Four Gifts Publishing · Research
State Financial Literacy Requirements
A 50-state tracker of high school personal finance mandates: whether each state requires it, whether the requirement is a standalone course or embedded in another subject, when it takes effect, and where to find the official rule.
31
States requiring
a standalone course
a standalone course
7
States requiring
it embedded
it embedded
10
States with standards
or offering rules only
or offering rules only
3
States and D.C.
with no requirement
with no requirement
Filter:
| State | Mandate? | Course Type | Effective | Key Characteristics | Legislation | Official Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2028 | HB 164 (2023). Dedicated Personal Financial Literacy and Money Management course; nine required content areas in §16-40-12; may fulfill a math credit; includes required state financial literacy exam. | HB 164 (2023); §16-40-12 | ALSDE – financial literacy standards ↗ |
| Alaska | No requirement | None | — | No statewide personal finance course requirement or mandated standards. | — | — |
| Arizona | Required – embedded | Embedded | Ongoing | Personal finance standards delivered within the required economics coursework. | — | AZ DOE – personal finance within economics standards ↗ |
| Arkansas | Required – embedded | Embedded | Ongoing | Personal and family finance content required within economics / Economics & Personal Finance coursework. | — | AR DESE – personal finance within economics standards ↗ |
| California | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2030–31 | AB 2927 (2024). Semester personal finance course; becomes a graduation requirement beginning class of 2030–31. | AB 2927 (2024); EC §51284.5 | CDE – Personal Finance Curriculum Guide ↗ |
| Colorado | Required – standalone | Standalone | Recently enacted (phasing in) | HB25-1192 (2025), 28th state. Course must meet Colorado financial literacy standards; state funds support teacher professional development. | HB25-1192 (2025) | CDE – Academic Standards: Personal Financial Literacy ↗ |
| Connecticut | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2027 | SB 1165 (2023). Half-credit course covering banking, investing, saving, and credit and debit card use. | SB 1165 / PA 23-21 (2023) | CSDE – Personal Financial Management & Financial Literacy standards ↗ |
| Delaware | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2030 | House Substitute 1 for HB 203 (2025), 30th state. At least a half-credit course aligned to state financial literacy standards. | HB 203 / HS1 (2025) | DE General Assembly – HB 203 (state standards forthcoming) ↗ |
| District of Columbia | No requirement | None | — | No standalone personal finance course requirement for graduation. | — | — |
| Florida | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2027 | Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act, SB 1054 (2022). Half-credit course required for graduation. | SB 1054 (2022); §1003.4282 | FLDOE – PFL & Money Management course standards ↗ |
| Georgia | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2028 | HB 1219 (2022). Half-credit course; may count toward a math, social studies, or elective credit. | SB 220 (2022); §20-2-149.4 | GaDOE – Personal Finance & Economics course standards ↗ |
| Hawaii | Required – standalone | Standalone | 2026–27 school year | Financial literacy required for graduation beginning 2026–27, aligned to HIDOE Financial Literacy Program Standards (six topic areas). | — | HIDOE – Financial Literacy program standards ↗ |
| Idaho | Required – embedded | Embedded | Ongoing | Financial literacy standards delivered within required economics coursework. | — | Idaho SDE – personal finance within economics standards ↗ |
| Illinois | Standards / offering | Standards / embedded | Ongoing | Long-standing consumer education requirement that may be met within other coursework; no statewide standalone personal finance course. | — | Illinois State Board of Education ↗ |
| Indiana | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2028 | SB 35 (2023). Personal financial responsibility course required at public, charter, and accredited nonpublic schools. | SB 35 (2023); IC 20-30-5-19 | IDOE – Financial Literacy standards & PFR course ↗ |
| Iowa | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2023 | HF 420 (2020). Half unit of financial literacy required for graduation. | SF 2415 / SF 391 (2018–21) | Iowa Core – Financial Literacy standards ↗ |
| Kansas | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2027 | Kansas State Board of Education (2021). Half-credit personal finance course added to graduation requirements. | KAR 91-31-35 (2022) | KSDE – personal finance graduation requirement (course 22990) ↗ |
