6,275 SD Unified Seniors will Graduate, Move on to College & Careers

SAN DIEGO (MAY 04, 2026) - San Diego Unified School District is expecting 6,275 seniors to graduate this year. 25 district high schools will host graduation ceremonies in May, but the most significant may be the inaugural graduating senior class from Logan Memorial High School. One-hundred and fifty-seven seniors, four years after Logan Memorial High School opened, will take their hard earned, future-ready talents to universities, community colleges and careers.

During a press conference at the Logan Memorial High School high school today, impressive district wide achievements by the 2025-26 senior class were announced by Superintendent Fabi Bagula, Ph.D.; Board of Education President Richard Barrera, and campus administrators. Students representing the senior class of Logan Memorial High School also shared their individual stories of progress and success.

Preliminary estimates indicate a 91% graduation rate for San Diego Unified, a 1% increase when comparing this year to 2024-25. Final totals will be available after summer school.

San Diego Unified graduated 90.3% of its senior students in 2024-25. San Diego Unified's A-G Completion Rate was 26% better than all large urban schools in the state of California.

"Graduation is a testament to the resilience, talent, and determination of our students," said Superintendent Fabi Bagula, Ph.D. "Our seniors leave San Diego Unified not only with academic knowledge, but with the skills to thrive in a complex world. We are deeply committed to ensuring every student is prepared and empowered to pursue their dreams. This graduating class is ready to live a choice-filled life."

Seniors across San Diego Unified have numerous opportunities to level-up their abilities and earn designations to demonstrate their commitments to biliteracy, civic engagement, career technical pathways, and International Baccalaureate ®.

732 graduating seniors are projected to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy, an official recognition awarded by all U.S. states to high school students who demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one other language. It is a 6% increase over last year's 687 recipients. San Diego Unified awards the seal for 13 different languages and it appears on the student's diploma or transcript to highlight their language skills to colleges and employers. The goal is to encourage multilingualism, value cultural diversity, and prepare students for a global society.

241 seniors to date have submitted their applications for the State Seal of Civic Engagement, an award for students excelling in civics, making a difference in their communities, and knowing how democracy works. The application period closes later in May and awards will be determined at a later date. For the 2024-25 school year there were 233 applicants.

"Today we celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our graduating seniors and the journeys that brought them here," said Board of Education President Richard Barrera. "San Diego Unified has worked to create opportunities that open doors. These graduates are stepping into the next chapter with confidence, purpose, and a strong foundation. We are proud to have helped prepare leaders who will contribute meaningfully to their communities and beyond."

Other distinctions of the 2025-26 graduating class include:

• 2,140 seniors have been reclassified as fluent in English
• 2,008 seniors are Career Technical Education Pathway Graduates
• 187 seniors are receiving International Baccalaureate ® certificate (gold tassel)
• 126 seniors are receiving International Baccalaureate ® full diploma

Significance of Inaugural Logan Memorial High School Graduating Class

Logan Heights was home to Memorial Junior High starting in 1922 and in the Fall of 2022, 100 years later, Logan Memorial High School was opened. The opening of the high school came after the population grew in the Logan Heights neighborhood and the neighborhood children were required to attend high school outside of their community because one did not exist nearby. After significant community advocacy that started in 2015 for a Logan Heights high school, Logan Memorial High School was opened seven years later and now the students of the high school and the entire Logan Memorial Educational Campus (LMEC) are thriving in an educational environment that provides daycare through 12th grade educational opportunities for the nearby and surrounding community.

College & Career Readiness Goal

One of San Diego Unified's goals is to increase graduating student cohorts' level of college and career preparedness, as measured by the College/Career indicator on the California School Dashboard, from 59.9% of high school graduates placed in the "Prepared" level in August 2023 to 71.9% by August 2030.

Since the College and Career Indicator (CCI) was developed by the State of California in 2017, student preparedness for life after high school has improved from 53%.3 from San Diego Unified's Class of 2017 to 66.6% for the Class of 2025.

Each San Diego Unified School is different, but district officials attribute the overall improvements to some key student performance outcome indicators and research-based levers which include strategic scheduling, strong student-adult relationships, and supportive 8th to 9th grade transition "bridging."

Pathways to College and Career Readiness @ San Diego Unified

San Diego Unified students have three paths toward improving their college and career opportunities post graduation by taking "a-g" courses that help them become eligible for California State Universities, earning early college credit through the district's partnerships with higher education institutions, and career technical education (CTE).

According to the California Department of Education, CTE significantly increases the high school graduation rate and also results in a higher percentage of students going to college and persisting through graduation. High-risk students are 8 to 10 times less likely to drop out in grades ten and eleven if they enroll in a CTE program instead of a general program.

To learn more about and enroll in San Diego Unified School District schools, click here.

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