What is this?
A plain-English guide to money class rules in America
What this tracker is, why it matters, how states differ, and what all the words mean. No policy-speak.
What this is
One question, 51 answers
Does your state make you learn about money before you graduate?
That's the question this site answers, for all 50 states and Washington, DC.
It's a free tracker from The Economic Blindspot, a student-run financial literacy publication. We read state laws, education department rules, and national trackers. Then we turn them into answers anyone can read in a minute.
Every answer has a source and a date. If we couldn't confirm something, we say so instead of guessing.
Why it matters
Money decisions show up early
A first paycheck. A phone plan. A credit card offer. A student loan. Most of these arrive before you finish high school or right after.
Families teach a lot, but not every family has the time or the know-how. School is the one place almost every young person goes. That's why it matters whether your state requires a personal finance class, and what kind.
It also matters where you live. Two students the same age, a few miles apart across a state line, can get completely different lessons. This tracker makes those differences easy to see.
What the class covers
"Personal finance" means the basics of money
Each state sets its own standards, but classes usually cover topics like these:
- Budgeting: making a plan for the money you have.
- Saving: building an emergency fund and saving for goals.
- Banking: checking and savings accounts, and debit cards.
- Credit: how credit scores work and why they follow you.
- Borrowing: loans, interest, and student debt.
- Taxes: what comes out of a paycheck, and why.
- Investing: how money can grow over time.
- Insurance: protecting yourself from big costs.
Want a head start? The Economic Blindspot's free e-book explains credit scores in plain language: Your Credit Score Controls Your Life.
The five tiers
How to read the map
Every state gets one tier, based on what the state guarantees every student. Darker navy on the map means a stronger rule. The tier number always shows next to the color, so you never have to rely on color alone. A striped state, marked "Unconfirmed", is one we couldn't confirm from the state's own documents yet.
How states differ
The four big differences
"Does my state require it?" often has a complicated answer. These are the four differences that matter most.
Words you'll see
A quick glossary
- Personal finance
- Knowing how to manage money: earning, spending, saving, borrowing, and protecting it. Also called financial literacy.
- Graduation requirement
- Something you must complete to get your high school diploma.
- Standalone course
- A class that is only about personal finance.
- Built in (embedded)
- Personal finance lessons placed inside another class, like economics or social studies.
- Credit and half credit
- How high schools count classes. A half credit is usually one semester.
- Standards
- A list of what students should learn. Standards alone don't make anyone take a class.
- Class of 2030
- Students who graduate in 2030. New rules often start with one specific graduating class.
- Phasing in
- The rule has passed, but the first class it applies to hasn't graduated yet.
- Implementation rate
- How far a state has gotten in actually putting its rule in place, as reported by trackers.
- Bill
- A proposed law. It can pass, stall in a committee, or die when the legislative session ends.
- Board rule or regulation
- A rule made by a state board or agency instead of the legislature. It still counts.
- Primary source
- The original document, like the law itself or the state education department's own page.
Questions
Common questions
My school has a personal finance class. Why isn't my state Tier 1?
Tiers are about what the state guarantees every student. Many schools offer a class even when the state doesn't require one. Your school is doing more than the state asks.
Why do other websites show different numbers?
Trackers count different things. Some count only states that guarantee a class of its own. Others also count lessons built into other classes. Our Sources page explains the difference.
What does "Sources disagree" mean?
Sometimes a state's own law says one date and a national tracker says another. We show the state's own date and explain the difference right on that state's page.
How is the ranking decided?
By the strength of the rule, the size of the class, and timing, in that order. The Rankings page lists the exact rules and what a ranking can't tell you.
How often is this updated?
We re-check the sources every month and log every change in the change log.
Who makes this?
Students at The Economic Blindspot, a free financial literacy publication. We're not selling anything, and we're not connected to any state agency.
Is this legal or financial advice?
No. It's general information about school rules. For questions about your own graduation plan, talk to your school counselor.
I found a mistake. What do I do?
Please tell us at theeconomicblindspot@gmail.com. We'll check it against the source, fix it, and note the change.
Start exploring
See where your state stands
Find your state on the map, check your high school graduation year, or see how every state ranks.