Ivory.

A public policy focusing on improving reading rates for third graders is essential to Utah's strength and position, she added. "The complexities involved in creating a sound, rigorous education system for our state will depend on a united effort to find solutions."

Meanwhile, a legislative audit released late last year revealed a "statewide gap between the performance of students who are in a group that traditionally struggles with academic proficiency, and those who aren't."

The audit classified "underperforming student groups" as those who have a higher than typical chance of performing below proficiency "and who are economically disadvantaged, learning English, or racial or ethnic minorities."

Such "underperforming student groups" frequently need the most growth and support, the report added.

The Board of Education has signaled commitment to identifying the causes of declining reading scores — while implementing "targeted efforts" and proven strategies.

"Our focus is on ensuring measurable improvements in reading outcomes by working with schools to equip educators and students with tools and targeted training," said Darin Nielsen, deputy superintendent of student learning, in a state board report released earlier this year.

"We are committed to implementing evidence-based programs that address reading challenges early, providing intensive support where it's needed most, and tracking progress to make sure every student has the opportunity to improve and succeed," Nielsen said.

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