North Carolina: school, college and career rules
North Carolina's Future-Ready Course of Study needs 22 credits (with a computer science credit from the class entering grade 9 in 2026-27); EOC exams count for at least 20% of the course grade; the UNC System and 58 community colleges are the public options.
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
Every student must earn at least 22 credits in the Future-Ready Course of Study. For students entering grade 9 in 2026-27 or later: NCDPI
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| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English | 4 credits: English I, II, III and IV |
| Mathematics | 4 credits: NC Math 1, 2 and 3 plus a fourth course matched to post-high school plans (or, rarely, Math 1 and 2 plus two approved courses) |
| Science | 3 credits: a physical science, Biology, and an earth/environmental science course |
| Social studies | 4 credits: Founding Principles of the USA and North Carolina (Civic Literacy), Economics and Personal Finance, American History, World History |
| Health and physical education | 1 credit, including CPR instruction |
| Computer science | 1 credit (Computer Science, IT and Technology Education in CTE) |
| Electives | 2 credits from CTE, arts education or world language, plus 3 from any subject |
22 credits. Districts may recommend more. The Occupational Course of Study (for identified students with disabilities) also needs 22 credits.
State tests for the diploma
Students in courses with an end-of-course test (Biology, English II, NC Math 1, NC Math 3) must take it, and it counts for at least 20% of the final course grade (State Board policy TEST-003). NCDPI
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Also good to know
- Students entering grade 9 in 2025-26 must have at least one arts education course in grades 6–12.
NCDPI
High School Graduation Requirements (Future-Ready Course of Study)North Carolina Department of Public Instruction- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
State test: North Carolina EOG and EOC tests
End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests (NC Department of Public Instruction). NCDPI's Office of Accountability and Testing designs and manages statewide assessments for students in public and charter schools in grades 3–12. NCDPI
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| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning-of-Grade 3 Reading Test | Reading | First 15 days of grade 3 |
| End-of-Grade (EOG) Reading and Mathematics | Reading and math | End of each tested grade (testing window: last 10 instructional days) |
| End-of-Grade (EOG) Science | Science | Grades 5 and 8 |
| End-of-Course (EOC) | Biology, English II, NC Math 1, NC Math 3 | At the end of the course; online |
Source: NCDPI
View source
What the scores are used for
- Schools must use every EOC result as at least 20% of the student's final grade in that course.
NCDPI
State TestsNorth Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Office of Accountability and Testing- 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.
- The University of North Carolina SystemUniversity system · 16 universities plus the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. UNC-Chapel Hill, chartered in 1789, was the first public university in the U.S.
- North Carolina Community College SystemCommunity colleges · 58 community colleges; the only public organization in the state dedicated to affordable college access for anyone in North Carolina.
Sources: UNC System
View sourceNCCCS
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Every school in North Carolina, public and private, with cost and completion: 167 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 10 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.
- Living in North Carolina for 12 months is not enough by itself: you must prove you established legal residence (domicile) in North Carolina for at least 12 consecutive months before claiming residency, intending to make it your home indefinitely, not only to attend college.
NC RDS
Frequently Asked Questions (12 months, domicile, dependent students)North Carolina Residency Determination Service- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- The test is capacity, presence, intent and duration; dependent students' residence is based on their parents'. Housing documents alone do not count as domiciliary acts.
NC RDS
Frequently Asked Questions (12 months, domicile, dependent students)North Carolina Residency Determination Service- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Residency is decided centrally by the Residency Determination Service (RDS), set up with the UNC System, the Community College System, NCSEAA and the independent colleges (NCICU).
NC RDS
What is the Residency Determination Service?North Carolina Residency Determination Service- 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 North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA), via CFNC. Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Next NC Scholarship
For most North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less: at least $3,000 a year at a community college and at least $5,000 a year at a public university. Start with the FAFSA. CFNC
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Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a North Carolina license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | North Carolina board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Board of Law Examiners of the State of North Carolina North Carolina requirements | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 80). NextGen UBE from July 2028. NCBENorth Carolina: 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 | North Carolina 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 | North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners North Carolina requirements | 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 | North Carolina Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact North Carolina 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.
Work for NC
North Carolina Office of State Human Resources (OSHR)
- Jobseekers without an N.C. employee Workday account apply through the state's application portal.
- Current state employees apply for new roles in Workday; the General Assembly and UNC System post their own jobs.
Source: NC OSHR
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Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
North Carolina has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- ApprenticeshipNC (NC Community College System)North Carolina's State Apprenticeship Agency helps businesses build Registered Apprenticeship Programs that combine hands-on training, classroom instruction, structured wage increases and nationally recognized credentials.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: ApprenticeshipNC
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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
- North Carolina: 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 North Carolina 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
- High School Graduation Requirements (Future-Ready Course of Study) · North Carolina Department of Public Instruction checked 2026-10-21
- State Tests · North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Office of Accountability and Testing checked 2026-10-21
- About the UNC System · The University of North Carolina System checked 2026-10-21
- About Us · North Carolina Community College System checked 2026-10-21
- Frequently Asked Questions (12 months, domicile, dependent students) · North Carolina Residency Determination Service checked 2026-10-21
- What is the Residency Determination Service? · North Carolina Residency Determination Service checked 2026-10-21
- Next NC Scholarship · College Foundation of North Carolina (NCSEAA) checked 2026-10-21
- Employment With North Carolina Government Agencies · North Carolina Office of State Human Resources checked 2026-10-21
- ApprenticeshipNC: Registered Apprenticeship · North Carolina Community College System 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