Minnesota Sets New Record for High School Graduation Rates Statewide

Beltrami County's dropout rate jumped from 10.7% to 16.1% in a single year, pushing the county further from a statewide milestone that Minnesota's class of 2025 just set: an 84.9% four-year graduation rate, the highest in recorded state history.

The gap is more than 20 percentage points wide. While 61,935 students across Minnesota earned diplomas in 2025, Beltrami County posted just 64.4% in 2024, down from 65.8% the year before, with only 407 of 632 county students finishing on time.

The numbers hit hardest for the county's most vulnerable students. American Indian students in Beltrami County graduated at just 40.2% in 2024, a slight improvement from 38.8% in 2023 but still more than 44 points below the statewide rate. Students eligible for free or reduced lunch graduated at 50.7%, and male students finished at 61.9% compared to 67.1% for female students.

Each student who drops out in Beltrami County is statistically less likely to find stable work, more likely to cost the justice system money, and more likely to raise children in poverty.

John Eggers, a former Red Lake High School principal with 60 years in education, has been working toward a 100% graduation rate across Beltrami County since 2017 through Project Graduate 100%. His organization launched a Dropout Prevention Hotline, providing real-time phone support to students, parents, and community members trying to keep kids enrolled.

Minnesota's 2025 graduating class, totaling 61,935 students, marked the highest rate the state has ever recorded. For Beltrami County, it is a benchmark that still feels out of reach.