Four New States Implement Personal Finance Courses as CEE’s Survey of the States Reveals Positive Momentum in Financial Literacy Education in America

New York, NY – Thirty-nine states now require personal finance courses for high school graduation, making significant progress in financial literacy education, reports the Council for Economic Education’s (CEE’s) biennial Survey of the States. 

Four states, California, Delaware, Colorado and Hawaii, have newly mandated students take a semester-long personal finance course to graduate from high school, impacting an estimated 2.3 million high school students. Additionally, Kentucky and Texas strengthened their existing policies transitioning from embedded personal finance content within other courses to dedicated stand-alone courses.

“We’re encouraged by the growing commitment from government leaders and educators to financial literacy and the lasting impact it will have on young people’s lives,” said Steve Bumbaugh, Chief Executive Officer of CEE.

However, this year’s survey also indicated a decline in states requiring students to take economics to graduate. Only 22 states now mandate economics for graduation, down from 26 in 2024, as Texas, California and Indiana replaced stand-alone economics courses with personal finance requirements.

“As the momentum for teaching personal finance continues, it’s critical that we also champion a full course in economics—one that gives students a deeper understanding of financial markets, policies and builds critical thinking. The two disciplines go hand in hand,” continued Bumbaugh.

“Through FinEd50, we’re helping states and schools develop consistent, high-quality financial literacy programs so that young people don’t have to learn about money the hard way,” said Kim Lawrence, Regional President of North America at Visa. “We’re encouraged by the program’s growing momentum and its success in helping young people build real world financial education that extends beyond the classroom and lasts throughout their lives.”

Visa and CEE are founding members of FinEd50, a coalition of nonprofit organizations, researchers, corporate partners and professional organizations who are dedicated to improving access to financial education for all young people. Since the coalition’s inception,16 states have passed legislation and two have switched from embedded requirements to stand-alone requirements.

With 39 states now requiring personal finance for graduation, over 13 million students will have access to a financial education course. Teachers are essential to making this possible, and Visa is proud to have trained more than 4,000 educators, reaching 400,000 students.

Real-World Results: Research underscores the powerful impact that even a single semester of personal finance can have on young adults’ financial decisions. A Federal Reserve Bank of New York study found that those who received mandatory financial education in high school were more likely make sound financial decisions as adults than those who didn’t receive any education, including paying down credit card debt after receiving stimulus checks during the pandemic, refinancing mortgages when rates dropped or purchasing their first homes.

In Delaware, policymakers expect their new personal finance course requirement to yield positive results for years to come. “A 2024 study projected that this half-credit course could yield an estimated $116K lifetime benefit for each participating Delaware student, a profound investment in their future,” said Jeff Hilovsky, Delaware State Representative for the 4th District.

Since 1998, CEE has collected and analyzed data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, making the biennial Survey of the States an important benchmark for tracking progress on economic and personal financial education.

For the full 2026 Survey reportwith detailed tables and methodology, go to: SurveyoftheStates.com and join the conversation at #SURVEYOFTHESTATES

About the Council for Economic Education

The Council for Economic Education’s (CEE’s) mission is to equip K–12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics so that they can make better decisions for themselves, their families and their communities. We carry out our mission in three ways. We advocate to require financial and economic education in every state. We provide training, tools and resources — online and live through over 180 affiliates nationwide — to more than 40,000 teachers annually, who in turn bring the highest quality economics and personal finance instruction to over 4 million students. We deepen knowledge and introduce high school students to critical career capabilities through our national competitions and Invest in Girls program. Learn more at CouncilForEconEd.org and on LinkedIn and on Facebook.

Media contact: 

CEE: press@councilforeconed.org