Parents/Students » Parent / Student Information » School Counseling » Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements

Graduation Credit Requirement

Content Area Credits and Additional Requirements
English Language Arts
20 Credits
Mathematics
15 credits including:
  • Algebra I or the content equivalent2
  • Geometry or the content equivalent2
  • Third year of math that builds on the concepts and skills of algebra and geometry and prepares students for college and 21st century careers
Science
15 credits with at least 5 credits in each:
  • Laboratory biology/life science or the content equivalent
  • Laboratory/inquiry-based science course (i.e., chemistry, environmental science, or physics)
  • Laboratory/inquiry-based science course
Social Studies
15 credits including:
  • 5 credits in world history
  • Integration of civics, economics, geography and global content in all course offerings
  • N.J.S.A. 18A:35-1 and 18A:35-2
Finance, Economic Business, and Entrepreneurial Business Literacy
2.5 credits
Health, Safety, and Physical Education
15 credits over four years including:
  • 3 ¾ credits in health, safety, and physical education during each year of enrollment, distributed as 150 minutes per week each year
  • N.J.S.A. 18A:35-5, 18A:35-7, 18A:35-8
World Languages
5 credits
Technology 
Integrated throughout all course
Career and Technical Education
Will range from 10-20 credits per year
Total Credits (Minimum)
140

NJDOE High School Graduation Assessment Requirements

Class of 2027 High School Graduation Assessment Requirements

English Language Arts (ELA)

If, after completing the NJGPA-A in grade 11, students did not demonstrate proficiency by passing the ELA component, such students may access the following pathways:

  • Second Pathway: By meeting the designated cut score on a substitute competency test such as the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or ACCUPLACER; or
  • Third Pathway: By submitting, through the district, a student portfolio appeal to the New Jersey Department of Education.

Mathematics

If, after completing the required NJGPA-A in grade 11, students did not demonstrate proficiency by passing the mathematics component, such students may access the following pathways:

  • Second Pathway: By meeting the designated cut score on a substitute competency test such as the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or ACCUPLACER; or
  • Third Pathway: By submitting, through the district, a student portfolio appeal to the New Jersey Department of Education.
 

Information for Students with Disabilities

Under the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA), all students with disabilities must be included in all general state and district-wide assessments. IEPs of students with disabilities will address whether the student must meet the passing score on the state assessments or demonstrate proficiency through an alternate pathway. Students with disabilities whose IEPs specify an alternative way to demonstrate proficiencies, will continue to follow the graduation assessment requirements set forth in their IEPs. It is the responsibility of the student’s IEP team to ensure that the IEP is implemented as written, including components addressing state graduation assessment requirements.

IEP teams should reserve the exemption of the statewide assessment graduation requirement for students with significant intellectual disabilities and for students with disabilities who have made repeated unsuccessful attempts to meet statewide assessment requirements through NJGPA-A, a substitute competency test, or a student portfolio appeal. Districts are encouraged to begin convening meetings of the student’s IEP team when the student is in grade 9, or as early as possible. The IEP team includes the student, and the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) to discuss the student’s specific graduation requirements.

Questions about IEP components concerning graduation assessment requirements should be directed to the Office of Special Education at [email protected].

 

First Pathway
Students must take and demonstrate proficiency in grade 11 on the NJGPA-A, which includes content aligned to the grade 10 New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) for ELA, and the NJSLS for Algebra 1 and Geometry. If after completing the NJGPA-A a student does not demonstrate proficiency on the ELA or mathematics component, the student may retake the NJGPA-A in the following summer or fall.

A student with disabilities whose IEP states that they are not eligible for the alternate assessment (Dynamic Learning Maps) must take the NJGPA-A in grade 11.

 

First Pathway—NJGPA

Note: Cut Scores Approved by the New Jersey State Board of Education on August 5, 2026
 
ELA - New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment—ELA ≥ 450 (Graduation Ready)
 
Mathematics - New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment—Mathematics ≥ 450 (Graduation Ready)
 
Second Pathway
 
Note: This pathway is only available to students who completed the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment in grade 11.
 
Students who sat for the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment in grade 11 and did not demonstrate proficiency are able to demonstrate proficiency in ELA and/or mathematics by meeting the designated cut score on one of the assessments on the menu of substitute competency tests in the table for the second pathway (below).
 

