Florida: school, college and career rules
Florida's standard diploma is 24 credits with a 2.0 GPA and two state tests (Grade 10 ELA and the Algebra 1 end-of-course exam); the State University System and 28 Florida College System colleges serve the state.
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
Students choose one of five diploma options: the 24-credit standard diploma, the 18-credit ACCEL option, the Career and Technical Education Pathway, AICE or the IB Diploma. The 24-credit option needs: Read through the Internet Archive capture of 18 Sept 2026 (fldoe.org returns Access Denied to requests from India).FLDOE
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English language arts | 4 credits (ELA 1–4; honors, AP, AICE, IB and dual enrollment courses may count) |
| Mathematics | 4 credits, including Algebra 1 and Geometry |
| Science | 3 credits: Biology 1 and two equally rigorous courses; two of the three with a lab |
| Social studies | 3 credits: World History, U.S. History, 0.5 U.S. Government, 0.5 Economics |
| Arts | 1 credit in fine and performing arts, speech and debate, or practical arts |
| Physical education | 1 credit, including health |
| Electives | 8 credits |
| Online course | 1 online course |
24 credits and a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. The 18-credit ACCEL option drops PE and the online course and needs 3 electives instead of 8.
State tests for the diploma
Pass the Grade 10 ELA test (or a concordant score) and the Algebra 1 end-of-course exam (or a comparative score). The Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology 1 and U.S. History EOCs count for 30% of the course grade. Read through the Internet Archive capture of 18 Sept 2026 (fldoe.org returns Access Denied to requests from India).FLDOE
Also good to know
- The Scholar diploma designation adds Algebra 2 and Statistics (or equally rigorous courses), Chemistry or Physics plus one more equally rigorous course, and passing the Geometry, Biology 1 and U.S. History EOCs.
FLDOE
Standard Diploma Requirements: Academic Advisement, What Students and Parents Need to Know (PDF)Florida Department of Education- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 18 Sept 2026 (fldoe.org returns Access Denied to requests from India).
View source - For a State University System university, the minimum is a standard diploma, a 2.5 GPA, college-ready admission test scores and 16 approved college-preparatory credits.
FLDOE
Standard Diploma Requirements: Academic Advisement, What Students and Parents Need to Know (PDF)Florida Department of Education- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 18 Sept 2026 (fldoe.org returns Access Denied to requests from India).
View source
State test: FAST
Florida Assessment of Student Thinking. Florida's ELA and math progress monitoring system (section 1008.25(9), Florida Statutes), first given in 2022-23 and aligned to the B.E.S.T. Standards. It is computer adaptive and taken three times a year: PM1 (baseline), PM2 (mid-year) and PM3 (end of year). Read through the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sept 2026.FLDOE
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| FAST ELA Reading | English language arts | Grades 3–10 (120 minutes at PM3) |
| FAST Mathematics | Math | Grades 3–8 (100 minutes for grades 3–5, 120 for 6–8 at PM3) |
| B.E.S.T. end-of-course exams | Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology 1, U.S. History | High school courses |
Source: Read through the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sept 2026.FLDOE
What the scores are used for
- PM1 and PM2 are for information only; PM3 is the summative score used for school accountability. 2026-27 windows: PM1 10 Aug–25 Sept 2026, PM2 30 Nov 2026–22 Jan 2027, PM3 3–28 May 2027.
FLDOE
2026-27 Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) Fact Sheet, Grades 3-10 ELA Reading and Grades 3-8 Mathematics (PDF, August 2026)Florida Department of Education, Bureau of K-12 Student Assessment- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sept 2026.
View source - Grade 10 ELA is a diploma requirement (see above).
FLDOE
Standard Diploma Requirements: Academic Advisement, What Students and Parents Need to Know (PDF)Florida Department of Education- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 18 Sept 2026 (fldoe.org returns Access Denied to requests 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.
- State University System of FloridaUniversity system · Governed by the Board of Governors. Universities: FAMU, FAU, FGCU, FIU, Florida Polytechnic, FSU, New College, UCF, UF, UNF, USF and UWF.
- Florida College SystemCommunity colleges · 28 member colleges, the primary access point to higher education for Floridians. Each is governed by a local district board of trustees under the State Board of Education.
Sources: Florida BOG
View sourceFLDOE
View source
Every school in Florida, public and private, with cost and completion: 373 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 36 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.
- Section 1009.21, Florida Statutes: you (or, if you are a dependent, your parent) must have established legal residence in Florida and kept it for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before you first enroll.
Fla. Stat.
Section 1009.21, Florida Statutes: Determination of resident status for tuition purposesThe Florida Legislature- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- You must show the 12 months were spent keeping a bona fide domicile, not a temporary home just to attend college. A dependent child of divorced or separated parents counts as a resident if either parent is a Florida resident.
Fla. Stat.
Section 1009.21, Florida Statutes: Determination of resident status for tuition purposesThe Florida Legislature- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- The rule applies to state universities, Florida College System institutions and district career centers.
Fla. Stat.
Section 1009.21, Florida Statutes: Determination of resident status for tuition purposesThe Florida Legislature- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance. Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
Lottery-funded scholarships that reward Florida high school graduates for high academic achievement: Florida Academic Scholarship, Florida Medallion Scholarship, Gold Seal CAPE and Gold Seal Vocational. Apply with the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA). Read through the Internet Archive capture of 9 Oct 2026 (the site times out from India).FLDOE OSFA
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Florida license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Florida board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Florida Board of Bar Examiners Florida requirements | Florida's own bar exam with the MBE. MPRE required (passing score 80). NextGen UBE from July 2028. NCBEFlorida: 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 | Florida Board of Medicine Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.); Florida 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 | Florida 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 | Florida Board of Nursing Florida requirements | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact Florida 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)
|
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
People First (State of Florida Careers)
Florida Department of Management Services, People First
- Search state jobs by career field or location on jobs.myflorida.com.
- For help, the People First Service Center answers at (877) 562-7287, Monday to Friday.
Source: People First
View source
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Florida has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Florida Department of Education, Office of ApprenticeshipThe official state apprenticeship agency, authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor, with regional apprenticeship staff across the state and an Apprenticeship Finder Map of registered programs.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: FLDOE
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
- Florida: 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 Florida 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
- Standard Diploma Requirements: Academic Advisement, What Students and Parents Need to Know (PDF) · Florida Department of Education checked 2026-10-21
- 2026-27 Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) Fact Sheet, Grades 3-10 ELA Reading and Grades 3-8 Mathematics (PDF, August 2026) · Florida Department of Education, Bureau of K-12 Student Assessment checked 2026-10-21
- Universities: State University System of Florida · Florida Board of Governors checked 2026-10-21
- Florida College System · Florida Department of Education checked 2026-10-21
- Section 1009.21, Florida Statutes: Determination of resident status for tuition purposes · The Florida Legislature checked 2026-10-21
- Florida Student Scholarship and Grant Programs (Bright Futures) · Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance checked 2026-10-21
- State of Florida Careers: People First · State of Florida, Department of Management Services checked 2026-10-21
- Apprenticeship Programs · Florida Department of Education, 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