Computer Science Graduation Requirements by State

In short

Twelve states require a high school computer science course for graduation, according to Code.org (2025), 2025 State of AI + CS Education: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. No state yet requires a course that combines AI and computer science. Start years differ: Arkansas began with ninth graders in 2022 to 2023, West Virginia begins with ninth graders in 2027 to 2028. Modern Age Coders teaches this live online for US students, in a batch or one to one, and the first class is free.

Meet the requirement with confidence

Three courses that cover a high school CS foundation

Taken alongside school, these build the programming, data and computing ideas that state CS courses are written around.

CSGR / 01

AP Computer Science Principles

Grades 9 to 12. The broad CS course many schools use for the requirement.

Open the syllabus →

CSGR / 02

Python for teens

Ages 13 to 18. Real programs, data and small projects.

Open the syllabus →

CSGR / 03

AP Computer Science A

High school. Java and objects, for students going further.

Open the syllabus →

All 50 states and DC

The state table: who requires a CS course to graduate

The middle column comes from each state page of the 2025 report: "Yes" means Code.org marked a CS graduation requirement as passed or implemented, "No" means it did not, and the column adds up to the report’s own total of twelve. The right column says what we could confirm on a state website. A law passed after the data were finalized on December 1, 2025 will not show here.

High school CS graduation requirements by state, from Code.org (2025), 2025 State of AI + CS Education, with state-source checks (read 17 October 2026)
State	CS graduation requirement	At a state source (17 October 2026)
Alabama	Yes	Not confirmed at a state source
Alaska	No	Not applicable
Arizona	No	Not applicable
Arkansas	Yes	Confirmed: ninth graders from 2022 to 2023
California	No	Not applicable
Colorado	No	Not applicable
Connecticut	No	Not applicable
Delaware	No	Not applicable
District of Columbia	No	Not applicable
Florida	No	Not applicable
Georgia	No	Not applicable
Hawaii	No	Not applicable
Idaho	No	Not applicable
Illinois	No	Not applicable
Indiana	Yes	Not confirmed at a state source
Iowa	No	Not applicable
Kansas	No	Not applicable
Kentucky	No	Not applicable
Louisiana	Yes	Not confirmed at a state source
Maine	No	Not applicable
Maryland	No	Not applicable
Massachusetts	No	Not applicable
Michigan	No	Not applicable
Minnesota	No	Not applicable
Mississippi	No	Not applicable
Missouri	No	Not applicable
Montana	No	Not applicable
Nebraska	Yes	Not confirmed at a state source
Nevada	Yes	Not confirmed at a state source
New Hampshire	No	Not applicable
New Jersey	No	Not applicable
New Mexico	No	Not applicable
New York	No	Not applicable
North Carolina	Yes	Confirmed: entering high school 2026 to 2027
North Dakota	Yes	Confirmed: from July 31, 2025, CS or cybersecurity
Ohio	No	Not applicable
Oklahoma	No	Not applicable
Oregon	No	Not applicable
Pennsylvania	No	Not applicable
Rhode Island	Yes	Confirmed: 0.5 credit, middle or high school
South Carolina	Yes	Not confirmed at a state source
South Dakota	No	Not applicable
Tennessee	Yes	Not confirmed at a state source
Texas	No	Not applicable
Utah	No	Not applicable
Vermont	No	Not applicable
Virginia	No	Not applicable
Washington	No	Not applicable
West Virginia	Yes	Confirmed: ninth graders from 2027 to 2028
Wisconsin	No	Not applicable
Wyoming	No	Not applicable

Source: Code.org (2025). 2025 State of AI + CS Education, the state summary pages of the full report, published under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence. The organisation now calls itself CodeAI. We read each state’s graduation-requirement toggle from the published pages; the twelve we found match the report’s own total. We are not connected with Code.org or with any state education agency.

How to read a "No"

A "No" does not mean a state ignores computer science. Many states fund teacher training, publish standards or expect schools to offer a course without making it compulsory for every student, and those policies are separate from the diploma rule shown here.

It also does not mean nothing is coming. Bills and board rules move every session, so a state marked "No" in the 2025 data may have adopted a rule since. Check your state education department before you plan a schedule around this table.