| Kentucky | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2029 | HB 342 (2025). Standalone personal finance course; converted prior embedded requirement to a dedicated course. | HB 342 (2025); KRS 158.1411 | KDE – Career Studies & Financial Literacy academic standards ↗ |
| Louisiana | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2027 | Act 195 (2023), 22nd state. One-unit financial literacy course required for graduation. | Act 195 (2023); R.S. 17:270 | LDOE – Financial Literacy course guidance ↗ |
| Maine | Standards / offering | Standards | Ongoing | Financial literacy included in state learning standards; no statewide standalone course requirement. | — | Maine Dept. of Education ↗ |
| Maryland | Standards / offering | Standards | Ongoing | State requires financial literacy instruction/standards, but no statewide standalone graduation course (delivery set locally). | — | Maryland State Dept. of Education ↗ |
| Massachusetts | Standards / offering | Standards | Ongoing | Financial literacy embedded in K–12 standards; no statewide standalone course requirement. | — | Massachusetts Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education ↗ |
| Michigan | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2028 | HB 5190 / Public Act 197 (2022). Half-credit personal finance course required for graduation. | HB 5190 / PA 197 (2022); MCL 380.1278a | MDE – Personal Finance content expectations ↗ |
| Minnesota | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2028 | HF 2497 (2023). Personal finance course required; teachers need a field license or out-of-field permission. | HF 2497 (2023); §120B.024 | MDE – Personal Finance statewide guidance ↗ |
| Mississippi | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2022 | Personal finance delivered through the mandatory yearlong College and Career Readiness course (one of eight units). Counted by NGPF as a guarantee state. | State Board policy (CCR) | MDE – College & Career Readiness course framework ↗ |
| Missouri | Required – standalone | Standalone | 2019–20 school year | Missouri State Board of Education (2017). Long-standing half-credit standalone personal finance course requirement. | State Board policy (2006) | DESE – Personal Finance Standards ↗ |
| Montana | Standards / offering | Standards | Ongoing | Financial literacy required within state standards; no statewide standalone course requirement. | — | Montana Office of Public Instruction ↗ |
| Nebraska | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2024 | Financial Literacy Act. Standalone financial literacy course required for graduation at public high schools. | LB 452 (2021); §79-729 | NDE – Financial Literacy Act guidance & standards ↗ |
| Nevada | Standards / offering | Standards | Ongoing | Financial literacy required within economics/standards; no statewide standalone graduation course. | — | Nevada Dept. of Education ↗ |
| New Hampshire | Required – standalone | Standalone | 2026–27 school year | HB 1671 (2022). Standalone half-credit personal finance course beginning 2026–27, in addition to the existing economics requirement. | HB 1671 (2022) | NH DOE – competencies set locally (rule Ed 306.28) ↗ |
| New Jersey | Required – embedded | Embedded | Ongoing | Financial literacy instruction required (including a middle-school requirement); delivered within required curriculum. | N.J.S.A. 18A:35-4.34 | NJDOE – financial literacy standards ↗ |
| New Mexico | Required – embedded | Embedded | Ongoing | Financial literacy required to be available and may be embedded in required coursework or offered as an elective. | — | NM PED – personal finance within economics standards ↗ |
| New York | Required – embedded | Embedded | Ongoing | Personal finance content delivered within the required economics course. | — | NYSED – personal finance within economics ↗ |
| North Carolina | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2024 | HB 924 (2019). Full-credit Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) course required for graduation. | HB 924 (2019); SL 2019-82 | NCDPI – Economics & Personal Finance standards ↗ |
| North Dakota | Standards / offering | Course must be offered | Ongoing | Districts required to offer a personal finance course, but students are not required to complete one to graduate. | — | North Dakota Dept. of Public Instruction ↗ |
| Ohio | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2026 | SB 1 (effective July 2022). Half-unit financial literacy course required for graduation. | SB 1 (2021); ORC 3313.6020 | ODEW – Financial Literacy learning standards ↗ |
