Ohio: school, college and career rules
Ohio law sets 20 units for a diploma plus competency on the Algebra I and English language arts II end-of-course exams and two diploma seals; 14 public universities and 22 community colleges make up the public system.
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
Ohio Revised Code section 3313.603(C), for students who entered grade 9 on or after 1 July 2010 (one unit is at least 120 hours of instruction). Local boards may add requirements. Read through the Internet Archive capture of 17 June 2026 (codes.ohio.gov times out from India; education.ohio.gov rejects every request).Ohio Rev. Code
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English language arts | 4 units |
| Health | ½ unit, including nutrition and physical activity |
| Mathematics | 4 units, including Algebra II or its equivalent (or advanced computer science); career-technical students may take an approved career-based math course instead of Algebra II |
| Physical education | ½ unit |
| Science | 3 units with inquiry-based lab work: physical science, life science, and one advanced science |
| History and government | 1 unit: ½ American history, ½ American government |
| Social studies | 2 units, including at least ½ unit of world history and civilizations |
| Electives | 5 units from world language, fine arts, business, career-technical education, family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education, JROTC, or extra core courses |
| Financial literacy | ½ unit, for students entering grade 9 on or after 1 July 2022 (in place of ½ math unit or an elective) |
20 units in grades 9–12.
State tests for the diploma
For students entering grade 9 on or after 1 July 2019 (Revised Code 3313.618): reach a competency score on the Algebra I and English language arts II end-of-course exams (or, after a retake, show competency another way, such as College Credit Plus credit or career-focused options), and earn at least two state diploma seals. Read through the Internet Archive capture of 17 June 2026 (codes.ohio.gov times out from India; education.ohio.gov rejects every request).Ohio Rev. Code
Also good to know
- Schools must offer remedial support to students who miss the competency score, and a student who misses it must retake the exam at least once.
Ohio Rev. Code
Ohio Revised Code 3313.618: Diploma requirements (competency and diploma seals)Ohio Legislative Service Commission (Ohio Laws)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 16 Nov 2025.
View source
State test: Ohio achievement tests
Statewide achievement assessments and end-of-course exams set in the Ohio Revised Code. Ohio Revised Code section 3301.0710 makes the Department prescribe statewide achievement assessments for each grade from 3 to 8, each with at least five score ranges: advanced, accomplished, proficient, basic and limited. Read through the Internet Archive capture of 25 Oct 2025.Ohio Rev. Code
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| Achievement assessments | English language arts and mathematics | Grades 3–8 (end of each grade) |
| Achievement assessments | Science | Grades 5 and 8 |
Source: Read through the Internet Archive capture of 25 Oct 2025.Ohio Rev. Code
What the scores are used for
- Scores are reported in five levels (advanced, accomplished, proficient, basic, limited).
Ohio Rev. Code
Ohio Revised Code 3301.0710: Statewide achievement assessmentsOhio Legislative Service Commission (Ohio Laws)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 25 Oct 2025.
View source - Algebra I and ELA II end-of-course competency is a diploma requirement (see above).
Ohio Rev. Code
Ohio Revised Code 3313.618: Diploma requirements (competency and diploma seals)Ohio Legislative Service Commission (Ohio Laws)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 16 Nov 2025.
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.
- Ohio public universitiesUniversity system · 14 universities with 24 regional branch campuses, overseen by the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
- Ohio community collegesCommunity colleges · 22 community colleges, plus Ohio Technical Centers, shown on ODHE's campus map.
Sources: ODHE
View sourceODHE
View source
Every school in Ohio, public and private, with cost and completion: 275 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 21 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.
- Ohio Administrative Code 3333-1-10: a resident keeps a twelve-month place of residence in Ohio, can vote and receive state public assistance in Ohio, and may be taxed under Revised Code 5747.02, without claiming residence in another state for those purposes.
Ohio Admin. Code
Ohio Administrative Code 3333-1-10: Ohio student residency for state subsidy and tuition surcharge purposesOhio Legislative Service Commission (Ohio Laws)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 22 April 2026.
View source - A student counts as a resident for tuition if they have lived in Ohio for at least twelve consecutive months before enrolling and have not received financial support from people who are not Ohio residents in that time.
Ohio Admin. Code
Ohio Administrative Code 3333-1-10: Ohio student residency for state subsidy and tuition surcharge purposesOhio Legislative Service Commission (Ohio Laws)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 22 April 2026.
View source
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG)
For Ohio residents with the highest financial need in an associate, first bachelor's or nurse diploma program: Student Aid Index of $3,750 or less and household income of $96,000 or less. Apply by filing the FAFSA. Because the fixed Pell/SAI amount ($7,395) exceeds average community college tuition, OCOG is not paid at community colleges except for foster youth, veterans and third-term cases. ODHE
View source
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Ohio license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Ohio board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Supreme Court of Ohio, Office of Bar Admissions | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 85). NextGen UBE from July 2028. NCBEOhio: 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 | State Medical Board of Ohio | 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 | Ohio Accountancy Board | 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 | Ohio Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 1, 2023 NCSBNContact Ohio 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)
|
- Ohio license rulesRequirement, exam, fee and renewal for every license on this site, copied from each board's page
- State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors
- ElectricianOhio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Division of Industrial Compliance
- PlumberOhio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Division of Industrial Compliance
- HVAC technicianOhio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Division of Industrial Compliance
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
Careers.Ohio.Gov
State of Ohio
- Use 'Search for State Government Jobs' to find and apply for openings with state agencies, boards and commissions and statewide elected offices.
- Current state employees apply through the Employee-Only Jobs Portal.
Source: Ohio Careers
View source
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Ohio has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- ApprenticeOhio, Ohio Department of Job and Family ServicesOhio's State Apprenticeship Agency. Apprentices earn while they learn; ApprenticeOhio publishes a statewide registered apprenticeship dashboard and issues completion certificates.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: ODJFS
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
- Ohio: 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 Ohio 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
- Ohio Revised Code 3313.603: Requirements for high school graduation (effective 30 Sept 2025) · Ohio Legislative Service Commission (Ohio Laws) checked 2026-10-21
- Ohio Revised Code 3313.618: Diploma requirements (competency and diploma seals) · Ohio Legislative Service Commission (Ohio Laws) checked 2026-10-21
- Ohio Revised Code 3301.0710: Statewide achievement assessments · Ohio Legislative Service Commission (Ohio Laws) checked 2026-10-21
- Ohio's Campuses · Ohio Department of Higher Education checked 2026-10-21
- Ohio Administrative Code 3333-1-10: Ohio student residency for state subsidy and tuition surcharge purposes · Ohio Legislative Service Commission (Ohio Laws) checked 2026-10-21
- Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) · Ohio Department of Higher Education checked 2026-10-21
- Careers.Ohio.Gov: State of Ohio Careers · State of Ohio, Department of Administrative Services checked 2026-10-21
- ApprenticeOhio · Ohio Department of Job and Family Services 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