How to read a "Yes"

A "Yes" means a trackable computer science credit is required for a diploma, but the details are set by each state: how much credit, which courses qualify, which graduating class it starts with, and who is exempt.

Those details are in the next section for the twelve states, with the wording we could read on a state site and a plain note where a state page could not be reached on 17 October 2026.

The twelve states

What each requirement says, where a state source confirms it

We tried to read every one of the twelve on an official state website. Where the page loaded, the row quotes or closely paraphrases it. Where it did not, the row says so rather than guessing a start year.

The twelve CS graduation requirement states, checked at state sources on 17 October 2026
State	What the official source says	Source
Alabama	Not confirmed at a state source (17 October 2026)	Code.org (2025) only
Arkansas	"Every student, beginning with the 9th grade class of 2022-2023, must earn one full high school computer science credit to graduate"	Arkansas education department memo
Indiana	Not confirmed at a state source (17 October 2026)	Code.org (2025) only
Louisiana	Not confirmed at a state source (17 October 2026)	Code.org (2025) only
Nebraska	Not confirmed at a state source (17 October 2026)	Code.org (2025) only
Nevada	Not confirmed at a state source (17 October 2026)	Code.org (2025) only
North Carolina	Required "for all students entering high school in the 2026-27 school year"	NC Department of Public Instruction
North Dakota	After July 31, 2025, one unit of computer science or cybersecurity, which may satisfy one of the three science requirements	ND Department of Public Instruction
Rhode Island	"at minimum, 0.5 credits of computer science" in middle or high school, with demonstrated proficiency	CS4RI, the state CS initiative
South Carolina	Not confirmed at a state source (17 October 2026)	Code.org (2025) only
Tennessee	Not confirmed at a state source (17 October 2026)	Code.org (2025) only
West Virginia	"Beginning with the entering ninth grade class in the 2027-2028 school year", one unit of credit in a high school CS course	West Virginia Legislature, HB 2411 as enrolled

Start years are not the same thing as adoption years

A state can pass a rule years before it bites. North Carolina’s law dates from 2023, but it applies to students entering high school in the 2026 to 2027 school year. West Virginia’s bill passed in 2025 and applies to ninth graders entering in 2027 to 2028.

For a family, the useful question is not "does my state have a rule?" but "does it apply to my child’s graduating class?" A freshman who started before the first covered year is usually outside it.

Two rules that look unusual

North Dakota is described in the 2025 report as "the only state with a computer science and cybersecurity graduation requirement." The state’s own summary lets a cybersecurity unit meet it, and waives it for a student who completed the school’s integration plan.

Rhode Island sets a half credit as the default and lets it be earned in middle or high school, tied to proficiency in the state CS standards rather than seat time alone.

Sources: Arkansas memo; North Dakota DPI, HB 1398 breakdown; West Virginia HB 2411; CS4RI; NC DPI House Bill 8 release. All read 17 October 2026.

The access gap

Do requirement states offer more computer science?

The 2025 report compares the twelve requirement states with the rest over five school years. The gap is large and it has widened, though a comparison like this cannot prove the rule caused it.

Share of high schools offering CS, requirement states vs the rest (Code.org, 2025)
School year	Requirement states	Other states
2020 to 2021	65%	49%
2021 to 2022	69%	50%
2022 to 2023	74%	55%
2023 to 2024	74%	58%
2024 to 2025	76%	58%

Share of high school students taking CS, requirement states vs the rest (Code.org, 2025)
School year	Requirement states	Other states
2020 to 2021	7.2%	4.8%
2021 to 2022	8.9%	5.8%
2022 to 2023	8.5%	6.0%
2023 to 2024	9.0%	5.9%
2024 to 2025	10.4%	5.3%

What the numbers say

In 2024 to 2025, 76% of high schools in requirement states offered a foundational CS course, against 58% elsewhere. The share of high school students actually enrolled was 10.4% against 5.3%.

Nationally the report puts high school access at 60% and enrollment at 6.1%, the published national figures, not an average we worked out from the states.

What they do not say

States that adopt a rule may already have been investing in teachers and courses, so some of the gap may predate the rule. The report itself words it as more growth in requirement states, not proof of cause.

