Connecticut: school, college and career rules
Connecticut requires 25 credits for a diploma (plus personal finance and the FAFSA from the class of 2027), tests grades 3 to 8 and grade 11 every year, gives in-state tuition by domicile (presumed after one year), and offers Roberta B. Willis Scholarships.
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
C.G.S. § 10-221a: no board of education may grant a diploma to a student who has not completed at least 25 credits, including these minimums. Boards may also require a one-credit mastery-based diploma assessment. cga.ct.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-17 (20261017025556).Conn. Gen. Stat.
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| Humanities | At least 9 credits, including civics and the arts |
| Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) | At least 9 credits |
| Physical education and wellness | At least 1 credit |
| Health and safety education | At least 1 credit |
| World languages | At least 1 credit |
| Personal financial management and financial literacy | 0.5 credit from the class of 2027 (can count toward humanities, STEM or electives) |
25 credits minimum. A credit is at least the equivalent of a 40-minute class period every school day for a school year.
State tests for the diploma
From the class of 2027, students must also meet C.G.S. § 10-221z: file the FAFSA (or an institutional aid application) unless waived or exempt. cga.ct.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-17 (20261017025556).Conn. Gen. Stat.
Also good to know
- Since the class of 2023, boards must provide support and remedial services from grade 7, including summer or online course retakes, college classes and alternate forms of end-of-year exams.
Conn. Gen. Stat.
C.G.S. § 10-221a, High school graduation requirements (General Statutes chapter 170)Connecticut General Assembly- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
cga.ct.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-17 (20261017025556).
View source
State test: Mastery examinations (Smarter Balanced, NGSS science and the SAT)
Connecticut statewide mastery examinations under C.G.S. § 10-14n. Every public school student in grades 3 to 8 and grade 11 takes a mastery examination in reading, writing and math each year during the school day, and grades 5, 8 and 11 take a statewide science examination. Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-09-21 (20260921051138); the State Department of Education's assessment pages render empty or 404.Conn. Gen. Stat.
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| Mastery examination | Reading, writing and mathematics | Grades 3–8 |
| State-wide science examination | Science | Grades 5, 8 and 11 |
| Nationally recognized college readiness assessment | Reading, writing and mathematics | Grade 11 |
Source: Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-09-21 (20260921051138); the State Department of Education's assessment pages render empty or 404.Conn. Gen. Stat.
What the scores are used for
- The grade 11 mastery examination is a nationally recognized college readiness assessment approved by the State Board of Education, so the state test doubles as a college admission test score.
Conn. Gen. Stat.
C.G.S. § 10-14n, Mastery examination (General Statutes chapter 163c)Connecticut General Assembly- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-09-21 (20260921051138); the State Department of Education's assessment pages render empty or 404.
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.
- University of Connecticut (UConn)University system · Connecticut's public research university, with 14 schools and colleges and more than 125 undergraduate majors.
- Connecticut State Community College (CT State)Community colleges · Formed on 1 July 2023 by merging the state's 12 community colleges: 12 campuses serving all 169 towns, the largest community college in New England, part of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system.
Sources: UConn
View sourceCT State
View source
Every school in Connecticut, public and private, with cost and completion: 56 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 8 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.
- C.G.S. § 10a-29: every person domiciled in Connecticut (true, fixed and permanent home) is entitled to in-state tuition at the public colleges; an unemancipated student's domicile is the parent's.
Conn. Gen. Stat.
C.G.S. §§ 10a-28 to 10a-30, Classification of students for tuition purposes (General Statutes chapter 185)Connecticut General Assembly- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-06 (20261006192526); cga.ct.gov times out from India.
View source - C.G.S. § 10a-30: unless the college is satisfied otherwise, an adult is presumed not to have a new Connecticut domicile until living in the state for at least one year, and full-time students do not gain residence just by attending without clear proof of domicile.
Conn. Gen. Stat.
C.G.S. §§ 10a-28 to 10a-30, Classification of students for tuition purposes (General Statutes chapter 185)Connecticut General Assembly- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-06 (20261006192526); cga.ct.gov times out from India.
View source - Someone who moves to Connecticut for a full-time job can apply for in-state status for their spouse and children after six consecutive months; members of the armed forces stationed in Connecticut and their spouses also qualify.
Conn. Gen. Stat.
C.G.S. §§ 10a-28 to 10a-30, Classification of students for tuition purposes (General Statutes chapter 185)Connecticut General Assembly- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-06 (20261006192526); cga.ct.gov times out from India.
View source
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education (OHE). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Roberta B. Willis Scholarship: Need and Merit-Based
For Connecticut students at Connecticut public or nonprofit private colleges with qualifying need (SAI) and merit: top 20% of the class, or SAT 1200 or ACT 25. Up to $5,250 a year in a four-year program and $4,650 in a two-year program; the counselor applies and the FAFSA is due by 15 February. CT OHE
View source
Roberta B. Willis Scholarship: Need-Based Grant
Up to $4,500 for full-time study, based on the FAFSA Student Aid Index alone; there is no separate application. CT OHE
View source
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Connecticut license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Connecticut board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Connecticut Bar Examining Committee | NextGen UBE. MPRE required (passing score 80). NCBEConnecticut: 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 | Connecticut Medical Examining Board | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) 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 | Connecticut State Board of 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 | Connecticut Board of Nurse Licensure | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Oct. 1, 2025 NCSBNContact Connecticut Board of Nurse LicensureNational 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 Job Openings (JobAps)
Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS)
- Browse state job openings and follow the directions in each posting to apply through the state's JobAps site.
- DAS's State Jobs and Employment pages explain how state hiring works.
Source: CT.gov
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Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Connecticut has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. Apprenticeship.gov
View source
- Connecticut Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship TrainingConnecticut is a State Apprenticeship Agency state: the Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship Training registers programs and awards a portable, industry-recognized credential that makes completers eligible for occupational licensing exams.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: CT DOL
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
- Connecticut: 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 Connecticut Board of Nurse Licensure · 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
- C.G.S. § 10-221a, High school graduation requirements (General Statutes chapter 170) · Connecticut General Assembly checked 2026-10-22
- C.G.S. § 10-14n, Mastery examination (General Statutes chapter 163c) · Connecticut General Assembly checked 2026-10-22
- About Us · University of Connecticut checked 2026-10-22
- About CT State · Connecticut State Community College checked 2026-10-22
- C.G.S. §§ 10a-28 to 10a-30, Classification of students for tuition purposes (General Statutes chapter 185) · Connecticut General Assembly checked 2026-10-22
- Connecticut undergraduate and post-graduate aid programs (Roberta B. Willis Scholarship) · Connecticut Office of Higher Education checked 2026-10-22
- Jobs and Employment: State Job Openings · State of Connecticut (CT.gov) checked 2026-10-22
- Apprenticeships: Office of Apprenticeship Training · Connecticut Department of Labor 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