Required School Days by State

Map

Table

Introduction

Under the federal constitution, the U.S. Congress can only pass laws regarding matters specified in the constitution; power over education is not provided to the federal government. This means schools are primarily governed by state law, though local law may also apply, when not precluded by state law. 

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), thirty-eight states have laws specifying the number of required school days. Of the remaining twelve, five states delegate that power to another entity within the state, typically either the board of education or the local school board. The remaining states have no state law regarding the number of required school days.

The state with the most required school days is Kansas for grades 1–11, and the states with the next most required school days are Illinois and North Carolina. On the other hand, the states with the fewest required school days are Colorado and Kentucky.

Learn for yourself how the number of required school days differs by exploring the data in the charts.

#StateRequired School DaysRequired School Hours
1Kansas1865
2Illinois1855
3North Carolina185
4Alabama1806
5Alaska1805.5
6Arizona180
7California1804
8Connecticut180
9District of Columbia1805
10Florida180
11Georgia1805.5
12Hawaii180
13Indiana1806
14Iowa1806
15Maine1805
16Maryland1803
17Massachusetts180
18Michigan180
19Mississippi1805.5
20Nevada1805.5
21New Hampshire180
22New Jersey1804
23New York1805.5
24Oklahoma1806
25Pennsylvania1805.5
26Rhode Island1806
27South Carolina1806
28Tennessee1806.5
29Utah1804
30Virginia1805.5
31Washington180
32West Virginia1805.8
33Louisiana1776
34Vermont175
35Wyoming175
36Kentucky1706
37Minnesota165
38Colorado160

Required School Days by State

Alabama

See less

do_not_disturb_on

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#4

Required School Hours

help

6

Ranked in the US

#3

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Alaska

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#5

Required School Hours

help

5.5

Ranked in the US

#15

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Arizona

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#6

Required School Days

California

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#7

Required School Hours

help

4

Ranked in the US

#26

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Colorado

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

160

Ranked in the US

#38

Required School Days

Connecticut

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#8

Required School Days

District of Columbia

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#9

Required School Hours

help

5

Ranked in the US

#22

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Florida

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#10

Required School Days

Georgia

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#11

Required School Hours

help

5.5

Ranked in the US

#16

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Hawaii

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#12

Required School Days

Illinois

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

185

Ranked in the US

#2

Required School Hours

help

5

Ranked in the US

#23

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Indiana

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#13

Required School Hours

help

6

Ranked in the US

#5

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Iowa

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#14

Required School Hours

help

6

Ranked in the US

#6

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Kansas

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

186

Ranked in the US

#1

Required School Hours

help

5

Ranked in the US

#24

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Kentucky

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

170

Ranked in the US

#36

Required School Hours

help

6

Ranked in the US

#7

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Louisiana

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

177

Ranked in the US

#33

Required School Hours

help

6

Ranked in the US

#8

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Maine

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#15

Required School Hours

help

5

Ranked in the US

#25

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Maryland

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#16

Required School Hours

help

3

Ranked in the US

#30

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Massachusetts

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#17

Required School Days

Michigan

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#18

Required School Days

Minnesota

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

165

Ranked in the US

#37

Required School Days

Mississippi

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#19

Required School Hours

help

5.5

Ranked in the US

#17

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Nevada

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#20

Required School Hours

help

5.5

Ranked in the US

#18

Required School Days

Required School Hours

New Hampshire

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#21

Required School Days

New Jersey

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#22

Required School Hours

help

4

Ranked in the US

#27

Required School Days

Required School Hours

New York

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#23

Required School Hours

help

5.5

Ranked in the US

#19

Required School Days

Required School Hours

North Carolina

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

185

Ranked in the US

#3

Required School Days

Oklahoma

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#24

Required School Hours

help

6

Ranked in the US

#11

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Pennsylvania

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#25

Required School Hours

help

5.5

Ranked in the US

#20

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Rhode Island

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#26

Required School Hours

help

6

Ranked in the US

#12

Required School Days

Required School Hours

South Carolina

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#27

Required School Hours

help

6

Ranked in the US

#13

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Tennessee

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#28

Required School Hours

help

6.5

Ranked in the US

#2

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Utah

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#29

Required School Hours

help

4

Ranked in the US

#28

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Vermont

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

175

Ranked in the US

#34

Required School Days

Virginia

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#30

Required School Hours

help

5.5

Ranked in the US

#21

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Washington

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#31

Required School Days

West Virginia

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

180

Ranked in the US

#32

Required School Hours

help

5.8

Ranked in the US

#14

Required School Days

Required School Hours

Wyoming

See more

add_circle

Required School Days

help

175

Ranked in the US

#35

Required School Days