New York · high school · 2026-2027 school year
New York homeschool graduation requirements, diploma, and transcript
New York issues no state or local diploma for home instruction; only public and registered nonpublic schools do. Homeschool families issue their own diploma and transcript.
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 22 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
New York's public-school diploma requires 22 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 | 3 | Regents exam or approved alternate assessment required. |
| Science | 3 | at least 1 life science; at least 1 physical science. Regents exam required; lab work needed to sit for a Regents science exam. |
| Social studies | 4 | 1 unit US history; 0.5 economics; 0.5 government; 2 units global history and geography. |
| Foreign language | 1 | Commencement-level LOTE; 3 units needed for Advanced Designation. |
| PE and health | 2.5 | 2 units physical education plus 0.5 unit health, including parenting standards. |
| Arts | 1 | Visual arts, music, dance, or media arts. |
| Electives | 3.5 |
Assessments in the public-school rules: Regents examinations in English, math, science, US history & government, and global history & geography (or approved alternates) for a Regents diploma; local-diploma safety nets exist for some students. These exams bind public-school students; a homeschooled student is not required to take them.
What New York colleges ask a homeschooled applicant for
New York issues no diploma for home instruction; a parent-issued diploma/transcript is standard. For college degree conferral (not admission), NYSED's memo on the conferral rules (8 NYCRR § 3.47 and § 3.50) recognizes six alternatives for a compulsory-age or older candidate: a high-school diploma, a superintendent's substantial-equivalency letter, an HSE (GED), 24 distributed college semester hours across set subject areas, a prior degree, or five specified Regents exams. NYSED evaluates substantial equivalency on request only while the student is still of compulsory age. Colleges set their own admission standards for home-instructed applicants and may accept a portfolio, transcript, standardized test scores, or Regents scores in place of a diploma.
Years of each subject. 0 means the university lists no requirement in that subject; a dash means it publishes no figure for it.
SUNY system (illustrated via SUNY Cortland)
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 3 | 4 |
| Science | 3 | 4 |
| Social studies | 4 | 4 |
| Foreign language | 3 | 4 |
| Arts | – | – |
Reflects SUNY Cortland's published units; each SUNY campus sets its own. Test-optional; no fixed minimum GPA stated. SUNY system (illustrated via SUNY Cortland) requirements (source), checked 2026-09-01.
flagship University at Buffalo
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | – | 4 |
| Math | – | 3 |
| Science | – | 3 |
| Social studies | – | 4 |
| Foreign language | – | 3 |
| Arts | – | – |
No fixed minimum; holistic review of the transcript.
Figures are suggested preparation, not a requirement. UB is test-optional and reviews applicants holistically. University at Buffalo requirements (source), checked 2026-09-01.
Binghamton University
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | – |
| Math | 3 | – |
| Science | 2 | – |
| Social studies | 2 | – |
| Foreign language | 3 | – |
| Arts | – | – |
14 units in the aggregated table (English 4, math 3, science 2, social studies 2, foreign language 3); third-party-aggregated, not Binghamton's own
Figures from a third-party aggregator; Binghamton's own site did not publish a unit table. These figures are third-party-aggregated, not Binghamton's own. Binghamton University requirements (source), checked 2026-09-01.
Questions families ask
Does New York require a homeschool diploma?
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How many credits does a New York homeschool diploma need?
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Who signs a homeschool transcript in New York?
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What does SUNY system (illustrated via SUNY Cortland) 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.
Start your family's transcript New York's homeschool law, step by step