The report also notes participation data were missing for Nevada and incomplete for North Carolina, North Dakota and Rhode Island, so the requirement-state averages rest on fewer states in some years.

Math or science credit

When a CS course counts toward math or science

After the start year, this is the rule families ask about most often, because it decides whether computer science squeezes out another class or replaces one. Here is what the state sources we could read say.

Ways a CS credit can count, from the state sources we could read (17 October 2026)
State	What the CS credit can stand in for
North Dakota	One of the three science requirements; before the 2025 change, one of the math requirements
West Virginia	One math credit or one personalized education plan credit, earned in grades 8 to 12
Arkansas	The memo says the rule does not necessarily increase the number of credits a student needs
Rhode Island	A half credit that can be earned in middle school or high school

Why it matters for planning

Where a CS course can replace a fourth math credit or a science credit, a student can meet the requirement without giving up an elective they care about. Where it cannot, computer science competes with band, a language or a second science.

West Virginia’s bill adds a detail families will appreciate: a math-substituting CS course is to be shown as equivalent to a high school math course on the transcript for admission to a state higher education institution.

What counts as computer science

States draw the line differently. West Virginia’s bill says computer science "does not include the study of everyday uses of computers and computer applications, such as keyboarding". A typing or office-software class will not meet a rule written that way.

Ask the school counselor for the state’s list of qualifying course codes. Arkansas, for example, checks transcripts for course codes in specific ranges rather than course titles.

AI and the requirement

Is AI part of any state graduation requirement yet?

Not in the 2025 data. The report’s headline count is "0 out of 50" states requiring an AI plus CS course for graduation.

Where it is heading

The report’s rubric says a state would meet an AI plus CS graduation requirement only if every qualifying course includes what AI is, how it works, how to design AI applications and its impact on society.

West Virginia is the nearest case in the report: the state plans to let a computer science course that includes AI count toward its new requirement.

What that means for a student now

A student meeting a CS requirement today is mostly learning programming, data, networks and the impact of computing. Those are exactly the foundations an AI course builds on, so nothing learned now is wasted if AI is added later.

For younger teens, the safest AI learning is about how models work, using tools whose terms allow their age. We never put an under-18 student on an adults-only chatbot.

A plan by grade

What to do in each grade if your state has a rule

Our checklist for families in a requirement state, or in a state likely to adopt one. It assumes a four-year high school and a CS credit somewhere in it.

A grade-by-grade checklist for a CS graduation requirement (ours)
Grade	What to do	Why
8	Ask whether a middle school CS course earns high school credit	Rhode Island and West Virginia allow credit before ninth grade
9	Confirm whether the rule covers your graduating class	Start years are tied to the year a student enters ninth grade
9 or 10	Take the qualifying course early	Leaves room for AP or a second CS course later
10 or 11	Decide whether CS replaces a math or science credit	Depends on the state and on college plans
11	Consider AP Computer Science Principles or A	Ask whether your state lists AP CS courses as qualifying
12	Check the transcript shows the right course code	Some states check codes, not titles

If your state has no rule

Computer science is still worth a credit. Ask the counselor whether a CS course can stand in for a math, science or elective credit in your state; where it can, it costs no extra slot.

If you are moving states

Rules follow the state of graduation. North Carolina, for example, exempts students who enter public high school after completing eleventh grade.

If school has no CS teacher

Ask about online or dual enrollment options the state approves. Learning outside school builds the skill, but only approved courses earn the credit.

Try it yourself

Count the table with ten lines of Python

A small exercise our high school students do with any published table: copy it into a CSV file, then let code do the counting so you can check a report’s headline figure yourself.

tally.py (our example)Python 3

import csv
from collections import Counter

# grad_requirements.csv columns: state,requirement
# typed from the state table on this page (Code.org, 2025)
with open("grad_requirements.csv", newline="") as f:
    rows = list(csv.DictReader(f))

counts = Counter(row["requirement"] for row in rows)
print(counts["Yes"], "of", len(rows), "require a CS course")

required = sorted(r["state"] for r in rows if r["requirement"] == "Yes")
print(", ".join(required[:3]), "...", required[-1])

Run on the 51 rows above, it prints 12 of 51 require a CS course, then Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana ... West Virginia. The count matches the report’s own total, which is the point: a reader can verify the headline, not just repeat it.

