Louisiana · high school · 2026-2027 school year
Louisiana homeschool graduation requirements, diploma, and transcript
Trellis has no step-by-step law page for Louisiana yet. The state's own statute and agency sources at the end of this page are the primary references.
A Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE)-approved home study program sets its own curriculum (parents choose it) and the parent issues the diploma; the Department's home-study page says such a diploma 'carries the same weight as a state issued diploma' (R.S. 17:236.1).
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
Louisiana'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 | English I; English II; English III; English IV. |
| Math | 4 | Algebra I; Geometry; Algebra II; one advanced math course. Integrated Math I-III may substitute for Algebra I/Geometry/Algebra II. |
| Science | 4 | Biology I; Chemistry I; 2 additional science units from an approved list. |
| Social studies | 4 | U.S. History; American Government or Civics; 2 units from World History/Geography/Economics/other approved courses. |
| Foreign language | 2 | 2 units of the same language. |
| PE and health | 2 | Physical Education (1.5); Health Education (0.5). JROTC may substitute for PE at local board option. |
| Arts | 1 | |
| Electives | 2 | |
| Other | 1 | Financial Literacy. Required for students entering 9th grade Fall 2024 or later. Computer Science can stand in for the foreign-language or elective line for students who entered grade 9 in 2023-24 or later (TOPS University course-requirements footnote); it is not a separate required credit. |
Assessments in the public-school rules: LEAP 2025 end-of-course exams (English I/II or comprehensive ELA, Algebra I/Geometry, Biology, U.S. History/Civics); students generally must score at least 'Fair' after two attempts. These exams bind public-school students; a homeschooled student is not required to take them.
What Louisiana colleges ask a homeschooled applicant for
Louisiana homeschoolers under a BESE-approved home study program pick their own curriculum and self-issue the diploma; the 24-credit TOPS chart above is the public-school/TOPS-scholarship reference, not a mandate for them.
Years of each subject. 0 means the university lists no requirement in that subject; a dash means it publishes no figure for it.
flagship Louisiana public universities (TOPS University pattern; LSU reviews holistically)
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 4 | 4 |
| Science | 4 | 4 |
| Social studies | 4 | 4 |
| Foreign language | 2 | 2 |
| Arts | 1 | 1 |
LSU now uses holistic, largely test-optional review (GPA bands, rigor of coursework) rather than a published LSU-specific checklist; the figures in this table are the statewide TOPS University pattern, not an LSU-specific checklist. Louisiana public universities (TOPS University pattern; LSU reviews holistically) requirements (source), checked 2026-09-01.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 4 | 4 |
| Science | 4 | 4 |
| Social studies | 4 | 4 |
| Foreign language | 2 | 2 |
| Arts | 1 | 1 |
This is the Louisiana Board of Regents' statewide 'Core 4 Curriculum' (19 units). ULL's admission page adds the thresholds: every freshman needs 18 ACT English or 500 SAT reading and writing, and 19 ACT math or 510 SAT math (or a 3.0 unweighted GPA in place of either), plus a 2.0 cumulative GPA. A Louisiana high-school graduate also needs the Core 4 with a 2.5 GPA, waived at a 23 ACT or 1130 SAT. A home-schooled applicant meets the all-freshmen rules plus one of three: the in-state rules; 17 or more Core 4 units with a 2.5 GPA and a 23 ACT or 1130 SAT; or a 26 ACT or 1230 SAT. University of Louisiana at Lafayette requirements (source), checked 2026-09-01.
Questions families ask
Does Louisiana require a homeschool diploma?
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How many credits does a Louisiana homeschool diploma need?
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Who signs a homeschool transcript in Louisiana?
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What does Louisiana public universities (TOPS University pattern; LSU reviews holistically) 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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