New Jersey · high school · 2026-2027 school year
New Jersey homeschool graduation requirements, diploma, and transcript
Read how the state rule appliesThe full source context behind the short version.
New Jersey requires homeschool instruction 'equivalent' to public school in the major subjects but sets no specific course list, no routine filing, and no state review; the state's FAQ names two narrow filings, an intent to appeal if a district refuses enrollment and a transfer form when a student leaves a high school midway. The parent issues the diploma; none is state-recognized.
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 120 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
Open the public-school credit referenceA planning reference, not a homeschool requirement.
New Jersey's public-school diploma requires 120 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 | 20 | Public-school minimum, in New Jersey's credit-hour scale (not standard Carnegie units), for reference only. |
| Math | 15 | Algebra I or equivalent; Geometry or equivalent; a 3rd year of math. |
| Science | 15 | evidence-based science courses. At least 15 credits in evidence-based science courses across physical science, life science, Earth and space sciences, and engineering, technology and applications of science (the state's graduation-requirements table). |
| Social studies | 15 | 5 credits world history. |
| Foreign language | 5 | World languages requirement. |
| PE and health | 15 | Health, safety, and physical education, spread over 4 years. |
| Arts | 5 | Visual and performing arts. |
| Electives | — | Not itemized in New Jersey's published category list, which names no elective figure distinct from the named subject areas. |
| Other | 7.5 | financial/economic/business/entrepreneurial literacy (2.5); career education and life skills (5). |
Assessments in the public-school rules: New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) or an approved alternative pathway, required for public-school students only; not applicable to a homeschool-issued diploma.
What New Jersey colleges ask a homeschooled applicant for
Read the admissions and homeschool detailsLaw, testing, and application context
New Jersey measures public-school graduation in a 120-credit scale where most states on this site's college-planning table count about 24. Public university admission requirements vary noticeably by specific school/college.
Years of each subject. 0 means the university lists no requirement in that subject; a dash means it publishes no figure for it.
Rutgers UniversityPublished course expectations
flagship Rutgers University
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 3 | 3 |
| Science | 2 | 2 |
| Social studies | 0 | 0 |
| Foreign language | 2 | 2 |
| Arts | 0 | 0 |
16 total academic units: 5 more academic courses of the applicant's choice; Engineering wants 4 mathematics through precalculus, Nursing wants biology and chemistry
Rutgers's published general pattern (how-we-make-decisions, high school course requirements): 4 English, 3 mathematics including Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II, 2 science, 2 years of one world language, 5 other academic courses, 16 academic units in all. Individual schools ask more, so confirm with the specific school. Rutgers University requirements (source), checked 2026-09-16.
Rowan UniversityPublished course expectations
Rowan University
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 3 | 4 |
| Science | 2 | 3 |
| Social studies | 2 | 2 |
| Foreign language | 0 | 2 |
| Arts | 0 | 0 |
16 total college-prep units; 5 more units from at least 2 of history/language/math/science/English
2 years of one foreign language are strongly recommended though not required; accounting, fine arts, and computer processing courses don't count toward the 16 units. Rowan University requirements (source), checked 2026-09-01.
Questions families ask
Does New Jersey require a homeschool diploma?
Show answer: Does New Jersey require a homeschool diploma?
How many credits does a New Jersey homeschool diploma need?
Show answer: How many credits does a New Jersey homeschool diploma need?
Who signs a homeschool transcript in New Jersey?
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What does Rutgers University expect from a homeschooled applicant?
Show answer: What does Rutgers University expect from a homeschooled applicant?
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.
Start your family's transcript New Jersey's homeschool law, step by step