Homeschool Transcript Kit

Minnesota homeschool law for high school: graduation, diploma and records

Minn. Stat. § 120A.22 requires every child between 7 and 17 to receive instruction and treats a home school as a school when it complies with §§ 120A.22 and 120A.24. Section 120A.22 sets the subjects (subd. 9), instructor qualifications (subd. 10) and annual testing (subd. 11); § 120A.24 sets reporting to the superintendent and required documentation.

Minn. Stat. § 120A.22; Minn. Stat. § 120A.24

The law as of September 29, 2026.

Minnesota at a glance

As of September 29, 2026

Notice to the state
Notice every year
The person in charge of instruction must report to the resident superintendent each child's name, birth date and address, the annual tests intended to be used (if required), the name of each instructor and evidence of instructor qualification: by October 1 of the first school year after the child turns 7, within 15 days of withdrawing a child from public school after age 7 for an unaccredited nonpublic school, within 15 days of moving out of a district, and by October 1 after a new district is established. By October 1 of each later school year a letter of intent to continue, with any changes, is due for children aged 7 to 16 and for 16- and 17-year-olds whose initial report was filed after age 16. A superintendent may offer electronic filing but may not require it.Minn. Stat. § 120A.24, subd. 1
Records the law asks for
Required
The person in charge must maintain documentation that the required subjects are taught and that the required tests were given, including class schedules, copies of instructional materials and descriptions of assessment methods; accredited home schools are exempt. The documentation must be made available to the county attorney in enforcement cases, and the statute sets no retention period.Minn. Stat. § 120A.24, subds. 2, 3
Testing or evaluation
Required
Each year a child aged 7 through 16 (and a 16- or 17-year-old whose initial report was filed after age 16) must take a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement test, with the test, administration and location agreed between the superintendent and the person in charge. A parent-instructor who is not a licensed teacher or supervised by one must also assess subjects the test does not cover, and a total battery score at or below the 30th percentile or one grade level below age peers requires further evaluation for learning problems; accredited home schools are exempt. MDE says results are kept with the documentation and need not be sent to the district unless requested.Minn. Stat. § 120A.22, subd. 11; MDE, Homeschool Questions and Answers (updated May 22, 2026), Q14 to Q18
Graduation requirements
None set by the state
Minnesota sets no graduation or credit requirements for home schools; MDE says parents set the home school's graduation requirements. The duty to receive instruction ends when the child has graduated.Minn. Stat. § 120A.22, subd. 5(a); MDE, Homeschool Questions and Answers (updated May 22, 2026), Q22
Diploma
Issued by: parent
No statute provides for a state or district homeschool diploma; MDE says a homeschool student graduates when the parent-set requirements are met. If the child later enrolls full time in public school, the parent must give the district test scores and other documents it requires to decide placement and which course requirements apply toward a public school diploma.MDE, Homeschool Questions and Answers (updated May 22, 2026), Q22; Minn. Stat. § 120A.24, subd. 2(b)
Compulsory school ages
7 to 17: every child between 7 and 17 years of age must receive instruction unless the child has graduated; a child under 7 enrolled in public school kindergarten or a higher grade may be subject to attendance rules until withdrawn.Minn. Stat. § 120A.22, subds. 5(a), 6

The legal options for homeschooling in Minnesota

What Minnesota law means for your transcript

  • The documentation Minnesota requires (class schedules, instructional materials, assessment methods and test proof) can back each transcript entry (Minn. Stat. § 120A.24, subd. 2).
  • PSEO courses taken as an alternative pupil (§ 124D.09, subd. 4) can be listed on the transcript with the college credit earned; how they are listed is practice.
  • MDE says parents set their home school's graduation requirements; no statute defines a homeschool credit, and the 120-hour Carnegie unit is a common convention, not a requirement.
  • MDE notes that colleges, the military and employers may ask for transcripts, portfolios, curriculum lists or test results (MDE Q&A, Q21); keeping them together is practice.

College admission and state aid for Minnesota homeschoolers

Home-schooled students in grades 10 to 12 are 'alternative pupils' who may take Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) courses after registering with the Commissioner of Education; a 10th grader qualifies only for a career or technical education course and with a qualifying reading score. MDE says home school students must register annually for PSEO, even after age 17.Minn. Stat. § 124D.09, subd. 4; MDE, Homeschool Questions and Answers (updated May 22, 2026), Q35

Recent changes to Minnesota homeschool law

2023 Minn. Laws ch. 55, art. 2, § 1 (H.F. 2497, signed May 24, 2023) removed passing a teacher competency examination from the instructor qualifications in § 120A.22, subd. 10, and 2024 Minn. Laws ch. 85, § 17 made the matching change in subd. 11(b). 2025 Minn. Laws 1st Spec. Sess. ch. 10, art. 1, §§ 1 to 3 changed district attendance and reporting duties (§ 120A.22, subds. 12 and 13; § 120A.24, subd. 4) without changing the parent's reporting, testing or documentation duties. The 2026 regular session made no change to chapter 120A.

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What we could not confirm

These points could not be checked against the statute or regulation text, so treat them with care:

  • MDE's Home School Education web page was blocked by a bot check; its statement that neither MDE nor districts certify or validate homeschool diplomas or transcripts was seen only in a search-result excerpt. MDE's Homeschool Questions and Answers PDF (updated May 22, 2026) was read in full.
  • The effective dates of 2023 ch. 55, art. 2, § 1 and 2024 ch. 85, § 17 were not confirmed; neither section states its own effective date.
  • MDE's Q&A cites § 120B.07 for parents setting graduation requirements, but § 120B.07 concerns early graduation with local school official approval; the statement that parents set the requirements is MDE's.
  • MDE lists immunization statements under Minn. Stat. § 121A.15, subd. 8 among the items reported to the superintendent; I did not open § 121A.15.

Sources

General information about Minnesota law as of September 29, 2026, not legal advice. Laws change, so check the statute before you rely on it. Found an error? Email [email protected].