BIE-funded high school graduation rate reported at 79% in 2025, up from 51% in 2015

Unclear

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Independent data or official BIE records confirm BIE-funded high school graduation rate of 79% in 2025 and a rate of 51% in 2015, showing the stated increase.

Source summary
The Department of the Interior announced that the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) reached a record high graduation rate, rising from 51% in 2015 to 79% in 2025. The BIE reports accompanying gains in academic proficiency (a 9% increase in math and 10% in English language arts since 2016) and credits system-wide reforms — including modernized data systems, professional learning communities, and stronger accountability — for the improvements. Interior officials said the changes support more than 400,000 American Indian and Alaska Native students and aim to sustain progress through continued collaboration with tribes, educators, and families.
Latest fact check

Available federal data show that Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) high school graduation rates in the mid‑2010s were in the low 50s: an Obama‑era Performance.gov page reports BIE rates of 48% in 2013–14, 51% in 2014–15, and 49% in 2015–16, but the same document also cites a 55% baseline for 2014–15, indicating internal inconsistency over the exact 2015 baseline value. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for BIE schools was 65% in 2019–20 and 75% in 2021–22, consistent with rising outcomes but providing no figures for 2024–25 or any 79% value. Public BIE and Interior sites reference graduation reporting tools but do not provide a publicly accessible dataset that would independently confirm a 79% graduation rate for BIE‑funded schools in 2025; the only mentions of "51% in 2015" and "79% in 2025" appear in Interior press materials and their reposts. Because the 2014–15 baseline is itself reported as both 51% and 55% in official documents, and no independently compiled data are yet available for 2025, the exact change from 51% in 2015 to 79% in 2025 cannot be reliably verified. Therefore, the verdict is Unclear: key official sources conflict on the 2015 baseline and do not yet provide independent confirmation of a 79% graduation rate for BIE-funded high schools in 2025.

1 year, 4 months, 16 days
Next scheduled update: Jul 01, 2027
1 year, 4 months, 16 days

Timeline

  1. Scheduled follow-up · Jan 01, 2028
  2. Scheduled follow-up · Jul 01, 2027
  3. Completion due · Jul 01, 2027
  4. Update · Jan 16, 2026, 12:41 AMUnclear
    Available federal data show that Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) high school graduation rates in the mid‑2010s were in the low 50s: an Obama‑era Performance.gov page reports BIE rates of 48% in 2013–14, 51% in 2014–15, and 49% in 2015–16, but the same document also cites a 55% baseline for 2014–15, indicating internal inconsistency over the exact 2015 baseline value. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for BIE schools was 65% in 2019–20 and 75% in 2021–22, consistent with rising outcomes but providing no figures for 2024–25 or any 79% value. Public BIE and Interior sites reference graduation reporting tools but do not provide a publicly accessible dataset that would independently confirm a 79% graduation rate for BIE‑funded schools in 2025; the only mentions of "51% in 2015" and "79% in 2025" appear in Interior press materials and their reposts. Because the 2014–15 baseline is itself reported as both 51% and 55% in official documents, and no independently compiled data are yet available for 2025, the exact change from 51% in 2015 to 79% in 2025 cannot be reliably verified. Therefore, the verdict is Unclear: key official sources conflict on the 2015 baseline and do not yet provide independent confirmation of a 79% graduation rate for BIE-funded high schools in 2025.
  5. Update · Jan 16, 2026, 12:28 AMUnclear
    Available Bureau of Indian Education and Department of the Interior testimony to Congress states that BIE’s four‑year adjusted cohort graduation rate rose from just over 51% in 2015 to 75% in 2024, confirming the approximate 51% baseline in 2015 and substantial gains over the decade. The National Center for Education Statistics likewise reports a 75% graduation rate for BIE schools in 2021–22, consistent with these improvements but not extending to 2024–25. As of January 2026, no independent dataset (such as NCES or audited BIE reports) has been published for the 2024–25 school year; the only 79% figure for 2025 appears in Interior press statements, which cannot yet be externally verified. Thus, while the 2015 value is well supported, the specific claim that the rate reached 79% in 2025 cannot currently be confirmed or disproven. Therefore, the verdict is Unclear because independent, verifiable data for the 2025 graduation rate are not yet available, even though the starting figure and general upward trend are supported by credible sources.
  6. Original article · Jan 15, 2026

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