Personal finance classes are becoming the norm in high schools

An increasing number of states are now requiring high school students to complete at least one personal finance course to graduate. Currently, over 70% of American students are mandated to take personal finance classes. While this growth in educational opportunities is a positive development, new obstacles are emerging, highlighting the ongoing need to advocate for economic education.

Key Points:

• Research shows that students who take required personal finance courses tend to accrue less credit card debt.
• Some educators lack the resources to take on these courses.
• Students taking financial literacy courses demonstrate an understanding of necessary concepts such as compound interest and budgeting.

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, and learn to successfully navigate in our ever-changing economy. 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.

Media contact: 

CEE: press@councilforeconed.org