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The State of the States • 2026

30 States Guarantee a Personal Finance Course.
In High School.

That’s about nine years after the money habits actually form. Cambridge says age seven. The states say eleventh grade. Somebody has to cover the gap — and it’s probably you.

Standalone course guaranteed (30) No standalone guarantee yet (20 + DC)
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Click your state.

Every tile is a state. Blue means a standalone personal finance course is guaranteed before graduation. Orange means it isn’t — yet. Either way, the story starts long before high school, and that’s where Clarence comes in.

30
States Guarantee a Course
39
Require Personal Finance to Graduate
7
Age Money Habits Form
0
States That Start Too Early

The Mandate Is the Floor. Not the Finish Line.

Every one of those requirements lands in high school. Research from the University of Cambridge found that money habits are largely formed by age seven — which means the required course arrives about nine years after the habits move in and get comfortable.

Clarence Gets a Bargain is the K–5 on-ramp: one story, one real purchase from sale ad to register, 16+ concepts aligned to Jump$tart, Common Core Math & ELA, CEE, and FDIC Money Smart. By the time your students hit that required course, it’s a review session.

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Data & sources: Guarantee-state list per Next Gen Personal Finance’s Live U.S. Dashboard (as of May 2026; “guarantee” = a required standalone personal finance course of at least one semester that cannot be substituted). The 39-state figure is from the Council for Economic Education’s 2026 Survey of the States, which also counts personal finance embedded in other required courses. Habit-formation research: Whitebread & Bingham (2013), University of Cambridge / Money Advice Service. Legislation moves fast — verify current requirements with your state Department of Education.