Table 199.

Credit requirements and exit exam requirements for a standard high school diploma and the use of other high school completion credentials, by state: 2011 and 2012

State	Course credits (in Carnegie units), 2011							High school exit exams, 2012						Other completion credentials, 2012
	Total required credits for standard diploma, all courses		Required credits in selected subject areas					Exit exam required for standard diploma		Characteristics of required exams				Advanced recogni-tion for exceeding standard require-ments	Alternative credential for not meeting all standard require-ments2
			English/ language arts	Social studies	Science	Mathe-matics	Other credits			Subjects tested1		Exam based on standards for 10th grade or higher	Appeals or alternative route to standard diploma if exam failed
1	2		3	4	5	6	7	8		9		10	11	12	13
Alabama	24.00		4.00	4.00	4.00	4.00	8.00	Yes		EMSH		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Alaska	21.00		4.00	3.00	2.00	2.00	10.00	Yes		EM		Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Arizona	20.00		4.00	2.50	2.00	2.00	9.50	Yes		EM		Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Arkansas	22.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	4.00	8.00	Yes		M		No	Yes	No	No
California	13.00		3.00	3.00	2.00	2.00	3.00	Yes		EM		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Colorado	—		—	0.50	—	—	—	No		†		†	†	No	No
Connecticut	20.00		4.00	3.00	2.00	3.00	8.00	No	3	†		†	†	No	No
Delaware	22.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	4.00	8.00	No		†		†	†	No	Yes
District of     Columbia	24.00		4.00	4.00	4.00	4.00	8.00	No		†		†	†	No	Yes
Florida	24.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	4.00	10.00	Yes		EM		Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Georgia	22.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	4.00	8.00	Yes		EMSH		Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Hawaii	24.00		4.00	4.00	3.00	3.00	10.00	No		†		†	†	Yes	Yes
Idaho	21.00		4.50	2.50	2.00	2.00	10.00	Yes		EM		Yes	Yes	No	No
Illinois	16.00		3.00	2.00	2.00	3.00	6.00	No		†		†	†	No	No
Indiana	20.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	7.00	Yes		EM		Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Iowa	13.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	0.00	No		†		†	†	Yes	No
Kansas	21.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	8.00	No		†		†	†	No	No
Kentucky	22.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	9.00	No		†		†	†	Yes	Yes
Louisiana	23.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	10.00	Yes		EMSH	4	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Maine	16.00		4.00	2.00	2.00	2.00	6.00	No		†		†	†	No	Yes
Maryland	21.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	8.00	Yes		EMS		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Massachusetts	—		—	—	—	—	—	Yes		EMS		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Michigan	16.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	4.00	2.00	No		†		†	†	No	No
Minnesota	21.50		4.00	3.50	3.00	3.00	8.00	Yes		EM	5	Yes	Yes	No	No
Mississippi	21.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	4.00	7.00	Yes		EMSH		Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Missouri	24.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	11.00	No		†		†	†	No	No
Montana	20.00		4.00	2.00	2.00	2.00	10.00	No		†		†	†	No	No
Nebraska	200.00	6	—	—	—	—	—	No		†		†	†	No	No
Nevada	22.50		4.00	2.00	2.00	3.00	11.50	Yes		EMS		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
New Hampshire	19.75		4.00	2.50	2.00	2.00	9.25	No		†		†	†	Yes	Yes
New Jersey	22.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	9.00	Yes		EM		Yes	Yes	No	No
New Mexico	23.00		4.00	3.50	3.00	3.00	9.50	No		†		†	†	No	No
New York	22.00		4.00	4.00	3.00	3.00	8.00	Yes		EMSH		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
North Carolina	20.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	4.00	6.00	No		†		†	†	Yes	Yes
North Dakota	22.00		—	—	—	—	—	No		†		†	†	No	No
Ohio	20.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	7.00	Yes		EMSH		Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Oklahoma	23.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	10.00	Yes		EMSH	7	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Oregon	24.00		4.00	3.00	2.00	3.00	12.00	No		†		†	†	No	Yes
Pennsylvania	—		—	—	—	—	—	No		†		†	†	Yes	No
Rhode Island	20.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	4.00	6.00	No	8	†		†	†	No	No
South Carolina	24.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	4.00	10.00	Yes		EM		Yes	No	Yes	Yes
South Dakota	22.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	9.00	No		†		†	†	No	No
Tennessee	20.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	7.00	Yes		EMS		Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Texas	26.00		4.00	4.00	4.00	4.00	10.00	Yes		EMSH		Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Utah	24.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	11.00	No		†		†	†	No	Yes
Vermont	20.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	7.00	No		†		†	†	No	No
Virginia	22.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	9.00	Yes		EMSH	9	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Washington	19.00		3.00	2.50	2.00	2.00	9.50	Yes		E	10	Yes	Yes	No	No
West Virginia	24.00		4.00	4.00	3.00	4.00	9.00	No		†		†	†	Yes	Yes
Wisconsin	13.00		4.00	3.00	2.00	2.00	2.00	No		†		†	†	No	Yes
Wyoming	13.00		4.00	3.00	3.00	3.00	0.00	No		†		†	†	Yes	No

—Not available.

†Not applicable.

1 Exit exam subjects tested: E = English (including writing), M = Mathematics, S = Science, and H = History/social studies.

2 A certificate of attendance is an example of an alternative credential for students who do not meet all requirements for a standard diploma. Depending on an individual state’s policies, alternative credentials may be offered to students with disabilities, students who fail exit exams, or other students who do not meet all requirements.

3 Requirement takes effect for class of 2020.

4 Students must pass either the science or social studies components of the Graduation Exit Examination (GEE) to receive a standard diploma.

5 Students can graduate by passing statewide reading and writing assesments and either passing mathematics assessments or meeting other requirements.

6 Expressed in semester credits instead of Carnegie units.

7 To receive the standard diploma, students in the class of 2012 must pass tests in algebra 1, English 2, and two of the following five subjects: algebra 2, biology 1, English 3, geometry, and U.S. history.

8 Requirement takes effect for class of 2014.

9 To receive the standard diploma, students must earn at least six verified credits by passing end-of-course assessments. One of those credits may be earned by passing a student-selected test in computer science, technology, career and technical education, or other areas.

10 For the graduating class of 2012, students must pass an exit exam in reading and writing. Students in the class of 2013 will be required to pass reading, writing, and mathematics assessments.

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, custom table, retrieved June 7, 2012, from Education Counts database (http://www.edcounts.org/createtable/step1.php); and Education Week, Diplomas Count 2012, "Graduation Policies" table, retrieved June 7, 2012, from http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/dc/2012/Graduation-Policies-Class-of-2012-table.pdf. (This table was prepared June 2012.)