See Where Your State Ranks in Financial Literacy
Including financial literacy classes in high school curricula is one of the most important things we can do to ensure that young people are able to make sound financial decisions. Investopedia reports on the state of financial literacy education in all 50 states in this article:
Financial literacy is the ability to use knowledge and skills to make effective and informed money-management decisions. Personal financial literacy includes everything from balancing a checkbook to long-term retirement planning. While literacy – the ability to read and write – is a fundamental part of the education system, financial literacy is often left out of the curriculum. In fact, a report from The Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College found that 26 states received grades of C, D or F for producing the most financially literate high-school students. How did your state do? Read on.
Financial Literacy Report Cards
The 2015 National Report Card on State Efforts to Improve Financial Literacy in High Schools (the most recent available) is based on a review of financial-literacy legislation summaries kept by the National Conference of State Legislatures from 1999 to 2015. The data were compiled by the JumpStart Coalition on Personal Financial Literacy and the Council for Economic Education’s 2014 Survey of the States, with additional research to address inconsistencies between among sources or where further information was warranted.
The report grades each state based on its efforts to teach the ABCs of financial literacy to high-school students. Note: There is no national effort to track financial education at the elementary and middle school levels, nor at the college level. In true school fashion, the report rates each state with a letter grade (see the grade requirements at the bottom of the article.)