High School Diploma Requirements by State

A high school diploma in the U.S. is a certificate that students receive when they complete high school, which typically spans four years (grades 9-12). To earn this diploma, students must complete a set number of required courses in subjects like English, math, science, and social studies. They also need to pass standardized tests in some states. The diploma is essential for pursuing higher education (like college or vocational training) and is often required for many jobs. Each state has slightly different requirements.

The high school diploma is awarded by the school or school district where the student completed their education. Public schools, private schools, and accredited online high schools all issue high school diplomas once students meet the necessary graduation requirements, which are set by the state.

In Florida, for example, the Florida Department of Education establishes these requirements, but the individual schools grant the actual diploma to students upon successful completion of their studies and any state exams required.

Here are some high school graduation requirements by state.

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In Florida, high school students must earn 24 credits to graduate, which includes:

• 4 English credits
• 4 math credits
• 3 science credits
• 3 social studies credits
• 1 fine or performing arts credit
• 1 physical education (PE) credit
• 8 elective credits (7.5 starting the 2023-2024 school year)
• 0.5 personal financial literacy credit (starting the 2023-2024 year)

Students must earn a 2.0-grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale for all years and pass statewide, standardized assessments unless a waiver of assessment results is granted by the IEP team for students with disabilities.

Students can pursue other pathways, like the 18-credit ACCEL option or Career and Technical Education tracks, to earn their diplomas.

For more details, visit Florida DOE Graduation Requirements.

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Many colleges in Florida and other states will accept a high school diploma from a regionally accredited institution, but it’s important to check with your preferred institution before making a decision.

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Regional accreditation ensures online high schools like Penn Foster are capable of awarding diplomas when students successfully complete all requirements. Colleges and universities ultimately decide whether or not they will accept an online high school diploma, however, so it is important to confirm with your preferred college before making a decision.

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In Georgia, students must earn 23 credits to graduate from high school. This includes:

• 4 English credits
• 4 math credits
• 4 science credits
• 3 social studies credits
• 4 elective credits
• 1 health and PE credit
• 3 credits in career, technical, or foreign language courses

Students also need to pass state assessments and meet other requirements set by the Georgia Department of Education. For more information, refer to Georgia Department of Education.

Read more: Your Guide to Credit Recovery for High School

No, Georgia students are no longer required to earn a passing score on the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT).

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In Illinois, high school students don’t earn credits, but rather must complete a specific amount of years in each subject.

• 4 years of language arts
• 3 years of mathematics
• 2 years of science
• 2 years of social science

The following subjects have varying year requirements depending when the student enters 9th grade:

• World Languages
• Computer Literacy
• Electives

Additional requirements include passing state assessments. For more details, visit Illinois State Board of Education’s graduation requirements.

Read more: How to Decide if a Diploma or a GED is Right for You

Starting in Spring 2025, high school juniors in public Illinois high schools will be required to take the ACT to graduate. Prior to this, Illinois required students to take the SAT.

No, driver’s education is not required for graduation in Illinois, though some school districts do require students take the classroom portion.

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In Kentucky, students need 22 credits to graduate high school. This includes:

• 4 English credits
• 3 math credits
• 3 science credits
• 3 social studies credits
• 0.5 health credit
• 0.5 PE credit
• 1 visual and performing arts credit
• 6 credits in academic and career interest standards-based learning experiences

There is also a required civics exam students must pass as well as a financial literacy course. Students can also pursue early graduation through the Early Graduation Program by meeting specific criteria, such as achieving high scores on college readiness assessments.

For more detailed requirements, visit Kentucky Department of Education or explore KDE’s Minimum High School Graduation Requirements.

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Yes, students in Kentucky are required to take the ACT as part of their high school journey. All juniors (11th-grade students) take the ACT in the spring as part of the state’s accountability and college-readiness assessment program. However, achieving a minimum score on the ACT is not a mandatory graduation requirement. Instead, students can meet graduation requirements through other academic pathways, regardless of their ACT performance.

