Delaware: school, college and career rules
Delaware requires 24 credits (including 2 world language and a 3-credit career pathway, plus a half credit of financial literacy for students entering grade 9 from 2026-27), tests with DeSSA and the SAT for every junior, gives in-state tuition at the University of Delaware after 12 months' domicile, and funds the need-based Scholarship Incentive Program and the SEED free-tuition scholarship.
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
14 DE Admin. Code 505, § 5.0: beginning with the class of 2019, a public school student earns the State of Delaware Diploma with at least 24 credits (a credit is 135 hours of instruction or a locally approved option), including: Last amended 25 DE Reg. 274 (09/01/21).14 DE Admin. Code
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English language arts | 4 credits |
| Mathematics | 4 credits, including Algebra II or Integrated Math III; one math credit must be earned in senior year |
| Science | 3 credits with scientific investigations, including Biology |
| Social studies | 3 credits, including U.S. History |
| World language | 2 credits in the same language (or Novice-high proficiency on a recognized test) |
| Physical education | 1 credit |
| Health education | ½ credit |
| Career pathway | 3 credits of planned, sequential courses in a career or academic area |
| Electives | 3½ credits |
24 credits.
State tests for the diploma
No exit exam. In senior year a student must carry a credit load each semester that earns at least a majority of the credits that could be taken, including a math credit. Last amended 25 DE Reg. 274 (09/01/21).14 DE Admin. Code
Also good to know
- HS 1 for HB 203 (signed 19 September 2025, 85 Del. Laws c. 224): high schools must offer at least a ½ credit in financial literacy, and from students entering grade 9 in 2026-27 completing it is required for a diploma.
Del. Gen. Assembly
House Substitute 1 for House Bill 203 (Equity and Inclusion in Financial Literacy for All High School Students in Delaware Act)Delaware General Assembly- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Signed 9/19/25; Volume 85, Chapter 224.
View source - A student with an IEP who meets the IEP's requirements but not the credit requirements receives the State of Delaware Diploma of Alternate Achievement Standards instead.
14 DE Admin. Code
14 DE Admin. Code 505, High School Graduation Requirements and DiplomasState of Delaware, Registrar of Regulations (Department of Education)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Last amended 25 DE Reg. 274 (09/01/21).
View source
State test: DeSSA and the SAT
Delaware System of Student Assessments (DeSSA) and SAT School Day. DeSSA (Smarter) tests English language arts and math in grades 3 to 8, science in grades 5 and 8 and high school Biology, and social studies in grades 4 to 8 and 11; the SAT School Day is the high school test in grade 11. education.delaware.gov returns a Cloudflare block to automated requests; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-04-14 (20260414070514).DDOE
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| DeSSA ELA and Mathematics | English language arts and mathematics | Grades 3–8 |
| DeSSA Science | Science | Grades 5 and 8 and high school Biology |
| DeSSA Social Studies | Social studies | Grades 4–8 and 11 |
| SAT School Day | Reading and writing, and math | Grade 11 |
Source: education.delaware.gov returns a Cloudflare block to automated requests; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-04-14 (20260414070514).DDOE
What the scores are used for
- Delaware gives a statewide math test in grades 3–8 and once in high school using the SAT; DeSSA-Alt is the alternate assessment for students with significant disabilities.
DDOE
Delaware Science AssessmentsDelaware Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-05-01 (20260501041748).
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 Delaware (UD)University system · Research-intensive university founded in 1743, state-assisted yet privately governed, with its main campus in Newark and locations in Wilmington, Dover, Georgetown and Lewes; Delaware residents pay lower tuition because the state funds its operation.
- Delaware Technical Community College (Delaware Tech)Community colleges · The First State's only community college: an open-admission college with four campuses (Georgetown, Dover, Wilmington and Stanton), accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Sources: UD
View sourceDelaware Tech
View source
Every school in Delaware, public and private, with cost and completion: 18 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 2 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.
- University of Delaware residency policy: the person the classification depends on (the parents of a dependent applicant, or the applicant if financially independent) must have been domiciled in Delaware for at least 12 consecutive months as of the first day of classes, with a predominant physical presence in Delaware for those months.
