Homeschool Graduation Requirements by State

The short version

Homeschool graduation requirements vary by state. In most states there is no fixed list of credits a homeschool student must earn to graduate. Instead, you set the graduation standard and issue the diploma and transcript yourself. A smaller number of states set more specific rules, so the first step is always to check your own state's homeschool law.

There is no single national requirement. What applies to your family depends entirely on where you live and where your student is headed after high school.

Two questions people mix up

When families ask about graduation requirements, they are usually asking one of two different questions:

• What does my state legally require for a homeschool student to graduate?
• What should my student study to be ready for college?

These are not the same thing. Your state sets the legal floor. Colleges set their own expectations, which are often higher. This post is about the first question. For the second, see how many credits you need to graduate homeschool.

Why requirements vary so much

Homeschooling is regulated at the state level, not the federal level. Each state writes its own homeschool law, and those laws range from almost no oversight to detailed reporting, recordkeeping, and testing rules. Graduation is handled differently too. Some states leave it entirely to the parent. Others expect homeschoolers to meet certain standards or file paperwork along the way.

In most states, you set the standard

In most states there is no state-issued checklist of credits a homeschool student must complete to graduate. As the parent, you act as the school. You decide when your student has finished high school, and you issue the diploma and the transcript. A homeschool diploma created this way is valid, and colleges across the country accept homeschool diplomas and transcripts.

Because you set the standard, most college-bound families follow common college-prep guidelines rather than a state list. That usually means about 24 credits across four years, spread across the core subjects.

States with more specific rules

A smaller number of states are more involved. Depending on where you live, you may need to:

• Follow a specific set of required subjects
• Meet a minimum number of instructional hours or days
• Keep a portfolio or have your student's work evaluated
• File a notice of intent or other paperwork each year

None of these apply everywhere. This is exactly why you need to check your own state rather than rely on a general number you found online.

How to find your state's actual rules

Use primary sources, not forum threads:

• Your state's Department of Education website
• HSLDA's state-by-state homeschool law pages
• Your state or local homeschool association

Read the rules for high school and graduation specifically, since some requirements only apply at certain grade levels or ages.

What most homeschoolers do in practice

Whatever your state requires as a floor, most families building toward college do the same handful of things:

• Follow a college-prep load of about 24 credits over four years
• Keep clear records of courses, grades, and credits as they go
• Write course descriptions for anything a college might not recognize
• Issue a diploma and a transcript at the end

In most states this covers both the legal side and what colleges expect.

State guides

We are building detailed guides for individual states. Start with your own:

• California homeschool graduation requirements
• Texas homeschool graduation requirements
• Florida homeschool graduation requirements
• New York homeschool graduation requirements

More states to follow.

Let the tool handle the transcript

Whatever your state requires, the transcript looks the same to colleges. HStranscripts.com lays it out for you, adds up the credits, and calculates the GPA automatically, so you can focus on meeting your state's rules rather than formatting a document. You can create your homeschool transcript here.

Start by checking your own state's homeschool law, since that is the only requirement that is truly required. Then build toward what your target colleges expect, keep good records, and issue the diploma and transcript yourself.