For students pursuing early graduation through Kentucky's Early Graduation Program (EGP), meeting specific ACT benchmarks is required. These benchmarks help determine eligibility for an early graduation certificate and associated scholarship opportunities from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) to support postsecondary education. If a student’s ACT scores fall short, schools are required to offer accelerated learning programs to help them reach college readiness by graduation.

More details are available through the Kentucky Department of Education and its related resources.

Yes, students in Kentucky can graduate early through two pathways:

1. Traditional Early Graduation: Students can graduate in fewer than four years by meeting all state and local credit requirements (22 credits) and passing required assessments. This is determined at the discretion of the local school district based on the student's progress.
2. Early Graduation Program (EGP): The EGP is a formal pathway designed for students who wish to complete high school in three years or less. To qualify, students must meet specific benchmarks on the ACT (18 in English, 19 in math, and 20 in reading) and other academic requirements. Participants also receive an early graduation certificate and may qualify for a scholarship through the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) to use at a Kentucky college or university.

For further details, visit the Kentucky Department of Education's website or explore KY Standards.

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In North Carolina, students must earn 22 credits to graduate from high school. These credits are distributed across core academic subjects:

• 4 English credits
• 4 math credits
• 3 science credits
• 4 social studies credits
• 1 health and PE credit
• 6 elective credits

Visit the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for more information.

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In New York, high school students must earn 22 credits to graduate with a diploma. These credits include required courses such as:

• 4 English credits
• 4 social studies credits
• 3 math credits
• 3 science credits
• 1 world languages credit
• 1 credit in the arts
• 2 PE credits
• 0.5 health credit
• 3.5 elective credits

New York public schools offer three types of high school diplomas:

• Local
• Regents
• Regents with Advanced Designation

For more detailed guidance, visit the New York State Education Department's graduation requirements page or consult the official diploma requirements flyer.

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To earn a Regents diploma, students must also pass five Regents exams. The required exams cover:

• One English Language Arts (ELA) exam
• One math exam
• One science exam
• One social studies exam
• An additional Regents exam or a state-approved pathway exam

New York does not require a set number of hours of community service to graduate at the state level. However, some individual school districts may have their own service requirements.

Since virtual high schools are usually not registered by the New York State Board of Regents, they may not be recognized in the state of New York. If you graduate high school from an online school and are looking to pursue higher education in the state of New York, it may benefit you to contact the schools you are interested in to learn their admission requirements. You may have better luck contacting private schools as opposed to state schools, which may not recognize a diploma from a virtual school since they are federally funded, and private schools are not.

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In Pennsylvania, high school students must fulfill certain graduation requirements that include both credit-based coursework and assessments. The statewide requirements, as outlined by Act 158 of 2018, offer multiple pathways to graduation.

Students are required to complete courses across subjects such as English, math, science, and social studies, aligned with state and local education standards.

Read more: How Wyatt Used Penn Foster High School Online to Graduate Early

Students are not required to pass all Keystone Exams to graduate, but they must participate. Act 158 provides five alternative pathways for students who do not score proficient on the Keystone Exams in Algebra I, Literature, and Biology:

1. Keystone Proficiency Pathway – Achieving proficiency on all three Keystone Exams.
2. Keystone Composite Pathway – Meeting a combined score threshold across the exams.
3. Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway – Completing a career-focused education program.
4. Alternative Assessment Pathway – Using SAT, ACT, or other equivalent scores to demonstrate proficiency.
5. Evidence-Based Pathway – Providing a portfolio of achievements, such as advanced coursework or community service, to demonstrate readiness.

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In Pennsylvania, the grading scale varies by district, but typically, a passing grade is 60% or higher, though local education agencies (LEAs) may adopt stricter standards based on local policy.

Act 158 establishes multiple graduation pathways to ensure that students have various ways to demonstrate readiness for college, career, and community engagement. The act took full effect with the graduating class of 2023, allowing for more flexibility beyond the Keystone Exams, which were previously the sole requirement for graduation.

