89% to 82%: North Dakota's Graduation Rate Collapse
North Dakota's four-year graduation rate has fallen every year since 2020, dropping 6.6 points as a growing cohort outpaces the system.
Peace Garden State Education Coverage, Driven by Data
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North Dakota's four-year graduation rate has fallen every year since 2020, dropping 6.6 points as a growing cohort outpaces the system.
Kindergarten enrollment fell 13.1% from its 2020 peak. North Dakota now has fewer entering students than graduates, a first since the Bakken boom.
West Fargo Schools has added students every year since 2009, more than doubling to 13,211. The gap with Bismarck is now just 466 students.
After adding 23,192 students since 2009, North Dakota's enrollment declined in 2026 for the first time outside a pandemic year, signaling a structural shift.
NDDPI releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing a 233-student decline, ending a 16-year growth era driven by the Bakken oil boom.