UD
Student Residency Classification for Tuition and Fee PurposesUniversity of Delaware- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Board of Trustees guidelines under 14 Del. C. § 5106; last revised June 2022.
View source - A financially independent applicant must be 18 or married, have kept a domicile separate from the parents for 12 consecutive months and not be claimed as a tax dependent; undergraduates under 24 are presumed to have the parents' domicile. Evidence includes 12 consecutive months of bills or statements at a Delaware address.
UD
Student Residency Classification for Tuition and Fee PurposesUniversity of Delaware- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Board of Trustees guidelines under 14 Del. C. § 5106; last revised June 2022.
View source - A student enrolled full-time at an out-of-state institution and charged that institution's in-state rate in the preceding semester cannot be classified as a Delaware resident.
UD
Student Residency Classification for Tuition and Fee PurposesUniversity of Delaware- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Board of Trustees guidelines under 14 Del. C. § 5106; last revised June 2022.
View source
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Delaware Higher Education Office (DHEO), Delaware Department of Education. Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Scholarship Incentive Program (ScIP)
Need-based scholarship for Delaware residents enrolled full-time in degree programs in Delaware (or out of state in programs not offered by a Delaware public institution); $1,000 for 2026-27, applied for through the Delaware Higher Education Financial Aid Portal and the FAFSA by 15 May. 14 Del. C. § 3411 caps it at 5 annual awards. Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-05-12 (20260512150914).DHEO
SEED (Student Excellence Equals Degree) Scholarship
Free tuition at Delaware Tech for Delawareans of all ages, for an associate degree, diploma, certificate, workforce training or bachelor's degree program, covering up to five years of courses; course fees and books are not covered. Delaware Tech
View source
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Delaware license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Delaware board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Board of Bar Examiners of the Delaware Supreme Court | Delaware's own bar exam with the MBE and MPT. MPRE required (passing score 85). NextGen UBE from February 2028. NCBEDelaware: 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 | Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline | 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 | Delaware 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 | Delaware Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact Delaware 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 Delaware jobs (JobAps)
Delaware Department of Human Resources
- Search state jobs on the JobAps site linked from the Department of Human Resources (dhr.delaware.gov) and apply online.
- Most agency jobs are merit positions governed by the Merit System Rules; others are non-merit, casual/seasonal (temporary, not benefit-eligible) or special appointments.
Source: How to Apply page: statejobs.delaware.gov/apply/index.shtml (merit, non-merit, casual/seasonal and special appointment jobs).Delaware DHR
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Delaware has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Apprenticeship and Training, Delaware Department of Labor (Division of Employment and Training)Delaware is a State Apprenticeship Agency state: the Department of Labor's Apprenticeship and Training office registers programs and apprentices, keeps the occupation ratio and craft training compliance list, and certifies pre-apprenticeship programs; every graduate receives a nationally recognized, portable credential.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: Delaware 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
- Delaware: 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 Delaware 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
- 14 DE Admin. Code 505, High School Graduation Requirements and Diplomas · State of Delaware, Registrar of Regulations (Department of Education) checked 2026-10-22
- House Substitute 1 for House Bill 203 (Equity and Inclusion in Financial Literacy for All High School Students in Delaware Act) · Delaware General Assembly checked 2026-10-22
- DeSSA and State-mandated Testing Calendar (2025-26) · Delaware Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Delaware Science Assessments · Delaware Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- About UD · University of Delaware checked 2026-10-22
- Student Residency Classification for Tuition and Fee Purposes · University of Delaware checked 2026-10-22
- About Delaware Tech · Delaware Technical Community College checked 2026-10-22
- DHEO Scholarships · Delaware Department of Education, Delaware Higher Education Office checked 2026-10-22
- SEED Scholarship · Delaware Technical Community College checked 2026-10-22
- Department of Human Resources (Careers: Search State Jobs, How to Apply) · Delaware Department of Human Resources checked 2026-10-22
- Apprenticeship and Training · Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment and Training checked 2026-10-22
- 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