Chicago's Class of 2026 just graduated at a record 83.4% — carrying nearly $3 billion in scholarships

When Chicago Public Schools tallied its Class of 2026, the headline number was one the district has chased for a generation: a record-high four-year graduation rate of 83.4 per cent, roughly double where the district stood in 2001. The class also earned nearly $3 billion in scholarships, and college enrollment and persistence rates above national averages. Behind the district figure sit school stories like Ogden International, where 97 per cent of the class graduated. Students are leaving with more than diplomas — college credits, industry certifications, multilingual proficiency seals and, in some cases, associate degrees earned before high school ended. 'This is the result of a concerted effort to open new opportunities to students across the District that are changing the trajectories of their lives,' said CPS chief executive Dr Macquline King.

SDG 4 · Quality education — Mechanism: institutional program