Marietta Class of 2026: $5.3 Million in Scholarships, 80% College-Bound, and a Workforce Already Waiting

MARIETTA, Ga. — The Marietta High School Class of 2026 has earned more than $5.3 million in scholarships and counting ahead of Thursday's graduation ceremony at Northcutt Stadium. 

The figure excludes Georgia's HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships. With those added, the total climbs well past the published number. 

Five hundred and seventy seniors will cross the stage Thursday night. Eight in ten already know which college they're walking into. The rest have signed offer letters, taken oaths, or built paths nobody handed them. Behind every name on the program is four years of teachers, counselors, coaches, and families who understood their investment would pay dividends. 

"The world is about to meet this class," said Marietta High School Principal Dr. Marvin Crumbs. "Every campus, every job site, every barracks, every neighborhood about to receive a Marietta graduate — get ready. These young people don't sit and wait. They show up, they work, and they make the room better. That's what we build in Marietta. That's what this class proves." 

By the numbers 

● 570 graduating seniors 

● 383 are heading to college — 80.3% of the class 

● 287 of those are bound for four-year colleges and universities 

● 96 are bound for two-year technical and community colleges 

● 94 are stepping into the workforce, the military, or other paths — 19.7% 

● $5,352,996 in scholarships awarded to date 

Headed to college: 

The top five destinations account for roughly two-thirds of the college-bound class: 

● Kennesaw State University — 78 

● Chattahoochee Technical College — 64 

● University of Georgia — 42 

● Georgia State University — 39 

● Georgia Southern University — 27 

This year's class is sending the largest cohort in MHS history to the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. 

Beyond the top five, graduates are heading to Auburn, the University of Alabama, the University of Tennessee, and Georgia College & State University — and as far as Princeton, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Beijing Film Academy. 

Into the workforce: 

Ninety-four Class of 2026 graduates are stepping directly into careers, the military, or other paths. Many are walking into jobs they've trained for since day one at the Marietta College and Career Academy. Regional employers — C.W. Matthews, JE Dunn Construction, Brasfield & Gorrie, and Vantix Electric — are hiring Class of 2026 Blue Devils, some finalizing offers before caps and gowns were ordered. It's the Academy model working as designed: industry meeting students where they are, in the city where they grew up. 

Serving their country: 

Twenty graduates have reported enlisting in the U.S. Armed Forces. Eight are committing to the United States Marine Corps. One has signed with the Army National Guard. Others are still in the enlistment process. Eight Marines from a single graduating class is a Marietta story — rivaling the count headed to most colleges on the destinations list. 

International Baccalaureate: 

Fifty-four members of the Class of 2026 will earn the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma — one of the most rigorous secondary credentials in the world. Thirty-five more graduate from the IB Career-Related Programme, which pairs IB academic coursework with technical and career training. Marietta High School is an IB World School. 

"This class walked into Marietta High School four years ago and walked out as different people," said Marietta City Schools Superintendent Grant Rivera. "They became leaders. They became teammates. They became students whose teachers knew their names. They became young adults their families now ask for advice. That is the real graduation. The diploma is the certificate." 

Weather 

Marietta City Schools is monitoring the forecast closely. By 12:00 p.m. Thursday morning, the district will confirm whether the ceremony will proceed as scheduled or shift to Friday at 7:30 p.m. per the graduation handbook rain plan. Families will be notified by email, text, phone, the district website, and social media. 

Graduation details 

● Who: Marietta High School Class of 2026 

● When: Thursday, May 21, 7:30 p.m. 

● Where: Northcutt Stadium, 121 Winn St., Marietta, GA 30064 

● Live stream: https://www.youtube.com/live/O-NjFz0sLRA?si=toeS0fA0UTuEG9GZ 

● Complete graduation information: https://mhs.marietta-city.org/school-life/graduation-information