Compulsory School Age by State: All 50 States and DC (2025 Laws)
The age a child must start school, and the age they can stop, in every US state and DC, with the law behind each figure and what changed since 2020.
Compulsory school attendance in the US starts at 5 in 12 states, 6 in 28, 7 in 10 and 8 in one (Washington), and ends at 16 in 16, 17 in 9, 18 in 25 and 19 in one (Texas). Counts include DC. There is no federal compulsory school age; each state sets its own in law.
There is no national compulsory school age in the United States. Each state writes its own into law, and the range is wider than most parents expect. A child in Washington does not have to be in school until 8. A child in Arkansas, Connecticut and Delaware must attend from 5.
The table below gives the compulsory range for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the ages for which each state must offer free public education, and the statute behind every figure.
The short version
Starting age:
- 5: 12 jurisdictions — Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Virginia
- 6: 28 jurisdictions
- 7: 10 jurisdictions — Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota and Wyoming
- 8: Washington only
Leaving age:
- 16: 16 jurisdictions — Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming
- 17: 9 jurisdictions — Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and West Virginia
- 18: 25 jurisdictions
- 19: Texas only
That makes the compulsory span anything from nine to thirteen years depending on the state.
Every state, with the law
| State | Compulsory attendance | Free education offered | Statute (compulsory ages) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6–17 | 5–19 | Ala. Code § 16-28-3 |
| Alaska | 7–16 | 5–20 | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 14.30.010 |
| Arizona | 6–16 | 5–21 | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-802 |
| Arkansas | 5–18 | 5–21 | Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-201 |
| California | 6–18 | 5–21 | Cal. Educ. Code § 48200 |
| Colorado | 6–17 | 5–21 | Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 22-33-104 |
| Connecticut | 5–18 | 5–21 | Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 10-184 |
| Delaware | 5–16 | 5–21 | Del. Code Ann. tit. 14, § 2702 |
| District of Columbia | 5–18 | 5 - none identified in statute | D.C. Code Ann. § 38-202 |
| Florida | 6–16 | 5 - none identified in statute | Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1003.21 |
| Georgia | 6–16 | 5–20 | Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690.1 |
| Hawaii | 5–18 | 5–20 | Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 302A-1132 |
| Idaho | 7–16 | 5–21 | Idaho Code Ann. § 33-202 |
| Illinois | 6–17 | 5–21 | 105 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/26-1 |
| Indiana | 7–18 | 5 - none identified in statute | Ind. Code Ann. § 20-33-2-6 |
| Iowa | 6–16 | 5–21 | Iowa Code Ann. § 299.1A |
| Kansas | 7–18 | 5 - none identified in statute | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 72-3120 |
| Kentucky | 6–16 | 5–21 | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 159.010 |
| Louisiana ¹ | 5–18 | 5–20 | La. Stat. Ann. § 17:221 |
| Maine | 6–17 | 5–20 | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 20-A, § 5001-A |
| Maryland | 5–18 | 5–21 | Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-301 |
| Massachusetts | 6–16 | LEA decision | 603 Mass. Code Regs. 8.02 School Finance: School Choice |
| Michigan | 6–18 | 5–20 | Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 380.1561 |
| Minnesota | 7–17 | 5–21 | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.22 |
| Mississippi | 6–17 | 5–21 | Miss. Code. Ann. § 37-13-91 |
| Missouri | 7–17 | 5–21 | Mo. Ann. Stat. § 167.031 |
| Montana | 7–16 | 5–19 | Mont. Code Ann. § 20-5-102 |
| Nebraska | 6–18 | 5–21 | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-201 |
| Nevada ¹ | 6–18 | 5–21 | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 392.040 |
| New Hampshire | 6–18 | LEA Decision - 21 | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 193:1 |
| New Jersey | 6–16 | 5–20 | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 18A:38-25 |
| New Mexico | 5–18 | 5–22 | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 22-12A-4 |
