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Digest of Education Statistics
2008 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 167. State requirements for a standard high school diploma: 2006
State Total required credits for standard diploma, all courses Required credits in
subject areas (in Carnegie units)
High school exit exam required for standard diploma Characteristics of required
exit exams
High school completion credentials
English/ language arts Social studies Science Mathe-matics Other credits Subjects tested1  Exam type2  Exam based on stand-ards for 10th grade or higher Appeals or alter-native route to standard diploma if exam failed Advanced recog-nition for ex-ceeding standard require-ments Alternative credential for not meeting all standard require-ments
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Alabama 24   4   4   4   4   8   Yes   EMSH SB Yes No Yes Yes
Alaska 21   4   3   2   2   10   Yes   EM MC Yes Yes No Yes
Arizona 20   4   2.5   2   2   9.5   Yes   EM SB Yes Yes Yes No
Arkansas 21 3 4   3   3   3 3 8   No   No No
California 13   3   3   2   2   3   Yes   EM SB Yes Yes Yes Yes
                                         
Colorado 4 4 3,4 3 4 4 No   No No
Connecticut 20   4   3   2   3   8   No   No No
Delaware 22 3 4   3   3 3 3 3 9   No   Yes Yes
District of Columbia 23.5   4   3.5 3 3   3 3 10   No   No Yes
Florida 24   4   3   3   3 3 11   Yes   EM SB Yes Yes Yes Yes
                                         
Georgia 22   4   3   3   4   8   Yes   EMSH SB Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hawaii 22 3 4   4   3   3   8   No   Yes Yes
Idaho 21 3 4.5   2.5   2 3 2 3 10   Yes   EM SB Yes Yes No No
Illinois 16   3 3 2   1 3 2 3 8   No   No No
Indiana 20   4   2 3 2 3 2 3 10 3 Yes   EM SB No Yes Yes No
                                         
Iowa 3 3 1.5   3 3 1   No   No No
Kansas 21   4   3   2 3 2 3 10   No   No No
Kentucky 22   4   3   3   3   9   No   Yes Yes
Louisiana 23   4   3   3   3   10   Yes   EMSH SB Yes Yes Yes Yes
Maine 16   4   2   2   2   6   No   No No
                                         
Maryland 21   4   3   3   3   8   Yes 5 No Yes Yes
Massachusetts 4 4 4 4 4 4 Yes   EM SB Yes Yes No Yes
Michigan 3,4 3,4 0.5 3 3,4 3,4 4 No   No Yes
Minnesota 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 4 Yes   EM MC No No No No
Mississippi 20 3 4   3   3 3 3 3 7   Yes   EMSH EOC Yes Yes No Yes
                                         
Missouri 22 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 13 3 No   Yes No
Montana 20   4   2   2   2   10   No   No No
Nebraska 200 hrs 6 4 4 4 4 4 No   No No
Nevada 22.5   4   2   2   3   11.5   Yes   EM SB Yes No Yes Yes
New Hampshire 19.75 3 4   2.5 3 2 3 2 3 9.25   No   Yes Yes
                                         
New Jersey 22   4   3   3   3   9   Yes   EM SB Yes Yes No No
New Mexico 23   4   3 3 2 3 3   11 3 Yes   EMSH MC No Yes No Yes
New York 22   4   4   3   3   8   Yes   EMSH EOC Yes Yes Yes Yes
North Carolina 20   4   3   3   4   6   Yes   EMT SB No Yes Yes Yes
North Dakota 21 3 4 4 4 4 4 No   No No
                                         
Ohio 20   4   3   3   3 3 7   Yes   EMSH SB Yes Yes Yes No
Oklahoma 23   4   3   3   3   10   Yes 5 No Yes No
Oregon 22 3 3 3 3   2 3 2 3 12   No   Yes Yes
Pennsylvania 4 4 4 4 4 4 No   Yes No
Rhode Island 18 3 4   2   2 3 3 3 7   No   No Yes
                                         
South Carolina 24   4   3   3   4   10   Yes   EM SB Yes No No Yes
South Dakota 22   4   3   2.5   2.5   10   No   Yes No
Tennessee 20   4   3   3   3   7   Yes   EMS EOC Yes No No Yes
Texas 22 3 4   3   2   3   10   Yes   EMSH SB Yes No Yes Yes
Utah 15 3 3 3 2.5   2 3 2 3 5.5   No   No Yes
                                         
Vermont 20   4   3   3   3   7   No   No No
Virginia 22   4   3   3   3   9   Yes   EMSH EOC Yes Yes Yes Yes
Washington 19   3   2.5   2   2   9.5   Yes 5 No No No
West Virginia 24   4   3 3 3   3 3 11   No   No Yes
Wisconsin 13   4   3   2   2   2   No   No No
Wyoming 13   4   3   3   3   0   No   Yes Yes
— Not available.
† Not applicable.
1 Exit exam subjects tested: E = English (including writing), M = Mathematics, S = Science, H = History/social studies, and T = Technology.
2 Exit exam types: EOC = End-Of-Course, MC = Minimum Competency, and SB = Standards Based.
3 Number of required credits scheduled to change for classes graduating in 2007 or later.
4 Graduation requirements are determined locally.
5 Takes effect for classes graduating in 2007 or later.
6 Credit hours for graduating classes for Nebraska are not expressed in Carnegie units.
NOTE: Local school districts frequently have other graduation requirements in addition to state requirements. The Carnegie unit is a standard of measurement that represents one credit for the completion of a 1-year course.
SOURCE: Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, Education Week, "What It Takes to Graduate for the Class of 2007," retrieved June 19, 2007, from www.edweek.org/media/ew/dc/2007/40policy-1.pdf; Education Commission of the States, StateNotes, retrieved September 24, 2007, from http://mb2.ecs.org/reports/Report.aspx?id=735; and supplemental information from several state education agencies. (This table was prepared September 2007.)

2008 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest