South Carolina · high school · 2026-2027 school year
South Carolina homeschool graduation requirements, diploma, and transcript
Trellis has no step-by-step law page for South Carolina yet. The state's own statute and agency sources at the end of this page are the primary references.
South Carolina's 24-credit diploma requirement binds public schools, not homeschoolers under any of the three accountability options. Option 2/3 associations (e.g., SCAIHS) commonly issue their own diplomas under their own requirements; Option 1 (district-supervised) families issue their own diploma; the statute describes compliance, not diploma practice.
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
South Carolina'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 | Specific course sequence not mandated by the regulation itself |
| Science | 3 | One science credit must include a state end-of-course examination |
| Social studies | 3 | 1 unit U.S. History and Constitution; 0.5 unit Economics; 0.5 unit U.S. Government; 1 unit other social studies. |
| Foreign language | 1 | This 1 credit may instead be satisfied with career and technology education coursework |
| PE and health | 1 | Physical education or JROTC. Health education and CPR instruction are also required by policy but are not a separately credited unit |
| Arts | 0 | Schools must offer visual/performing arts, but it is not a separately required diploma credit; may be taken as an elective |
| Electives | 6.5 | |
| Other | 1.5 | Computer Science, 1.0 credit; Financial Literacy, 0.5 credit. |
Assessments in the public-school rules: No statewide graduation exit exam. Public and charter students must take, not pass, the civics test (the 100-question United States Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization test) as part of the U.S. Government credit (S.C. Code § 59-29-240), and complete a science credit with a state end-of-course exam. These exams bind public-school students; a homeschooled student is not required to take them.
What South Carolina colleges ask a homeschooled applicant for
South Carolina uniquely lets Option 2 and Option 3 homeschool associations (e.g., SCAIHS) set their own graduation requirements and issue their own diplomas, distinct from the public-school 24-credit standard shown here. A new statewide college-entrance course policy (20 units) phases in for college freshmen starting Fall 2030.
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 South Carolina
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 4 | 4 |
| Science | 3 | 3 |
| Social studies | 3 | 3 |
| Foreign language | 2 | 2 |
| Arts | 1 | 1 |
2 additional academic elective units
These are USC's published required units; USC does not publish a separate lower minimum tier and expects rigorous coursework where available. University of South Carolina requirements (source), checked 2026-09-01.
Clemson University
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 3 | 3 |
| Science | 3 | 3 |
| Social studies | 3 | 3 |
| Foreign language | 3 | 3 |
| Arts | 1 | 1 |
1 PE/JROTC credit also expected
Clemson publishes one recommended high-school curriculum, repeated in both columns; it evaluates coursework in the context of what each high school offers, and rigor is a key factor. Clemson University requirements (source), checked 2026-09-05.
SC Commission on Higher Education (statewide minimum for all public 4-year universities)
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 4 | 4 |
| Science | 3 | 3 |
| Social studies | 3 | 3 |
| Foreign language | 2 | 2 |
| Arts | 1 | 1 |
1 PE/JROTC credit plus 2 elective units (20 units total)
Statewide Commission on Higher Education minimum for admission to SC's public 4-year universities, effective for students entering high school Fall 2026, fully phased in for college freshmen by Fall 2030. SC Commission on Higher Education (statewide minimum for all public 4-year universities) requirements (source), checked 2026-09-01.
Questions families ask
Does South Carolina require a homeschool diploma?
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How many credits does a South Carolina homeschool diploma need?
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Who signs a homeschool transcript in South Carolina?
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What does University of South Carolina 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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