| New York | 6–16 | 5–21 | N.Y. Educ. Law § 3205 |
| North Carolina | 7–16 | 5–21 | N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 115C-378 |
| North Dakota | 7–16 | 5–21 | N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § 15.1-20-01 |
| Ohio | 6–18 | 5–22 | Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3321.01 |
| Oklahoma | 5–18 | 5–21 | Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 70, § 10-105 |
| Oregon | 6–18 | 5–19 | Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 339.010 |
| Pennsylvania | 6–18 | 6–21 | 24 P.S. § 13-1326 |
| Rhode Island ¹ | 6–18 | 5 - none identified in statute | R.I. Gen. Laws Ann. § 16-19-1 |
| South Carolina | 5–17 | 5–22 | S.C. Code Ann. § 59-65-10 |
| South Dakota | 5–18 | 5–21 | S.D. Codified Laws § 13-27-1 |
| Tennessee | 6–18 | 5 - none identified in statute | Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-3001 |
| Texas | 6–19 | 5–21 | Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 25.085 |
| Utah | 6–18 | 5–18 | Utah Code Ann. § 53G-6-201 |
| Vermont | 6–16 | 5 - none identified in statute | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 16, § 1121 |
| Virginia | 5–18 | 5–20 | Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-254 |
| Washington | 8–18 | 5–21 | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 28A.225.010 |
| West Virginia ¹ | 6–17 | 5–22 | W. Va. Code Ann. § 18-8-1a |
| Wisconsin | 6–18 | 4–20 | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 118.15 |
| Wyoming | 7–16 | 5–21 | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 21-4-102 |
¹ Changed since the 2020 federal (NCES) table, or needs a note. See below.
What changed since 2020
Four states differ from the federal National Center for Education Statistics table published for 2020. Each was checked against the current statute or official reporting:
- Louisiana: Kindergarten became mandatory from the 2022–23 school year, so attendance starts at 5 (age 5 by 30 September). Parents of a child who is still 4 on the first day may wait a year.
- Nevada: Lowered from 7 to 6. A child who is 6 on or before 1 August must be enrolled.
- Rhode Island: Attendance is required from 6 (by 1 September), or earlier if the child is already enrolled in kindergarten.
- West Virginia: The upper age rose from 16 to 17 under a 2010 law, starting with the 2011–12 ninth-grade class. Cabell, Marshall, Monroe and Wyoming counties require attendance to 18.
"Compulsory" does not mean "in a classroom"
Every state lets families meet the requirement through public school, private school or home education, each with its own rules. The compulsory age is when some qualifying education must begin, not when a child must be enrolled in a public school.
Many states also let a student leave before the upper age once they have finished high school, and the exact exemptions differ from state to state. The upper age is the latest point at which attendance stops being required, not the age most students actually leave.
How this compares with England
In England, a child must be in full-time education from 31 December, 31 March or 31 August after their fifth birthday, whichever comes first, though most start Reception in the September after they turn 4. They can leave school on the last Friday in June if they will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays, but must then stay in education, an apprenticeship, or part-time study alongside work or volunteering until 18. Across the 194 countries on this site, the most common starting age is 6. Our school starting age by country table ranks them all, and is four too young to start school? looks at what the evidence says about early starts.
Sources
- Education Commission of the States (2025). 50-State Comparison: Free and Compulsory School Age Requirements. reports.ecs.org
- National Center for Education Statistics. State Education Practices, Table 1.2: Compulsory school attendance laws, minimum and maximum age limits for required free education, by state: 2020. nces.ed.gov
- GOV.UK. School starting age and Know when you can leave school.
- Louisiana: Louisiana Illuminator, 9 June 2021. Nevada: NRS 392.040 (2025), via Justia. Rhode Island: R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-19-1 (2025), via Justia. West Virginia: W. Va. Code § 18-8-1a, via FindLaw.