Indiana · high school · 2026-2027 school year
Indiana homeschool graduation requirements, diploma, and transcript
Trellis has no step-by-step law page for Indiana yet. The state's own statute and agency sources at the end of this page are the primary references.
Indiana Code 20-33-2 classifies homeschools as nonpublic, non-accredited schools; the parent/instructor sets requirements and issues a non-accredited diploma. State diploma types (Core 40, the new diploma) apply only to accredited public/state-recognized schools.
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 40 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
Indiana's public-school diploma requires 40 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 | 8 | balance of literature, composition, and speech. |
| Math | 6 | Algebra I; Geometry; Algebra II. A math or quantitative-reasoning course is required every year. |
| Science | 6 | Biology I; Chemistry or Physics; an additional Core 40 science course. |
| Social studies | 6 | U.S. History; U.S. Government; Economics; World History/Geography. |
| Foreign language | 0 | Not separately required for Core 40; may be used within the 5-credit directed electives, see "electives". |
| PE and health | 3 | Physical Education (2); Health & Wellness (1). |
| Arts | 0 | Not separately required for Core 40; may be used within the 5-credit directed electives, see "electives". |
| Electives | 11 | 5 directed electives (world language, fine arts, or CTE); 6 general electives. |
| Other | 0 | one-semester Personal Finance course added as a requirement for the Class of 2028. |
Assessments in the public-school rules: SAT serves as the graduation-qualifying exam for the Classes of 2026-2028; a one-semester Personal Finance course is required starting with the Class of 2028. These exams bind public-school students; a homeschooled student is not required to take them.
What Indiana colleges ask a homeschooled applicant for
Indiana is mid-transition: Core 40 governs Classes 2026-2028 (used above), while a New Indiana Diploma with 'readiness seals' becomes mandatory for Class 2029+. Homeschoolers are bound by neither, but IU and Purdue expect Core 40-level prep as the transcript benchmark. The state's Core 40 PDF is the 2012 edition; its credit list is still the one in force.
Years of each subject. 0 means the university lists no requirement in that subject; a dash means it publishes no figure for it.
flagship Indiana University Bloomington
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | – |
| Math | 3.5 | – |
| Science | 3 | – |
| Social studies | 3 | – |
| Foreign language | 2 | – |
| Arts | – | – |
34 semester credits of college-preparatory courses in all, IU's stated minimum; shown here as years.
Math minimum: 4 credits algebra + 2 geometry (or 6 integrated) + 1 precalc/trig/stats/finite/calculus. IU lists these as required minimums in semesters (English 8, math 7, social sciences 6, sciences 6, world languages 4, plus 3 more college-prep); shown as years, no separate recommended tier. Indiana University Bloomington requirements (source), checked 2026-09-01.
Purdue University
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | – |
| Math | 4 | – |
| Science | 3 | – |
| Social studies | 3 | – |
| Foreign language | 2 | – |
| Arts | – | – |
Chemistry expected for engineering applicants; lab science required
Course requirements may also be met through college-level coursework; one college semester counts as one high school year. Purdue University requirements (source), checked 2026-09-05.
Questions families ask
Does Indiana require a homeschool diploma?
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How many credits does an Indiana homeschool diploma need?
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Who signs a homeschool transcript in Indiana?
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What does Indiana University Bloomington 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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