College Ready Graduation Requirements

 Research by the American Diploma Project, ACT and others indicate that whether students go on to college or into the workforce after graduation, they still need the same knowledge and skills, particularly in English language arts and mathematics. In the core subjects, high school course requirements need to cover four years of rigorous English language arts and mathematics, including Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and data analysis and statistics.

While nearly every state requires students to study specific subjects for a certain number of years or to take specific courses in order to graduate, only recently has there been momentum in states to ensure that all students are graduating with a diploma signifying college and career readiness. Twenty states have raised graduation requirements to include four years of rigorous English language arts and mathematics through Algebra II and beyond as well as other course requirements in the arts, foreign language, physical and health education and career and technical education.  Indiana's Core 40 curriculum is a good example of such raised requirements.

These efforts have been buoyed by research that indicates that more rigorous study is crucial to reducing the achievement gap between white and minority students. Taking challenging mathematics courses through at least Algebra II halves the gap in college completion rates between African American and Latino students and their white peers.

Higher-level skills and knowledge are vital to postsecondary success

• Students who take Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and one other higher-level course are much more likely to succeed in college-level mathematics (ACT).
• College students who had to write a lot in high school, including term papers and research reports, say they are more prepared for college-level writing (Achieve).
• Students who take rigorous Advanced Placement courses and pass AP exams are more likely to graduate from four-year colleges (National Center for Educational Accountability).

Making a rigorous curriculum mandatory will improve access for minority students

• Among the high school graduating class of 2000, nearly half (47 percent) of white students and more than two-thirds (69 percent) of Asian students took a mathematics course beyond Algebra II, but only 29 percent of American Indian, 31 percent of Latino and 32 percent of African American students took a mathematics course beyond the level of Algebra II (National Center for Education Statistics)

Despite concerns that raising graduation requirements might increase the high school dropout rate or impede students’ motivation to engage in higher level coursework, all students can benefit  from higher standards and more demanding graduation requirements, including challenging mathematics courses. It is imperative that higher education leaders and faculty actively engage in the movement toward rigorous graduation requirements, as only higher education can communicate what is expected to be successful in postsecondary education.  

See all state college and career ready high school graduation requirements

See how your state’s high school graduation requirements stack up

To help you get started on the work of aligning graduation requirements, see Achieve's five step plan and the report Aligning High School Graduation Requirements with the Real World: A Road Map for States.