Bethel and Springfield graduation rates climb, while 4J slips

A previous version of this story incorrectly spelled the name of Willamette Principal Alyssa Dodds and incorrectly labeled Springfield’s director of high schools.

Oregon’s class of 2025 graduation rates are out, and some Lane County districts are celebrating.

Statewide, the four-year graduation rate rose by 1.3 percentage points in 2025, reaching 83%, according to data released Thursday, Jan. 29, by the Oregon Department of Education. That is the highest rate in the 11 years the state has been using its current method of measuring graduation rates, and it surpassed the previous peak set in 2020. The latest national graduation rate, from 2022, was 87%.

Lane County’s overall average graduation rate also increased in 2025 by nearly a percentage point, to 78.7%. 

In the Eugene-Springfield metro area, Bethel School District continues to lead the pack, achieving a graduation rate above the state average by 1.5 percentage points. The district’s rate rose by 0.9 percentage points, with Willamette High School boasting a 91.6% four-year graduation rate, the highest in the county for a comprehensive high school.

Alyssa Dodds, principal of Willamette, credited her team of counselors, case managers, teachers, coaches and club leaders who all work to keep kids coming to school. She said the districtwide pride in Willamette is special.

“I see second-graders wearing future Wolverine shirts,” Dodds said.

Springfield Public Schools’ graduation rate improved by 2.7 percentage points, reaching 76.9%. Thurston High School’s rate was second only to Willamette for comprehensive high schools in Lane County at 90.4%. 

Principal Kimberlee Pelster of Thurston High School credited the success to the power of relationship-building.

“We developed a schoolwide advisory that builds in time for connections between teachers and students,” Pelster said. “We’ve fostered student-led affinity groups and increased opportunities for students to find a place on campus where they feel they belong. We have formed a student success coaching team who work in partnership with our counselors and teachers and who celebrate and support based on student needs.”

Eugene School District 4J experienced a second year of decline in graduation rates. Superintendent Miriam Mickelson, who was hired in 2025, said she will form a committee to find the contributing factors to the losses and effective ways to respond.

Kelly McIver, 4J director of communications and intergovernmental relations, said since 2023, 4J high schoolers have had a schedule that allows more opportunities to recover lost credits, but graduating classes in 2024 and 2025 did not get to fully benefit from this change. Credit recovery is not the only factor to improving graduation rates, McIver said, and the district will explore a range of elements, including attendance.

“4J has plenty of educators who have been part of successful efforts to raise graduation rates in the past, so there is confidence that the district can create an effective plan with the right backing from leadership,” McIver wrote in a statement.

According to the Oregon Department of Education, students involved in career and technical education programs graduated at a rate of 97.8% in 2025, higher than all other student groups measured.

Mindy Leroux, Springfield’s director of high schools, said the district’s career and technical education offerings, known as CTE have been a strength. They include classes in areas such as film and video, cosmetology, health sciences and graphic arts.

“Just taking one CTE class increases a student’s probability of graduating,” Leroux said. “We’ve continuously invested in CTE programs that pique students’ interest and keep them engaged in school.”