This map generated in the recent Survey of the States by Council on Economic Education tells it all (note that the link will take your students to a simulation that walks them through the cost, situation, challenge and benefits of personal finance education.

As the chart indicates, in 2016…

• Only 7 states have standardized testing of personal finance concepts (UT, MI, GA, TX, MI, OR, CO’) up from six in the last survey in 2014
• Only 17 states require a high school student to take a personal finance course

Students might enjoy using the simulation from this report and then discussing whether or not they feel your state’s approach to personal finance education is a good one.  Next Gen Personal Finance is committed to making this chart a lot greener in the years ahead!

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.