Copy the first two columns into a spreadsheet and export them as CSV with the two column names in the comment.
Run the script with Python 3. csv.DictReader turns each row into a dictionary keyed by the header.
Read the counts. Counter tallies every distinct value in a column in one pass.
Ask a new question, such as how many of the twelve a state source confirmed, by adding the third column and changing one condition.

The sorted list is the same idea as an alphabetical class roster: once the data are in a file, ordering, filtering and counting take one line each. Adding the third column turns the exercise into a check on our own work, because a student can count how many of the twelve we confirmed at a state source (five) and how many rest on the report alone (seven).

Where students start

From no CS at all to a qualifying course and beyond

Four stages we see in high school students who need or want a computer science credit.

Stages toward a high school CS credit (ours)
Stage	What it looks like
1. New	Has used computers a lot but never written a program
2. Started	Has done some block coding or a short online unit
3. Credit-ready	Can write small programs with loops, lists and functions
4. Beyond the rule	Ready for AP CS A, data science or a project portfolio

For parents

A student at stage 1 in ninth grade has plenty of time. The requirement is one course; the risk is leaving it to senior year when schedules are full.

Live classes help most when the school course moves fast or the student missed a foundation year.

For students

Treat the required course as a chance to find out whether you like building things with code. Many people only discover that by trying.

Keep the small programs you write. They make a portfolio later.

The catalogue

Nine courses for US high school computer science

Arranged from first programs to university-level topics, all taught live online, in a group or one to one.

I

First steps

Grades 6 to 9

CSGR / A / 01

Python for younger students

Typed code before high school.

Open the syllabus

CSGR / A / 02

Computational thinking

Logic before syntax.

Open the syllabus

CSGR / A / 03

JavaScript for teens

Programs that run in a browser.

Open the syllabus

II

The credit years

Grades 9 to 12

CSGR / B / 01

Python for teens

The core of most CS courses.

Open the syllabus

CSGR / B / 02

AP CS Principles

Broad CS and the Create task.

Open the syllabus

CSGR / B / 03

Data science for teens

Tables, charts and first models.

Open the syllabus

III

Going further

Strong students

CSGR / C / 01

AP CS A

Java, objects and the exam.

Open the syllabus

CSGR / C / 02

Cybersecurity for teens

Defensive skills, safely taught.

Open the syllabus

CSGR / C / 03

AI and machine learning

How models learn from data.

Open the syllabus

How lessons run

Classes that sit beside a school CS course

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

After school in Eastern, Central, Mountain or Pacific time.

Weekends

Useful for catching up before a unit test.

1-on-1

Paced to the school syllabus, week by week.

Same teacher

One teacher follows the student all term.

School-aware

Lessons track the course the school uses.

Real programs

Every concept ends in code that runs.

Concepts, not answers

We teach the idea so graded work stays theirs.

Any state

Live online from anywhere in the US.

Group or private

Fifteen to twenty learners, or one to one.

Student work

Programs our students have built

Real work from our learners, from first scripts to full apps. See more on the student labs page.

AI and ML

NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · Open it

AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · Open it

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

Classes are billed month by month in US dollars. A student can join for one semester of support alongside a school CS course and stop when it ends.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

A free first lesson
A quick level check
No card details

Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

Fifteen to twenty learners
One regular teacher
Choose your batch
Monthly

Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

A teacher to yourself
Paced to the school course
Your own schedule

Enquire

What families say

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

What parents wrote on Google, word for word.

★★★★★

"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."

Ria Mukherjee

Parent

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

Samriddha Mondal

Student

★★★★★

"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

★★★★★

"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

Sonam Oswal

Parent of Dhairya

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

Sonu Goyal

Parent

★★★★★

"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

Ritu Kedia

Parent

Questions from families

CS graduation requirements: common questions

How many states require computer science to graduate?

Twelve, according to Code.org (2025), 2025 State of AI + CS Education: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. The data were finalized on December 1, 2025.

Does any state require an AI course to graduate?

