Wyoming: school, college and career rules
Wyoming requires at least 4 years of English and 3 each of math, science and social studies plus a U.S. and Wyoming constitution exam, tests with WY-TOPP in grades 3 to 10 and the ACT in grade 11, sets UW resident tuition by 12 months of documented Wyoming ties, and funds the Hathaway Scholarship (raised by about 40% from fall 2026).
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
State Board of Education Chapter 31, Section 4 (under W.S. 21-2-304): a diploma from any Wyoming high school needs passing grades (or competency-based equivalency exams) in coursework aligned to the grade 9–12 state standards, including at least: WDE
View source
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English | 4 school years |
| Mathematics | 3 school years |
| Science | 3 school years (one may be computer science) |
| Social studies | 3 school years, including history, American government and economic systems and institutions |
Years of coursework in four subjects; each district sets its total credits and other requirements in policy.
State tests for the diploma
Students must pass an examination on the principles of the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions (W.S. 21-9-102) and show proficient performance on the district assessment system for all courses taken for the diploma. WDE
View source
Also good to know
- Districts must award credit toward the diploma for courses passed in qualifying postsecondary (dual or concurrent enrollment) programs under W.S. 21-20-201.
WDE
Chapter 31, Wyoming Graduation Requirements (State Board of Education rules)Wyoming Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
State test: WY-TOPP and the ACT
Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP), WY-ALT and the ACT. WY-TOPP is Wyoming's statewide assessment system for general education students (interim and summative tests from Pearson): ELA and math in grades 3 to 10, writing embedded in ELA in grades 5, 7 and 9, and science in grades 4, 8 and 10. Every grade 11 student takes the ACT in spring. WDE
View source
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| WY-TOPP | English language arts and mathematics | Grades 3–10 |
| WY-TOPP | Science | Grades 4, 8 and 10 |
| ACT | English, math, reading and science | Grade 11 (spring) |
| WY-ALT | ELA, math and science (Wyoming Extended Standards) | Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities |
Source: WDE
View source
What the scores are used for
- The grade 11 ACT is used for Hathaway Scholarship eligibility and other scholarships, and some colleges may use it for admission.
WDE
Wyoming Statewide Assessment Guide for Non-Public and Charter Schools (2025)Wyoming Department of Education- Checked
- 22 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.
- University of Wyoming (UW)University system · Wyoming's only four-year university, in Laramie, with Research Level 1 (R1) status in the Carnegie Classification.
- Wyoming community colleges (Wyoming Community College Commission)Community colleges · Eight community colleges, with the Wyoming Community College Commission as the state agency for their coordination, advocacy, funding and accountability.
Sources: UW
View sourceWCCC
View source
Every school in Wyoming, public and private, with cost and completion: 11 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 1 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.
- UW Regulation 2-200: a student must document continual residence in Wyoming and at least 5 of 8 criteria (for example a Wyoming driver's license, voter registration, a Wyoming address on the latest federal tax return, or 12 months of in-state employment), each dated at least 12 consecutive months before the petition.
UW
Resident Tuition Qualifications & Criteria at UW (UW Regulation 2-200)University of Wyoming, Office of the Registrar- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Living in Wyoming primarily as a student does not support resident tuition, and a person can be a Wyoming resident for other purposes yet still pay non-resident tuition at UW.
UW
Resident Tuition Qualifications & Criteria at UW (UW Regulation 2-200)University of Wyoming, Office of the Registrar- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- The residency petition is due by the first day of classes for the semester; a denied petition can be appealed within 10 calendar days to the Residency Classification Committee.
UW
Resident Tuition Qualifications & Criteria at UW (UW Regulation 2-200)University of Wyoming, Office of the Registrar- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Hathaway Scholarship Program (State of Wyoming). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Hathaway Scholarship
State merit scholarship for Wyoming residents who graduate from a Wyoming high school, home school or HSEC and attend UW or a Wyoming community college within four years. From fall 2026 (signed 27 February 2026) a 12-hour semester pays $2,360 (Honors), $1,770 (Performance) or $1,180 (Opportunity and Provisional); students need the Hathaway Success Curriculum and a standardized test score (ACT superscore allowed). UW
View source
Hathaway Need Grant
Need-based supplement to the Hathaway Scholarship: the maximum for non-Honors levels rises to $2,120 a semester (minimum $150) from fall 2026. UW
View source
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Wyoming license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Wyoming board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Wyoming Board of Law Examiners | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 85). NextGen UBE from July 2027. NCBEWyoming: 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 | Wyoming Board of Medicine | 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 | Wyoming Board of Certified Public Accountants | 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 | Wyoming State Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact Wyoming State 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 Wyoming jobs (NEOGOV)
State of Wyoming
- Click a job title and Apply on the State of Wyoming job page; first-time applicants create a username and password, then Build Job Application once and reuse it for other openings.
- Show all relevant education and experience, because incomplete applications may be rejected; the recruitment team is at 307-777-7188.
Source: State of Wyoming
View source
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Wyoming 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
- Wyoming Apprenticeship Office (U.S. Department of Labor)Wyoming has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Wyoming 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
- Wyoming: 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 Wyoming State 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
- Chapter 31, Wyoming Graduation Requirements (State Board of Education rules) · Wyoming Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Wyoming Statewide Assessment Guide for Non-Public and Charter Schools (2025) · Wyoming Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Resident Tuition Qualifications & Criteria at UW (UW Regulation 2-200) · University of Wyoming, Office of the Registrar checked 2026-10-22
- Wyoming Community College Commission (home page) · Wyoming Community College Commission checked 2026-10-22
- Hathaway Scholarship · University of Wyoming, Student Financial Aid checked 2026-10-22
- State of Wyoming job opportunities (NEOGOV) · State of Wyoming checked 2026-10-22
- 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