Second Pathway—Menu of Substitute Competency Tests

Note: Cut Scores Approved by the New Jersey State Board of Education on August 5, 2026
 
ELA Mathematics

One of the following:

  • ACT Reading ≥ 17

  • Accuplacer WritePlacer ≥ 5

  • Accuplacer WritePlacer English Second Language ≥ 4

  • PSAT10 Evidence Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) ≥ 420

  • PSAT10 Reading ≥ 21

  • PSAT/NMSQT EBRW ≥ 420

  • PSAT/NMSQT Reading ≥ 21

  • SAT EBRW ≥ 450

  • SAT Reading ≥ 23

One of the following:

  • ACT Math ≥ 17

  • Accuplacer Elementary Algebra ≥ 49

  • Accuplacer Next-Generation QAS ≥ 250

  • PSAT10 Math Section or PSAT/NMSQT Math Section ≥ 420

  • PSAT10 Math or PSAT/NMSQT Math ≥ 21

  • SAT Math Section ≥ 440

  • SAT Math Test ≥ 22

Third Pathway—Portfolio Appeals

Note: This pathway is only available to students who have a valid score on either the NJGPA or the NJGPA-A.

Students who completed the NJGPA-A in grade 11 and did not demonstrate proficiency are able to demonstrate proficiency in ELA, mathematics or both through a portfolio appeal in grade 12.

ELA Mathematics
Meet the criteria of the NJDOE Portfolio Appeal for ELA Meet the criteria of the NJDOE Portfolio Appeal for Mathematics

New Graduation Requirements for class of 2025-2027

The graduating classes of 2025 through 2027 are now required by law, as part of New Jersey’s new graduation requirement, to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
or the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application (NJAFAA).
 
The FAFSA gives students access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or vocational school. Through completing the FAFSA, students can be considered for federal financial aid, including Pell grants, work-study programs, and loans. In addition, many states and colleges, as well as some private financial aid providers, use FAFSA information to determine students’ eligibility for aid.
 
The FAFSA is an opportunity to have access to the resources that are needed to consider and enter postsecondary education – whether it be 2-year, 4-year, or technical school. In addition, students who are NJ residents but do not meet the requirements for FAFSA, may consider the NJAFAA as an option. The NJAFAA enables students to receive state financial assistance to support their post-secondary college and career goals.
 
If you do not qualify for the FAFSA or the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application or request that your child be exempt from this graduation requirement, parents/guardians should complete the FAFSA/NJAFAA Exemption Form and submit it to your student’s school counselor by May 1st of your student’s senior year.
 
 
FAFSA completion benefits ALL students:
 
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid provides more than $120 billion in grants, loans, and work-study funds each year to help pay for college or career school.
 
Visit StudentAid.gov today to learn how to pay for your higher education. The FAFSA must be completed to apply for grants, loans, and work-study. All financial information is kept confidential. Many students are eligible to receive financial aid from the federal government to help pay for college or career school. Age, race, or field of study will not affect eligibility for federal student aid.
 
Many college/university websites and fafsa.gov provide a financial aid estimator to estimate how much financial assistance students may receive. Financial need increases with college cost and some colleges can cost more than $65,000 a year. Many of these colleges, state agencies, and scholarship foundations require the FAFSA to award scholarships and grants to middle- and upper-middle-class students attending expensive schools. The most generous private colleges, for example, award need-based aid to some students from families earning more than $200,000 a year. FAFSA is a prerequisite for Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Grad PLUS Loans, and Parent PLUS. These loans are available without regard to demonstrated financial need and have lower interest rates than private loans.
 
NJAFAA may be an option for some students:
 
Complete the NJAFAA application if you are not a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen and meet all of the following criteria:
 
  • Attended a New Jersey high school for at least three (3) years
  • Graduated from a New Jersey high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in New Jersey
  • Registered for Selective Service (male students only)
  • Are able to file an affidavit stating that you have filed an application to legalize your immigration status or will file an application as soon as you are eligible to do so
 
If you do not qualify for the FAFSA or the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application OR are requesting an exemption from the graduation requirement, parents/guardians should complete the FAFSA/NJAFAA Exemption Form and submit it to their student’s school counselor by May 1st of the student’s senior year.
 
Important Links: