Post Secondary Planning

Academic Units

The academic unit is the term typically used by colleges and universities to express a quantitative evaluation of high school courses acceptable as preparation for college. A full year academic course is evaluated as one unit and a semester course is evaluated as a half unit. Admission requirements by four-year institutions generally require that a student has completed 16 academic units upon graduation from high school. College and universities determine what courses qualify as academic units. Generally speaking, courses in English, Mathematics, Science, World Language, and Social Studies are acceptable. Physical Education and many electives are not considered academic units. Any questions regarding whether a course is considered “academic” by a college or university should be directed to the student’s school counselor.

World Language

The required minimum years of study for four-year college applicants is two years of the same language taken during high school, grades 9-12.