The news from American high schools is pretty negative. Recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicate that scores in core subjects have dropped to historic lows. In 2024, nearly a third of high school seniors scored below “basic” in reading, meaning they couldn’t identify specific details in a text to understand its meaning. In mathematics, 45 percent scored below basic, the highest percentage since 2005.
Despite these disturbing reports, there is one trend that is an unmitigated plus. More and more schools are offering courses in personal finance. In 2019–2020, 18 percent of high school students were required to complete such a course in order to graduate. In 2023–2024, this figure rose to 27 percent — a 50 percent increase. Plus, 16 percent of high school students get personal finance content from other required courses, and 37 percent have the option of taking a personal finance elective.
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