Alabama: school, college and career rules
Alabama requires 24 credits, a civics exam and at least one college and career readiness indicator for the general diploma, tests grade 11 with the ACT with Writing, and gives need-based ASAP grants of $300 to $5,000 through ACHE.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
Alabama Administrative Code 290-3-1-.02(8): the State Board of Education's credit requirements for the Alabama High School Diploma, graduating class of 2028 and beyond (Option A shown). alabamaachieves.org times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-12 (20261012043547). Linked from the department's Graduation Requirements page.ALSDE
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English language arts | 4 credits (English 9, 10, 11 and 12) |
| Mathematics | 4 credits, including Algebra I, geometry and Algebra II or equivalents |
| Science | 4 credits, including biology and a physical science |
| Social studies | 4 credits: world history, U.S. History I and II, U.S. Government (0.5) and economics (0.5) |
| Physical education | 1 credit (Beginning Kinesiology or JROTC) |
| Career Preparedness | 1 credit, with a financial literacy examination |
| Health education | 0.5 credit |
| Arts education, career and technical education, world languages | 3 credits |
| Electives | 2.5 credits |
24 credits.
State tests for the diploma
Students must earn a passing score on the Civics Exam. Since the class of 2022, each senior must also file the FAFSA or sign a non-participation waiver. alabamaachieves.org times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-12 (20261012043547). Linked from the department's Graduation Requirements page.ALSDE
Also good to know
- From the class of 2026, the General Education Pathway diploma also needs at least one college and career readiness indicator: for example an ACT benchmark score, AP 3+ or IB 4+, college credit in high school, a silver or gold ACT WorkKeys level, a youth apprenticeship, an approved industry credential, military enlistment, CTE completer status or an approved computer science course.
ALSDE
Alabama High School Graduation Requirements: College and Career Readiness indicators (PDF, 2025-08-01)Alabama State Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-12 (20261012043545); the site times out from India.
View source - Students who miss the indicator can still earn the General Education Pathway diploma if they meet it within two years.
ALSDE
Alabama High School Graduation Requirements: College and Career Readiness indicators (PDF, 2025-08-01)Alabama State Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-12 (20261012043545); the site times out from India.
View source
State test: ACAP and the ACT
Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) Summative and the ACT with Writing. The ACAP Summative measures progress on the Alabama Courses of Study in grades 2 to 8 each spring; the ACT with Writing is given to every grade 11 student in Alabama public high schools. Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-12 (20261012051254); the site times out from India.ALSDE
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| ACAP Summative | English language arts and mathematics | Grades 2–8 |
| ACAP Summative | Science | Grades 4, 6 and 8 |
| ACT with Writing | English, mathematics, reading, science and writing | Grade 11 |
Source: Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-12 (20261012043731); the site times out from India.ALSDE
What the scores are used for
- The ACT with Writing has been the high school accountability measure since 2017-18; since 2020-21 its English language arts, math and science benchmarks count for accountability.
ALSDE
Assessment: Office of Student Assessment (ACT with Writing)Alabama State Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-12 (20261012043731); the site times out from India.
View source - Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities take the ACAP Alternate in grades 2 to 8, 10 and 11.
ALSDE
ACAP Summative and ACAP AlternateAlabama State Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-12 (20261012051254); the site times out from India.
View source
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- The University of Alabama SystemUniversity system · The state's largest higher education enterprise: The University of Alabama, UAB and UAH (plus the UAB Health System), educating about 71,500 students and awarding over 18,000 degrees and certificates in 2024-25.
- Alabama Community College System (ACCS)Community colleges · 24 community and technical colleges plus Marion Military Institute and the Alabama Technology Network, with more than 168,000 people studying each year; governed by the ACCS Board of Trustees.
Sources: UA System
View sourceACCS
View source
Every school in Alabama, public and private, with cost and completion: 80 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 6 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- At The University of Alabama, someone living in Alabama to attend school is treated as a nonresident, and time spent attending does not change that; students must apply for reclassification and show they meet the University's residency policy. Under 19 (the age of majority), residency follows the supporting person.
University of Alabama
Residency FAQThe University of Alabama, Office of the University Registrar- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Code of Alabama § 16-64-2 lets public colleges count as residents adults employed full time in Alabama (or starting within 90 days) and their spouses, and requires them to count active-duty military stationed in Alabama, Alabama National Guard members of two or more years and qualifying veterans.
Code of Alabama
Code of Alabama 1975, § 16-64-2, Requirements for qualification as resident studentAlabama Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The legislature's code site renders by script; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2023-02-06 (20230206133541) of the older alisondb page (alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/codeofalabama/1975/16-64-2.htm), which includes Act 2021-81, the latest amendment listed. ACHE links students to Title 16, Chapter 64.
View source - Under § 16-64-4(b), colleges may also extend resident rates to students living in counties within 50 miles of a campus that existed on 1 January 1996.
ACHE
Fifty-Mile Radius for In-State Tuition (quotes Code of Alabama § 16-64-4(b), PDF)Alabama Commission on Higher Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Alabama Student Assistance Program (ASAP)
Need-based grant of $300 to $5,000 a year. Colleges use the FAFSA to decide eligibility, and ACHE sends the money to participating colleges, which award it. ACHE
View source
Alabama Student Grant Program
A non-need grant for students at participating independent Alabama colleges, up to $3,000 a year depending on funds. ACHE
View source
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Alabama license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Alabama board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Alabama State Bar | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 75). NextGen UBE from July 2028. NCBEAlabama: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Alabama Board of Medical Examiners Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.); Alabama has more than one board, as listed FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Alabama Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 1, 2020 NCSBNContact Alabama Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
State of Alabama jobs (State Personnel Department)
State of Alabama Personnel Department (SPD)
- Search and apply for state jobs through SPD's NEOGOV jobs site; applications made on the old SPD website are no longer valid.
- Explore job classifications by career field on SPD's Careers page, and ask SPD to check your ranking after you apply.
Source: Alabama SPD
View source
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Alabama has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Alabama Office of ApprenticeshipAlabama is a State Apprenticeship Agency state: the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship registers and oversees programs for federal purposes. A youth apprenticeship also counts as an Alabama college and career readiness indicator.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: Apprenticeship.gov
View source
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Alabama: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Alabama Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- Alabama High School Graduation Requirements, graduating class of 2028 and beyond, Option A (Ala. Admin. Code 290-3-1-.02(8), PDF) · Alabama State Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Alabama High School Graduation Requirements: College and Career Readiness indicators (PDF, 2025-08-01) · Alabama State Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- ACAP Summative and ACAP Alternate · Alabama State Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Assessment: Office of Student Assessment (ACT with Writing) · Alabama State Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- About the University of Alabama System · The University of Alabama System checked 2026-10-22
- About ACCS · Alabama Community College System checked 2026-10-22
- Residency FAQ · The University of Alabama, Office of the University Registrar checked 2026-10-22
- Code of Alabama 1975, § 16-64-2, Requirements for qualification as resident student · Alabama Legislature checked 2026-10-22
- Fifty-Mile Radius for In-State Tuition (quotes Code of Alabama § 16-64-4(b), PDF) · Alabama Commission on Higher Education checked 2026-10-22
- Alabama Student Assistance Program (ASAP) · Alabama Commission on Higher Education checked 2026-10-22
- Alabama Student Grant Program (ASGP) · Alabama Commission on Higher Education checked 2026-10-22
- State of Alabama Personnel Department: home and Careers pages · State of Alabama Personnel Department checked 2026-10-22
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21
- The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21