Virginia · high school · 2026-2027 school year
Virginia homeschool graduation requirements, diploma, and transcript
Trellis has no step-by-step law page for Virginia yet. The state's own statute and agency sources at the end of this page are the primary references.
Virginia's Standards of Learning diploma credits apply to public schools; home instruction runs under separate statutes, with the parent, not the state, deciding completion and issuing any diploma.
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
Virginia'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 | 2 of the 4 credits are earned as verified credits via SOL end-of-course tests. |
| Math | 3 | Algebra I and Geometry are among the common options. 1 of the 3 credits is a verified credit via an SOL test. |
| Science | 3 | laboratory science. 1 of the 3 credits is a verified credit via an SOL test. |
| Social studies | 3 | US and Virginia History, US Government among common options. 1 of the 3 credits is a verified credit via an SOL test. |
| Foreign language | 0 | No stand-alone language credit; 2 credits may be met via world language, fine arts, or career and technical education (CTE) (see 'arts'). |
| PE and health | 2 | |
| Arts | 2 | World Language, Fine Arts, or CTE (shared 2-credit line). Combined line: 2 credits from world language, fine arts, or CTE coursework, not arts alone. |
| Electives | 4 | |
| Other | 1 | Economics and Personal Finance. Students also complete one of: a CTE credential exam, an advanced course (AP/IB/dual enrollment), or work-based learning. |
Assessments in the public-school rules: 5 of the standard credits are earned as verified credits by passing Standards of Learning (SOL) end-of-course tests, or approved alternatives, in English, math, science, and history/social science. These exams bind public-school students; a homeschooled student is not required to take them.
What Virginia colleges ask a homeschooled applicant for
Virginia's Standard Diploma (22 credits, 5 verified via SOL tests) is used as the primary record here; the Advanced Studies Diploma needs 26 credits, including 3 years of one world language, plus the same 5 verified credits. Homeschoolers choose one of several annual options (standardized test, evaluator letter, academic records, or a religious exemption) filed with the local superintendent by August; SOL diploma rules do not bind them, and the parent decides when the student has finished and issues any diploma.
Years of each subject. 0 means the university lists no requirement in that subject; a dash means it publishes no figure for it.
University of Virginia publishes no subject-by-subject course list. No fixed numeric minimums published; UVA uses fully holistic review and is test-optional through the 2026-27 cycle. UVA names English, math, foreign language, social studies, and science as its core subjects and expects a schedule that uses a school's full offerings, including AP/IB/honors. UVA sets no published minimum course count; it reviews rigor and grades holistically rather than gating on specific credit numbers. UVA names the core subjects and reviews holistically without quantifying years; no figures are recorded. University of Virginia requirements (source), checked 2026-09-05.
Virginia Tech
| Subject | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | – |
| Math | 3 | – |
| Science | 2 | – |
| Social studies | 2 | – |
| Foreign language | – | – |
| Arts | – | – |
For Fall 2027 applicants, 18 units: 4 English, 3 math, 2 laboratory science, 2 social science, 3 additional academic units (foreign language highly recommended) and 4 electives
Virginia Tech's live page, read 2026-09-05, sets fixed units for English, math, laboratory science and social science and leaves the rest to three additional academic units and four electives. Virginia Tech requirements (source), checked 2026-09-05.
Questions families ask
Does Virginia require a homeschool diploma?
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How many credits does a Virginia homeschool diploma need?
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Who signs a homeschool transcript in Virginia?
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What does University of Virginia 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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