Delaware · high school · 2026-2027 school year
Delaware homeschool graduation requirements, diploma, and transcript
Trellis has no step-by-step law page for Delaware yet. The state's own statute and agency sources at the end of this page are the primary references.
The 24-credit regulation (14 DE Admin Code 505) governs public school diplomas. Delaware requires homeschools to register/notify but sets no state-mandated subjects or assessments, so the parent or program issues the diploma.
The short version
- Who sets the requirement: the state's graduation rules bind public schools, not homeschools. The parent issues the diploma.
- The reference standard: the public-school minimum is 24 credits, and that table is the common starting point a transcript is read against; colleges set their own expectations on top of it, below.
- What colleges actually look for: the universities in the table below publish their own course expectations.
- What a transcript must show: courses by year, credits, and grades, kept by the parent, with the same subject headings the reference table uses.
- Across states: compare what 51 flagship universities ask.
The public-school credit table, for reference
Delaware's public-school diploma requires 24 credits. A homeschool is not held to it. It is shown as the reference a transcript is commonly read against. A recruited athlete also registers with the NCAA Eligibility Center, which grades home-school core courses against its own worksheet, separate from this table.
| Subject | Credits | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | |
| Math | 4 | Algebra I; Geometry; Algebra II or Integrated Math III. |
| Science | 3 | Biology; scientific investigations/lab work. |
| Social studies | 3 | US History. |
| Foreign language | 2 | Must be 2 credits in the same language, or demonstrated proficiency on a nationally recognized assessment. |
| PE and health | 1.5 | 1 credit physical education; 0.5 credit health education. |
| Arts | 0 | Not itemized as a separate statewide credit requirement in this regulation. |
| Electives | 3.5 | |
| Other | 3 | 3-credit Career Pathway sequence. Pre-planned, sequential courses developing knowledge/skills in a career or academic area, required for the standard diploma. |
Assessments in the public-school rules: No graduation assessment is specified in 14 DE Admin Code 505. A separate 'Diploma of Alternate Achievement Standards' exists for students meeting IEP goals but not standard credit requirements. These exams bind public-school students; a homeschooled student is not required to take them.
What Delaware colleges ask a homeschooled applicant for
Delaware's 24-credit framework, including its 3-credit Career Pathway requirement, is a public-school-only standard; homeschool families set their own scope and sequence. One secondary profile (ECS) lists 2 science credits and 23 in all; the regulation itself, 14 DE Admin Code 505, renders only in a browser and is the authority for the 3 and 24 shown here.
Years of each subject. 0 means the university lists no requirement in that subject; a dash means it publishes no figure for it.
flagship University of Delaware
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | – | 4 |
| Math | – | 3 |
| Science | – | 3 |
| Social studies | – | 3 |
| Foreign language | – | – |
| Arts | – | – |
UD publishes suggested years, not minimums: 16 units in all, with 3 academic electives from English, math, science, social science, foreign language or other academic areas
UD's chart is headed 'Years Suggested' and its page calls them suggested totals, not a cutoff; math must be Algebra I or higher and science must include 2 lab courses. Foreign language and the arts are not itemised; a language counts among the academic electives. University of Delaware requirements (source), checked 2026-09-04.
Delaware State University
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 3 | 4 |
| Science | 3 | 3 |
| Social studies | 3 | 4 |
| Foreign language | 2 | 2 |
| Arts | 0 | 0 |
4 elective units; 19 total units minimum; minimum 2.0 GPA
Math must include Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry; science must include Biology, Chemistry, and/or Physics with labs; a 4th math course and same-language progression are recommended. Delaware State University requirements (source), checked 2026-09-01.
Questions families ask
Does Delaware require a homeschool diploma?
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How many credits does a Delaware homeschool diploma need?
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Who signs a homeschool transcript in Delaware?
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What does University of Delaware expect from a homeschooled applicant?
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How Trellis checks your transcript against this table
In Trellis, the courses you plan and the work your children check off become the transcript as you go. The graduation card reads that transcript against the table above and says, subject by subject, what is earned and what is still open, and it notices a course filed under the wrong heading before a college does. Nothing is retyped at the end of senior year.
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