Illinois: school, college and career rules
Illinois sets at least 16 units for a diploma (4 years of language arts, 3 of math, 2 of science, 2 of social science) plus a Constitution exam and a FAFSA or waiver; students take the IAR in grades 3–8 and the ACT in grade 11.
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
Illinois law (105 ILCS 5/27-22) sets the state minimum by the year a student enters grade 9; local boards may add more. For students entering grade 9 from 2024-25: ISBE
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| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| Language arts | 4 years, 1 of them a writing-intensive English course |
| Writing-intensive courses | 2 years: 1 in an English course, 1 may be embedded in any course |
| Mathematics | 3 years: Algebra I (or integrated), a course with geometry content, and one more (AP computer science counts) |
| Science | 2 years of laboratory science, content not specified |
| Social science | 2 years, including 1 year of U.S. History (or U.S. History and American government) and 1 semester of civics |
| Computer literacy | 1 year of a course with intensive computer literacy instruction (may count toward other requirements) |
| Electives | 1 year from art, music, world languages (including ASL), CTE or forensic speech |
| World languages | 2 years, for students entering grade 9 in 2028-29 and later |
Years of study; the ISBE chart lists the state minimum for each entering class.
State tests for the diploma
A passing score on the Illinois and U.S. Constitution examination (American patriotism, representative government, the flag) is required for graduation. Students must also file a FAFSA, an Illinois state aid application, or a waiver with the district. ISBE
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State test: IAR, ISA and the ACT
Illinois Assessment of Readiness, Illinois Science Assessment and the high school ACT. The IAR is Illinois's state assessment and accountability measure for students in public school districts, assessing the Illinois Learning Standards (which incorporate the Common Core). ISBE
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| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) | English language arts and mathematics | Grades 3–8 |
| Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) | Science, online | Grades 5 and 8 |
| ACT + Science + Writing | English, mathematics, reading, science and writing | Grade 11 (and grade 12 as required), since 2024-25 |
| PreACT Secure and PreACT 9 Secure | Also part of the state high school assessment | High school |
Source: ISBE
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What the scores are used for
- ISBE uses new, unified performance levels and proficiency benchmarks across the IAR, ISA and ACT.
ISBE
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)Illinois State Board of Education- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- The ISA is aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards for Science (which incorporate the Next Generation Science Standards); students on the DLM alternate assessment take that instead.
ISBE
Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)Illinois State Board of Education- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
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.
- Illinois public universitiesUniversity system · The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) publishes data and guidance for the state's public universities, including enrollment and affordability reports.
- Illinois Community College SystemCommunity colleges · 45 colleges and one multi-community college center, coordinated by the Illinois Community College Board (set up in 1965); more than 550,000 Illinois residents enroll each year. The third largest community college system in the nation.
Sources: Read through the Internet Archive capture of 11 Oct 2026 (ibhe.org times out from India).IBHE
ICCB
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Every school in Illinois, public and private, with cost and completion: 231 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 14 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 Illinois System: you can be a resident by bona fide domicile, the true, fixed and permanent home you have set up for reasons other than education and intend to keep; you may have only one domicile and must show evidence that rules out a domicile elsewhere.
U of I System
University of Illinois System Residency Status PolicyUniversity of Illinois System, University Academic Programs and Services- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Also resident under the same policy: a student who attended an Illinois high school for at least 2 years and graduated from it (or earned the Illinois equivalent), or who combined Illinois high school and public community college attendance for at least 3 years.
U of I System
University of Illinois System Residency Status PolicyUniversity of Illinois System, University Academic Programs and Services- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Students not first classified as residents can file a Petition for Determination of Residency Status by the term deadline (fall: 1 July to 1 September).
UIUC Registrar
Residency for Tuition Purposes (petition deadlines)University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Office of the Registrar- 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 Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Monetary Award Program (MAP)
Grants that do not need to be repaid, for Illinois residents with financial need (based on the FAFSA) at approved Illinois colleges. No grades or test scores are needed. The number and size of grants depend on each year's state appropriation. Read through the Internet Archive capture of 4 June 2026 (isac.org returns 403 to requests from India).ISAC
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Illinois license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Illinois board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar Illinois requirements | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 80). NextGen UBE from February 2028. NCBEIllinois: 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 | Illinois State Medical 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 | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (CPA license) Illinois Board of Examiners (CPA Exam) | 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 | Illinois Board of Nursing Illinois requirements | NCLEX-RN · Not in the Nurse Licensure Compact NCSBNContact Illinois 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)
|
- Illinois license rulesRequirement, exam, fee and renewal for every license on this site, copied from each board's page
- Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Board of Nursing
- Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar
- PlumberIllinois Department of Public Health (Illinois Plumbing License Law, 225 ILCS 320)
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
Work.Illinois.Gov
Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS)
- All jobs for agencies under the Governor are posted on Work.Illinois.Gov.
- Create an account and complete a candidate profile, then apply to the posting.
Source: Illinois CMS
View source
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Illinois has no State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers programs here. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Illinois Apprenticeship Office (U.S. Department of Labor)Illinois has no State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Illinois Apprenticeship Office registers and oversees programs.
- 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
- Illinois: 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 Illinois 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
- Illinois graduation requirements, 105 ILCS 5/27-22, 27-22.05, 27-22.10 (PDF, March 2025) · Illinois State Board of Education checked 2026-10-21
- Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) · Illinois State Board of Education checked 2026-10-21
- High School Assessment (ACT + Science + Writing, PreACT Secure, PreACT 9 Secure) · Illinois State Board of Education checked 2026-10-21
- Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) · Illinois State Board of Education checked 2026-10-21
- Illinois Board of Higher Education (home) · Illinois Board of Higher Education checked 2026-10-21
- About ICCB · Illinois Community College Board checked 2026-10-21
- University of Illinois System Residency Status Policy · University of Illinois System, University Academic Programs and Services checked 2026-10-21
- Residency for Tuition Purposes (petition deadlines) · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Office of the Registrar checked 2026-10-21
- Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grants · Illinois Student Assistance Commission checked 2026-10-21
- Application Procedures · State of Illinois, Department of Central Management Services checked 2026-10-21
- 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