Hanover County Public Schools announced today an on-time graduation rate of 95.6 percent for the class of 2021, the ninth straight year that Hanover’s graduation rate has exceeded 95 percent.
The rate is the third-highest on-time graduation rate in Virginia among the 15 largest school divisions in the state, according to new data from the Virginia Department of Education. Overall, Hanover’s graduation rate for students who entered the ninth grade during the 2017-18 school year continues to outpace the state’s, where 93 percent earned a Board of Education-approved diploma.
Additionally, more HCPS students are graduating with advanced diplomas, with 67.2 percent of 2021 graduates completing high school with the advanced diploma as compared with 65.1 percent for the class of 2020. Graduates from all four high schools earned a higher rate of advanced diplomas than the state average, including among economically disadvantaged students. Economically disadvantaged students in Hanover also earned advanced diplomas at one of the 10 highest rates in the state.
The county graduated 1,419 students this year with a 2.4 percent dropout rate, one of the four lowest dropout rates among the 15 largest school divisions in the state.
“Our students, faculty, and staff continue to demonstrate their resilience in the most challenging circumstances we have ever encountered,” said Dr. Michael Gill, Superintendent of Schools. “Despite a significant portion of their high school education being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, our seniors exercised great poise and commitment. I equally applaud the exhaustive efforts of our talented and dedicated educators and staff, who work tirelessly to ensure our students receive an outstanding education, as well as the strong support of our families and broader community. We are incredibly proud of them and look forward to witnessing the great contributions they will make.”
Here are some quick facts on the Hanover County Public Schools Class of 2021:
- 1,419 graduates
- 67.2% Advanced Diploma
- 28.4% Standard and Other Diploma
- 95.6% on-time graduation rate
- 89.2% on-time graduation rate among economically disadvantaged students
- 2.4% dropout rate
More information can be found in the Virginia Department of Education’s School Quality Profile
for Hanover County Public Schools.