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Last reviewed 30 September 2026 · Every figure links to its official source
Thirty-nine states now require a personal finance course to graduate from high school, four more than in 2024, according to the Council for Economic Education. On the only international test of teen money skills, 17% of U.S. 15-year-olds scored below the baseline level. Every number on this page links to its source.
| Statistic | Figure | Source, year |
|---|---|---|
| States that require a personal finance course to graduate | 39, up 4 since 2024 | CEE Survey of the States, 2026 |
| States that require an economics course to graduate | 22, down 4 since 2024 | CEE Survey of the States, 2026 |
| U.S. 15-year-olds' average financial literacy score | 505 (OECD average 498; not a significant difference) | OECD PISA 2022 |
| U.S. 15-year-olds below the baseline proficiency level (Level 2) | 17% (OECD average 18%) | OECD PISA 2022 |
| U.S. 15-year-olds at the top level (Level 5) | 13.5% (OECD average 11%) | OECD PISA 2022 |
| Change in the U.S. score since PISA 2015 | +18 points (2022 not statistically different from 2012) | OECD PISA 2022 |
| U.S. 15-year-olds who got money gifts at least once a year | 86% | OECD PISA 2022 |
| ...who got an allowance or pocket money without doing chores, at least once a year | 50% | OECD PISA 2022 |
| ...who earned money working outside school hours | 42% | OECD PISA 2022 |
| ...who earned money from informal jobs such as babysitting | 45% | OECD PISA 2022 |
| ...who talk with parents at least monthly about money for things they want to buy | 83% | OECD PISA 2022 |
| ...who feel confident about managing their money | 81% (OECD average 80%) | OECD PISA 2022 |
| ...who say money matters are not relevant to them right now | 34% | OECD PISA 2022 |
| U.S. adults who answered at least 4 of 7 financial literacy questions correctly | 46% (4% got all 7) | FINRA Foundation NFCS, 2024 |
| U.S. adults who took part in financial education at school, college or work | 19% | FINRA Foundation NFCS, 2024 |
| At least 4 of 7 correct: took part in financial education vs did not | 58% vs 44% (a link, not proof of cause) | FINRA Foundation NFCS, 2024 |
| U.S. adults who would cover a $400 emergency with cash or its equivalent | 63% | Federal Reserve SHED, 2025 (published May 2026) |
| Adults 18 to 29 who got help paying an expense from someone outside their household | 47% | Federal Reserve SHED, 2025 |
| Adults under 30 who live with a parent | 49% | Federal Reserve SHED, 2025 |
| State financial education bills in 2026 | 30 introduced in 13 states; 4 signed into law in 3 states (as of 30 September 2026) | NGPF Bill Tracker |
The Council for Economic Education's biennial Survey of the States (2026 edition, published March 2026) counts 39 states that require students to take a personal finance course to graduate, 4 more than in 2024. CEE calls one semester of personal finance its "gold standard." Economics went the other way: 22 states require it, a net drop of 4, partly because 3 states replaced economics with a stand-alone personal finance requirement. Some requirements start with a future graduating class. Delaware's starts with the Class of 2030, per CEE, so a state on the list may not require the course of every current student. New bills keep coming: the NGPF bill tracker shows 30 bills introduced in 13 states in 2026, and 4 signed into law in 3 states, as of 30 September 2026.
PISA is the OECD's international test. Its financial literacy part tests 15-year-olds on real-life money decisions. In 2022, U.S. students averaged 505 points against an OECD average of 498, a difference the OECD calls not significant (OECD factsheet, United States). About 17% scored below Level 2, the baseline. At best, these students can tell needs from wants and make simple everyday spending decisions. At the other end, 13.5% reached Level 5. Students at that level can, for example, spot and respond to a financial scam email. The U.S. score was 18 points higher than in PISA 2015. One caveat matters: the OECD says to interpret U.S. estimates with caution because one or more PISA sampling standards were not met.
PISA also asked students where their money comes from. In the United States, 86% of 15-year-olds received money gifts from friends or relatives at least once a year, and 50% got an allowance or pocket money without doing chores. Earning was common too: 42% earned money working outside school hours (the federal rules for jobs at 13, 14 and 15 set what that work can look like), and 45% earned money from informal jobs such as babysitting. Most teen money is irregular cash: gifts, gigs and payouts that do not arrive on a schedule. That is exactly what a bank-free weekly plan has to handle. You can track allowance and cash without a bank, and see how Budgeteen splits a week into envelopes.
83% of U.S. 15-year-olds talk with their parents at least monthly about money for things they want to buy. 81% feel confident about managing their money, close to the OECD average of 80%, while 34% say money matters are not relevant to them right now. The OECD notes that, after controls, confidence was linked to higher scores (+15 points), while saying they enjoy talking about money was linked to lower scores (-18 points).
These figures are adult data. The FINRA Foundation's National Financial Capability Study surveyed 25,539 U.S. adults in 2024. 46% answered at least 4 of its 7 quiz questions correctly, and 4% answered all 7. 19% said they took part in financial education at school, college or work. Those who took part scored higher (58% vs 44% with at least 4 correct), but the Foundation cautions that this link is not proof of cause, because education, jobs and interest also differ. The Federal Reserve's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking for 2025 (fielded October 2025, published May 2026) found that 63% of adults would cover a $400 emergency expense with cash or its equivalent. Among young adults, 47% of 18- to 29-year-olds got help paying an expense from someone outside their household, and 49% of adults under 30 live with a parent.
Most teen money arrives unevenly, so a weekly plan fits better than a monthly one. Putting money in a Save envelope before Wants builds the cushion the adult data says many people lack. And practising decisions before real bills arrive is cheaper than learning on a first rent payment. Start with budgeting for beginners and the totals on budgeting basics, and read what comes out of a first paycheck before your first job. Budgeteen is a free planner with Needs, Wants, Save and Give envelopes. It needs no bank account, and there is nothing to buy.
Figures come only from the official publications listed below, read on 30 September 2026. PISA figures are for U.S. 15-year-olds tested in 2022 (published June 2024). NFCS and SHED figures are for adults. This page is refreshed when CEE (every two years), PISA, NFCS (every three years) or SHED (yearly, usually in May) publish new data. The report PDF for CEE is here.
Thirty-nine states require students to take a personal finance course to graduate from high school, according to the Council for Economic Education's 2026 Survey of the States. That is four more states than in the 2024 survey. Some requirements start with a future graduating class, so check your own state's rule and start date.
In PISA 2022, the OECD's financial literacy test for 15-year-olds, U.S. students averaged 505 points against an OECD average of 498, a gap the OECD says is not significant. About 17% scored below the baseline Level 2, and 13.5% reached the top level. The OECD advises caution because U.S. sampling standards were not fully met.
In PISA 2022, 86% of U.S. 15-year-olds said they received money gifts from friends or relatives at least once a year. Half got an allowance or pocket money without doing chores, 42% earned money from work outside school hours, and 45% earned money from informal jobs such as babysitting.
The FINRA Foundation's 2024 study found that 58% of adults who took part in financial education answered at least four of seven quiz questions correctly, compared with 44% of those who did not. The Foundation cautions that this link is not proof of cause, because education, jobs, and interest also differ.
Official pages, reviewed 30 September 2026.
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