Dublin, Laurens County 2026 graduation rates were among Georgia’s highest

Georgia’s high school seniors recorded an historic-high graduation rate in 2026, with most but not all area high schools showing some improvement.

The state’s four-year graduation rate rose to 88.5 percent – an all-time high but one that was easily surpassed by all but one of the 11 public high schools in the Heart of Georgia Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA) area, according to recently released stats from the Georgia Department of Education.

Dublin High seniors graduated at a 96.6 percent rate, West Laurens at 94 percent and East Laurens at 91.6 percent. West Laurens’ (2.2 percent) and Dublin’s (0.1 percent) rates both were up from 2025, while East Laurens’ declined by 2.4 percent.

The only high school graduating at a rate below the state average in 2026 was Johnson County, at 87.5 percent.

Here are the 2026 graduation rates within the Heart of Georgia RESA. Counties with more than one high school or an alternative school include an overall rate, as well as rates for those individual:

• Dublin City (overall) – 93.9 percent 

— Dublin High School 96.6 percent 

— Moore Street School – 68.8 percent (16 students)

• Laurens County (overall) – 93.5 percent

— West Laurens High – 94.4 percent 

— East Laurens – 91.6 percent 

• Bleckley County (overall) – 97.8 percent

— Bleckley High School – 99.3 percent

— Bleckley Success Academy – 89.3 percent 

• Dodge County (overall) – 88.2 percent

— Dodge High School – 91.5 percent

— Dodge Achievement Center – 65.5 percent

• Montgomery County High School – 96.8 percent 

• Pulaski County (Hawkinsville High) – 90.5 percent

• Telfair County High School – 98.8 percent

• Treutlen High School – 89.8 percent

• Wheeler County High School – 93.1 percent

• Wilcox County High School – 92.1 percent

Georgia’s 88.5 percent graduation rate was the highest since the state began using the adjusted cohort calculation as first required in 2011 by federal law.

A four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate is the percentage of high school students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma or state-defined alternate diploma. The “adjusted cohort” starts off with a high school’s class of first-time freshmen and is adjusted for transfers, emigration and deaths.