Metro Nashville Public Schools graduated 86.4% of the Class of 2026, its highest rate on record. Glencliff and Maplewood high schools each rose by more than 17 points.
Metro Nashville Public Schools graduated 86.4% of its eligible students in 2026. It is the highest graduation rate in the district’s history.
The district announced the figure in a news release on Thursday. The new rate tops the previous record of 85.7%, set in 2024. The district said its three highest graduation rates have all come in the last three years.
The numbers
- Class of 2026, districtwide: 86.4%, a record.
- Previous record, 2024: 85.7%.
- 2006: 68.8%. The 2026 rate is 17.6 percentage points higher.
- Maplewood High School: up from 71.2% in 2025 to 88.3% in 2026.
- Glencliff High School: up from 61.5% in 2025 to 80.8% in 2026.
The release does not give the districtwide rate for 2025, or a statewide figure to compare.
Two schools that moved the most
The district singled out two high schools whose rates rose sharply in a single year.
At Maplewood High School on Walton Lane, the rate rose 17.1 points. In 2025, 151 of 212 students in the graduating class finished on time, according to the Tennessee Department of Education’s 2025 graduation rate file. Principal Sonya Brooks said staff meet at least once a month with each senior. They give academic and non-academic support to keep students on track, the district said.
“I think the collaboration among teachers, school counselors, and all stakeholders has been the main reason our graduation rate has increased,” said Tristin Johnson-Williams, a school counselor at Maplewood for 13 years.
At Glencliff High School on Antioch Pike, the rate rose 19.3 points. In 2025, 246 of 400 students graduated on time, according to the same state file. Every Glencliff student is assigned to one staff member for all four years, said Bailey Tidwell, the school’s college and career readiness coach.
“One of the things that have led us to our success in our graduation rate is building those relationships step by step and pairing each of our students with an adult in the building,” Tidwell said. “It takes a whole staff effort.”
Tidwell said staff aim for every student to leave with a plan for college, a career or military service. One Glencliff senior is on track to earn an associate degree from Nashville State Community College alongside his diploma, through the Early College program, the district said.
What the superintendent said
“We are continuing to make history in Nashville Public Schools, and this record graduation rate is another powerful example of what our students and educators can accomplish together,” Superintendent Adrienne Battle said in the release.
Battle won the Green-Garner Award as urban superintendent of the year this month, the district announced Oct. 23.
What it means for you
- If you have a student in an MNPS high school, the two schools above show what the district credits: a named adult for each student and regular check-ins with seniors. Ask your school counselor what that looks like at your school.
- If you are choosing a school, our school-by-school pages carry each high school’s state graduation rate, letter grade and ACT results. The 2026 school-level rates will be added when the state publishes its files.
- For college costs, the University MNPS program now includes East Tennessee State University. Read what the ETSU scholarship offers MNPS graduates.
The graduation rate counts students who finish with a regular diploma within four years and a summer of starting ninth grade, as Tennessee calculates it. More on the district on our Nashville schools page.
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