Des Moines
136 Iowa Districts Are at Their All-Time High Graduation Rate
When Iowa's graduation data for the Class of 2024 is sorted district by district, a striking pattern emerges: 136 districts posted their highest graduation rate in the six years of available data. Tha...
The Suburban-Urban Divide: West Des Moines at 90%, Des Moines at 71%
Correction (July 23, 2026): An earlier version said Des Moines serves more students than the six suburban districts combined; those suburbs enroll more students than Des Moines. It also said Iowa City...
The Special Ed Gap Is 18 Points -- Iowa's Most Persistent Equity Divide
Special education students in Iowa graduated at 70% in 2024. The statewide average was 88%. The 18-point gap between the two is the widest equity divide in Iowa's graduation data after Native American...
Iowa's White-Black Graduation Gap Is 15 Points -- And It Hasn't Budged
Iowa's statewide graduation rate returned to 88% in 2024, matching its pre-pandemic level for the first time since 2019. By the most visible metric, the state has recovered.
Des Moines Has Lost 5 Points Since 2019 — The State Capital's Graduation Slide
Correction (July 23, 2026): An earlier version said Des Moines serves more students than the four largest suburbs combined; those suburbs enroll more. It also gave the special education gap as 27 poin...
Storm Lake Graduates 54% of Students — Iowa's Lowest Rate Outside Special Programs
In Iowa, 88% of high school students earn their diplomas on time. In Storm Lake, just 54% do.
Hispanic Enrollment Dipped for the First Time in 2026
For 10 years, Hispanic enrollment was the one line on Iowa's enrollment chart that always went up. While white enrollment fell by 49,582 students between 2015 and 2026, Hispanic growth added 17,974 ov...