The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce reduced the number of industry-recognized credentials that count toward high school graduation, cutting standalone qualifying credentials from 164 to 70 and bundle-eligible credentials from more than 700 to 126 items organized into 21 pre-determined bundles across five career fields: agriculture, business, construction, health care, and manufacturing.
The overhaul was mandated by the state legislature. Amended Substitute House Bill 250 amended Ohio Revised Code section 3313.6114 to require that any industry-recognized credential used for graduation be aligned with a job determined to be in demand. The state gathered feedback from more than 1,000 education, workforce, and business leaders before the K-12 Industry-Recognized Credential Review Committee adopted the new list. Director Stephen D. Dackin announced it on July 21, 2026.
Cuts driven by labor market data
Each credential was scored using an 18-point value framework that weighed career outcomes, occupational demand, employer demand, and postsecondary data, producing an overall score from 0 to 100. Two credential groups that were dropped — one for retail sales and one for government emergency management — had been earned by several thousand students each year but showed negligible employer demand. In one extreme case, about 9,000 students earned credentials for which only three jobs were posted.
The five most commonly used of the cut credentials yielded median annual earnings between $25,000 and $30,000 for Ohio students who attained them, the Fordham Institute reported. That is well below a living wage of roughly $44,000 per year. The typical credential earned by Ohio high school students produced a median income of $30,812.
Bundling restrictions
Under the previous system, students could combine low-level credentials from different fields into a bundle to graduate. The new system limits credential bundling to 21 pre-determined sets. CPR First Aid and OSHA-10 safety training, two frequently earned certificates, were approved but their use for graduation is now restricted to six bundles: one in health care and five in manufacturing. They cannot be applied across all career fields as before.
Limited comparative precedent
Adriana Harrington, managing director of policy for ExcelinEd, said that allowing credentials to count toward a diploma can lead states to approve too many low-value credentials, indicating Ohio's problem is not unique. The provided brief does not document a specific reform in another state with measured outcomes.
Full effect in 2030
The new credential list takes full effect for the Class of 2030, meaning current high school students are not covered by the changes. No post-reform outcome data exists yet. Director Dackin described the overhaul as a game changer for workforce readiness and said the state wants students earning credentials that make them employable immediately.