These changes ensure students who excel in other areas—like career education or advanced coursework—still have a path to earn their diploma, even if standardized testing isn’t their strength.

To learn more, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

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In South Carolina, students must earn 24 credits to graduate from high school. This includes:

• 4 English credits
• 4 mathematics credits
• 1 computer science credit
• 3 social studies credits
• 3 science credits
• 1 PE credit (or JROTC or Marching Band with PE)
• 1 world language or career and technology elective credit
• 0.5 personal finance credit
• 6.5 elective credits

As for the high school graduation rate, recent data indicates that South Carolina's graduation rate has hovered around 89%, though this can vary slightly each year and by district. For the most up-to-date and specific details, it is recommended to refer to the South Carolina Department of Education directly.

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In Tennessee, students need 22 credits to graduate high school, including:

• 4 English credits
• 4 math credits
• 3 science credits
• 3 social studies credits
• 1 computer science credit
• 1.5 PE and wellness credit
• 0.5 personal finance credit
• 2 world languages credits
• 1 fine arts credit
• 3 elective credits

Students must also take the ACT or SAT during their junior year.

Policy 2.103 allows early graduation through the “Move on When Ready” program, providing eligibility for college entry if requirements are met. High school is mandatory for students under 18 unless they meet certain exceptions.

For more details, visit Tennessee Graduation Requirements.

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In Virginia, students must earn at least 22 credits for a Standard Diploma, which includes:

• 4 credits in English3 credits in math
• 3 credits in laboratory science
• 3 credits in history and social studies
• 2 credits in health and PE
• 2 credits in world language, fine arts or career and technical education
• 1 credit in personal finance or economics
• 4 elective credits

They also need to pass five Standards of Learning (SOL) exams to meet graduation requirements.

Chemistry is not mandatory, though students need three science credits, which can include various science courses.

Volunteer hours are not required for a Standard Diploma, but individual schools may encourage service learning.

For detailed requirements, visit the Virginia Department of Education and SCHEV.

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In New Jersey, students must meet specific credit requirements adding up to 120 credits, including:

• 20 credits in English language arts
• 15 credits in mathematics
• 15 credits in science
• 15 credits in social studies
• 2.5 credits in financial, economic business, and entrepreneurial business literacy
• 15 credits in health, safety, and PE
• 5 credits in visual and performing arts
• 5 credits in world languages
• 5 credits in 21st century life and careers

They also must demonstrate proficiency through the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) to graduate.

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While the NJSLA (New Jersey Student Learning Assessments) tests are not mandatory for graduation, the NJGPA in ELA and math is required. If students do not pass, they have alternative pathways, such as portfolio appeals or substitute tests like the SAT.

There is no statewide community service hour requirement for graduation, though individual schools may set their own policies. More information is available on the NJDOE graduation page.

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In Texas, students must complete 22 credits under the Foundation High School Program to graduate. Required subjects include English, math, science, and social studies. There are also fine arts, health and PE, and career and technical education requirements students will have to meet.

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While the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) exam is not mandatory for high school graduation, it is used to determine college readiness.

To graduate, students must pass STAAR end-of-course (EOC) exams in five subjects: Algebra I, Biology, U.S. History, English I, and English II. For more details, visit the Texas Education Agency.

Virtual learning alternatives like accredited online high school diplomas are an excellent option for students or for adults who are coming back to school after stepping away the first time around.

Penn Foster High School is fully accredited both nationally and regionally, making it a viable option for students across the country. While it’s still important to check your state’s requirements before making a decision, Penn Foster can be the perfect solution for those facing challenges completing high school in the traditional way. Request more info and find out if Penn Foster High School is right for you!

Disclaimer: High school graduation requirements vary by state and may impact the acceptance of diplomas for college admissions, especially at certain state-funded institutions like New York public universities. However, Penn Foster High School is regionally and nationally accredited, ensuring its diploma is recognized by many colleges, universities, and employers across the U.S. Prospective students should always research specific requirements for their state or intended college to ensure alignment with their educational goals.