More Chicago Public Schools students are graduating and entering college, but longer-term data shows that earning a postsecondary degree remains a challenge for many.

Chicago Public Schools has reached a new milestone: 83.4% of students in the Class of 2026 graduated within four years, the highest rate in district history and an increase from 82.6% the previous year. District officials announced the results Wednesday, October 21, celebrating progress that has approximately doubled Chicago’s graduation rate since 2001.

Students are also leaving high school with more academic and career qualifications. According to Chicago Public Schools, 57.2% of graduates earned at least one early college or career credential, including college credits, industry certifications or recognition of language proficiency. The district reported a 70.7% college enrollment rate and a 78.3% college persistence rate, while scholarship awards for the Class of 2026 totaled nearly $3 billion.

But a separate report highlights the challenge beyond high school. WBEZ reported Friday that just 48% of CPS graduates from the Class of 2019 who enrolled immediately in college earned a degree or workforce certificate within six years, compared with a national rate of 64%. The figures measure an earlier cohort than the Class of 2026, but they illustrate why graduation and college enrollment alone cannot establish long-term educational success.

The progress is meaningful. More students are graduating, accumulating college credit and gaining access to postsecondary opportunities. The next measure of Chicago’s success will be whether those opportunities translate into completed credentials, sustainable employment and economic mobility, particularly for students in historically underserved neighborhoods.