Not in the 2025 report, which counts zero of 50 states with an AI plus computer science graduation requirement. West Virginia plans to let a CS course that includes AI count toward its new requirement.

When does the North Carolina requirement start?

The NC Department of Public Instruction says it applies to all students entering high school in the 2026-27 school year.

When does the West Virginia requirement start?

House Bill 2411, as enrolled in 2025, applies beginning with the entering ninth grade class in the 2027-2028 school year. The credit can be earned in grades 8 through 12.

Can computer science count as a math or science credit?

Often, but it depends on the state. North Dakota lets the required unit satisfy one of its three science requirements, and West Virginia lets it substitute for one math credit or one personalized education plan credit. Ask your school counselor for your state's rule.

Does a keyboarding or office software class count?

Usually not. West Virginia's law, for example, says computer science does not include the study of everyday uses of computers and computer applications, such as keyboarding. Check the state's list of qualifying courses.

My state has no requirement. Should my child take CS anyway?

It is worth it for most students. Ask whether a CS course can stand in for another subject in your state, and remember that the programming and data skills carry into science, math and many college majors.

Is this table up to date?

It reflects the 2025 report, with data finalized on December 1, 2025. Laws passed since then will not appear, so confirm with your state education department or school counselor before planning around it.

What times are your classes?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. We teach US students in every time zone.

Can you help with a school CS assignment?

We teach the concepts behind the assignment so the student can solve it themselves. We do not write graded work for students.

Is Modern Age Coders connected with Code.org or any state?

No. We are an independent online school. This page reports their published information and links to it.

Elsewhere on this site

Related pages

More for US students and families working through high school computer science.

Coding classes in the USA

Every page we have for US families.

North Carolina

One requirement state in depth.

AP CS Principles

The course many students take for credit.

AP Computer Science A

Java for the next step.

Homeschool coding

Planning CS at home.

CS extracurriculars

Beyond the one required course.

CS standards by state

Which states have K-12 computer science standards, and which include AI.

High school CS access by state

High school computer science access and enrollment in every US state, 2025 data.

AI guidance for schools by state

State AI guidance for schools, all 50 states and DC, from the 2025 Code.org report.

Start here

Book a free first lesson

Tell us your state, your student’s grade and the CS course the school offers. The teacher will check where the student stands and suggest a pace for the semester.

You can read how our lessons work first, or browse the course syllabuses.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · connect@modernagecoders.com

Our teachers work live over video from India, and plan around US school calendars and time zones. WhatsApp reaches us fastest.

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Three courses that cover a high school CS foundation

AP Computer Science Principles

Python for teens

AP Computer Science A

The state table: who requires a CS course to graduate

How to read a "No"

How to read a "Yes"

What each requirement says, where a state source confirms it

Start years are not the same thing as adoption years

Two rules that look unusual

Do requirement states offer more computer science?

What the numbers say

What they do not say

When a CS course counts toward math or science

Why it matters for planning

What counts as computer science

Is AI part of any state graduation requirement yet?

Where it is heading

What that means for a student now

What to do in each grade if your state has a rule

If your state has no rule

If you are moving states

If school has no CS teacher

Count the table with ten lines of Python

From no CS at all to a qualifying course and beyond

For parents

For students

Nine courses for US high school computer science

First steps

Python for younger students

Computational thinking

JavaScript for teens

The credit years

Python for teens

AP CS Principles

Data science for teens

Going further

AP CS A

Cybersecurity for teens

AI and machine learning

Classes that sit beside a school CS course

Same teacher

School-aware

Real programs

Concepts, not answers

Any state

Group or private

Programs our students have built

NutriLife

Misti

GuardianX

SkyCast

Fees

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

CS graduation requirements: common questions

How many states require computer science to graduate?

Does any state require an AI course to graduate?

When does the North Carolina requirement start?

When does the West Virginia requirement start?

Can computer science count as a math or science credit?

Does a keyboarding or office software class count?

My state has no requirement. Should my child take CS anyway?

Is this table up to date?

What times are your classes?

Can you help with a school CS assignment?

Is Modern Age Coders connected with Code.org or any state?

Related pages

Book a free first lesson

Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo

Keep exploring Modern Age Coders

Related courses and guides

Learn more

Free resources

From the blog

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