| Oklahoma | Required – embedded | Embedded | 9th graders entering 2025–26 | Passport to Financial Literacy Act. Students must show proficiency in 14 areas, delivered as a half-unit standalone or integrated into courses (grades 7–12). | 70 O.S. §11-103.6h | OSDE – Personal Financial Literacy academic standards ↗ |
| Oregon | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2027 | SB 3 (2023). Half-credit personal finance course required for graduating seniors. | SB 3 (2023); ORS 329.451 | ODE – Personal Financial Education standards ↗ |
| Pennsylvania | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2030 | Act 35 of 2023. At least a half-credit course in grades 9–12; credit may apply toward math or social studies. | Act 35 of 2023 | PDE – Personal Finance standards & toolkit ↗ |
| Rhode Island | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2024 | RIGL 16-22-13 (2021). Proficiency-based: met through an aligned course, project, assessment, or other approved demonstration. | RIGL 16-22-13 (2021) | RIDE – Financial Literacy standards & proficiency ↗ |
| South Carolina | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2028 | 2022–23 state budget action. Half-credit personal finance course required within existing graduation credits. | 2022 Appropriations Act (proviso) | SCDE – Financial Literacy course standards ↗ |
| South Dakota | Standards / offering | Course must be offered | Ongoing | Districts required to offer personal finance instruction; no statewide course completion requirement for students. | — | South Dakota Dept. of Education ↗ |
| Tennessee | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2013 | Long-standing requirement. Half-credit personal finance course required for graduation. | State Board policy (class of 2013) | TN DOE – Personal Finance course standards ↗ |
| Texas | Required – standalone | Standalone | 9th graders entering 2026–27 | HB 27 (2025), 29th state. One-semester (half-credit) personal financial literacy course counting toward the social studies requirement. | HB 27 (2025); SB 1063 (2021) | TEA – 19 TAC Chapter 113 (TEKS §113.76) ↗ |
| Utah | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2008 | SB 154 (2003), first state to require. Half-credit General Financial Literacy (GFL) course. | SB 154 (2003); §53E-3-505 | USBE – General Financial Literacy strands & standards ↗ |
| Vermont | Standards / offering | Standards | Ongoing | Financial literacy embedded in K–12 standards; no statewide standalone course requirement. | — | Vermont Agency of Education ↗ |
| Virginia | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2015 | Adopted 2009. Full-credit Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) course required for graduation. | 2009; §22.1-200.03 | VDOE – Economics & Personal Finance standards ↗ |
| Washington | Standards / offering | Standards | Ongoing | Financial education standards adopted and professional development funded; no statewide standalone course requirement. | — | Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction ↗ |
| West Virginia | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2028 | WV Code §18-2-7c. Half-credit personal finance course required for graduation. | HB 3113 (2023); §18-2-7c | WVDE – content standards (Policy 2520) ↗ |
| Wisconsin | Required – standalone | Standalone | Class of 2028 | 2023 WI Act 60. Half-credit personal financial literacy course; cannot be embedded or double-counted. | 2023 Act 60 | WI DPI – Personal Financial Literacy standards ↗ |
| Wyoming | No requirement | None | — | No statewide personal finance course requirement or mandated standards. | — | — |
Showing 51 of 51 jurisdictions (50 states + D.C.).
How to read this table. “Standalone” means students must complete a dedicated personal finance course to graduate. “Embedded” means personal finance is required but taught inside another required course (e.g., economics). “Standards only” means the state requires financial literacy standards or that a course be offered, without requiring every student to complete one.
Data sources. Next Gen Personal Finance Live U.S. Dashboard (2026); Council for Economic Education Survey of the States (2026); state legislation and departments of education. National counts differ by methodology: NGPF recognizes 30 states that guarantee a standalone course, while CEE counts 39 states requiring personal finance in any form. This table lists 31 standalone states — the 30 NGPF guarantee states plus Hawaii, which CEE’s 2026 survey identifies as newly adopting a semester requirement.
Last updated: June 2026. Requirements, effective dates, and official web addresses change frequently. Verify against the linked official source before relying on this information. Compiled by Four Gifts Publishing.