Nevada Graduation Rate Explained

Nevada's Class of 2025 hit an 85.4% statewide four-year graduation rate — the highest ever recorded, up from 81.6% the year before. That number sounds simple. It isn't.

What the Graduation Rate Measures

Nevada's official rate is the Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR): the percentage of ninth graders who earned a standard diploma within four years. "Adjusted" means the cohort updates as students transfer in or out — preventing schools from gaming the number.

Students earning a GED, certificate of completion, or needing a fifth year are not counted in the four-year rate. Nevada also publishes a Five-Year Graduation Rate as a secondary metric.

The 2024-25 Numbers by District

• Statewide: 85.4% (up from 81.6%)
• Clark County: 86.6%
• Churchill County: 85.9%
• Douglas County: 85.9%
• Carson City: 83.3%
• Elko County: 82.9%

Some very small districts report rates as low as 50% — but those involve cohorts under 10 students where a single outcome swings the percentage dramatically.

How It Factors Into the NSPF

Graduation rate is one of six NSPF components, applied to high schools only. Above 90% earns maximum points. Below 67% triggers intervention. The NSPF also breaks it down by student subgroup — a school at 85% overall but 60% for English language learners gets penalized under Closing Opportunity Gaps.

What a High Rate Tells You — and Doesn't

It tells you: Most students who walk in as ninth graders walk out four years later with a diploma. That says something real about whether the school holds students through hard stretches.

It doesn't tell you: Whether those diplomas mean anything for college. A school can graduate 90% of students while only 40% hit the ACT benchmark for college-level reading. Graduation rate and college readiness are different numbers — the NSPF tracks both.

The Five-Year Rate: Often More Informative

For schools serving students navigating significant hardships, the five-year rate better captures actual impact. A school with 80% four-year and 88% five-year rates is doing better work than one with 80% four-year and 81% five-year.

Using It to Compare Schools

Use graduation rate alongside the star rating, proficiency scores, and College and Career Readiness metrics. For high school transitions — especially in ninth grade — graduation rates reflect multi-year outcomes for the same cohort your student would join.

Compare Nevada high school graduation rates at NevadaSchools.org.