North Carolina high school students no longer have to meet as many graduation requirements.

On Tuesday, the Wake County school board voted to reduce the credit requirement from 26 credits to 22 credits.

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But the county isn’t the only one making this decision.

The reduced requirements are stipulated in last year’s budget bill, which made it so schools could not require more than 22 credits for graduation, though many required several more credits. The change affects current juniors.

Wake County is now dropping its foreign language requirements but encouraging students to take more credits to prepare for life after high school.

The school system is adjusting its requirements in alignment with reduced entry requirements at University of North Carolina System universities, which dropped its foreign language entry requirements effective this fall.

Wake’s policy mirrors many others being passed by school boards across North Carolina, at the recommendation of the North Carolina School Boards Association.

The school system still encourages students to complete 26 credits and follow a graduation pathway that aligns with their post-high school career goals.

The new graduation requirements are:

  • Four years of English
    • Four years of mathematics
      • Three science courses: physical science, biology and earth/environmental science
        • Four social studies courses: Founding Principles, Economics and personal finance, American history and world history
          • One health and physical education course
            • Two elective courses from a combination of career and technical education, arts education or world languages
              • Four elective courses from any subject area

                But two more changes to graduation requirements will come in the next two years, changing the list above.

                Students must complete a computer science course, starting with the 2026-27 incoming graduating class. That will reduce the requirement of four elective courses from any subject area to three elective courses from any subject area. Students can begin fulfilling this requirement as soon as this current school year.

                In addition to the computer science requirement, students must have an arts credit among their electives, starting with the 2025-26 incoming freshman class.

                The reduction in graduation requirements was originally included in the 2023 bill that sought to drastically increase private school voucher funding and remove eligibility requirements for the program. The bill also sought to make it easier for students to graduate in three years by requiring all schools to offer a three-year graduation pathway and a state scholarship for students who take advantage. All of that bill language was eventually moved into the state budget bill, which was approved in 2023.