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Nebraska
91,149 high school students

State Profile
As states work to raise their academic standards, several national high school reform initiatives are assisting them in their efforts to strengthen their high schools so that they provide students with a 21st century education and skills.

Through the profile provided here, the National High School Center offers (a) a snapshot of the state’s graduation requirements and college entrance requirements (see table below) and (b) summaries of national reform initiatives active in the state (see list below table).

High School and College Alignment in the State
The following table shows the state’s alignment between high school graduation requirements and minimum state college entrance requirements, providing a quick source for determining whether there is a gap between what students must know to graduate and what they are expected to have mastered in order to enter college.

  High School Graduation Requirements* College Admission Requirements

English Units

N/S

4
All must include intensive reading and writing experiences

Mathematics Units

N/S

4

 

Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and another that builds upon Algebra

Social Studies Units

N/S

3

 

American or World History (1); history, US Government or Geography (1)

Science Units

N/S

3

 

2 from biology, physics, chemistry, earth sciences, 1 science w/lab

Foreign Language Units

N/S

2
In same language

Art Units

N/S

N/S

Additional Units

N/S

N/S

Total Units

20 units, 80 per cent in core curriculum areas

16

Tests

N/S

SAT or ACT

* Local school boards set all requirements, and may require more than 200 hours of credits in high school for graduation.
** Nebraska does not have statewide minimum admission requirements for its public universities and colleges. These admission requirements are for University of Nebraska System.

National High School Improvement Initiatives at Work in the State As states work to ready high school students for postsecondary success, many are partnering with national organizations to undertake high school improvement efforts. The following list includes national improvement initiatives at work in the state. National initiatives are defined as significant programs, projects, technical assistance, or key information clearinghouses dedicated to high school improvement. For information about and related to research on these initiatives, please click on the name of the initiative to link to a synthesis:


Nebraska State High School Improvement Initiatives
For information on high school improvement initiatives launched at the state level visit the Nebraska Department of Education.

Nebraska ARRA Information
For information on Nebraska's ARRA efforts as it relates to education, please visit the state Web page.