Indiana has replaced its Core 40 diploma with a new 42-credit base diploma and six optional stackable seals, effective July 1, 2025, for all students entering high school this fall. The rule, codified at 511 IAC 6-7.2, applies to the class of 2029 and later cohorts. The new framework requires students to earn at least 42 credits, including 8 in language arts, 6 in mathematics, 4 in science, 1 in computer science, 2 in STEM, 2 in U.S. history, 1 in U.S. government, 2 in world perspectives, 1 in physical education, 1 in health and wellness, 1 in career preparedness, 1 in Personal Financial Responsibility, and 12 personalized elective credits. The old graduation requirements sunset on October 1, 2028, after which the new structure becomes the sole pathway to an Indiana diploma.
Six seals, three pathways, varying work requirements
The state board established six diploma seals, each tied to one of three postsecondary goals: enrollment, employment, or enlistment. Every seal comes in two levels: an Honors version and an Honors Plus version. The Enrollment Honors and Enlistment Honors seals carry no work-based learning hour requirement. The Enrollment Honors Plus seal requires 75 hours of work-based learning and a credential of value. The Employment Honors seal requires 150 hours. The Employment Honors Plus seal requires 650 hours. The Enlistment Honors Plus seal requires 75 hours. Students may pursue more than one seal, and work-based learning hours are cumulative: a student who completes 650 hours meets the requirement for all three seals that include work-based learning.
Automatic college admission for some
Senate Enrolled Act 448-2025 guarantees that any student graduating with the Enrollment Honors Plus seal receives automatic admission to all Indiana public state institutions. Some private colleges may opt into the policy annually. That seal requires students to meet all Enrollment Honors requirements, earn a credential of value, and complete 75 hours of work-based learning.
Local quality control and state reporting
The state rule defines work-based learning as sustained interactions between students and industry professionals in real or simulated workplace settings that are intentionally aligned with course competencies. Each work-based learning experience requires a written agreement among the student, parent or guardian, school, and employer partner. Quality assessment is left largely to local districts. Students must demonstrate communication, collaboration, or work-ethic skills, verified by an individual or entity recognized by the school or the state board using department-provided forms. All secondary work-based learning hours are reported in Indiana's CTE data collection system, InTERS, for both CTE and non-CTE students. CTE-funded course codes require work-based learning experiences in 75-hour increments. Non-CTE students may use the Career Exploration Internship course, which has no CTE prerequisites and is designed for experiences of at least 75 hours.
Funding streams and local investments
State funding for the new diploma draws on multiple sources: CTE funding, Credential Completion Grants, Industry Certification Reimbursement, Academic Performance Grants, and new per-seal-completion payments to schools. The Indiana Career Scholarship Account Program provides $5,000 annually to enrolled students for career coaching, transportation, equipment, and certification costs.
Some districts have made substantial capital investments in preparation for the new framework. Lawrence Township is planning a $150 million expansion of its high school career center. Perry Township broke ground on a $30 million innovation and entrepreneurship center on the University of Indianapolis campus. DeKalb County Central United School District built a manufacturing pathway, with help from Purdue's IN-MaC initiative, that now serves more than 60 students across nearly 30 career paths.
Implementation challenges flagged in rural and under-resourced districts
The scale of work-based learning the new seals demand has raised questions about capacity, particularly outside urban areas. Chris Lagoni, executive director of the Indiana Small and Rural School Association, told Inside INdiana Business that some rural companies can accommodate only a handful of students and questioned whether enough placements exist when roughly 40 percent of high school students may rely on this model for their diploma. Transportation is another barrier, with some districts unable to bus students more than 15 miles to job training sites.
School counselors in Indiana face a ratio of 694 students per counselor, according to 2023 data cited in reporting by the Newark Advocate and Mirror Indy. That is well above the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250 to 1. A college and career readiness director in Wayne Township, where the ratio is 450 to 1, told those outlets that additional counseling investment is needed as students navigate the new pathways.