NEFE Takes Over National High School Financial Literacy Report Card as US Scores Hit 10-Year Low
The National Endowment for Financial Education has assumed leadership of the National Report Card on High School Financial Literacy, a key state policy resource previously managed by Champlain College. The 2026 edition is scheduled for release in September, arriving as a TIAA Institute study found Americans correctly answered less than half of personal finance questions on average, the lowest score in a decade. Financial stress remains high as the cost of living continues to strain household budgets.
The National Endowment for Financial Education has assumed leadership of the National Report Card on High School Financial Literacy, a key state policy resource previously managed by the Champlain College Center for Financial Literacy.
The 2026 edition of the report card is scheduled for release in September, arriving at a moment when financial literacy scores in the United States have hit a decade-long low.
The 2026 TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance Index found that Americans correctly answered less than half, 47%, of the index's questions on average. That marks a statistically significant decline from previous years and the lowest score recorded in the index's history.
The decline comes alongside high levels of financial stress. Many Americans entering 2026 cited the cost of living and broader economic conditions as their top concerns. Gasoline prices hit record highs over $4 per gallon during the Labor Day weekend, and diesel prices exceeded $6 per gallon for the first time, adding to household budget pressure.
The National Report Card on High School Financial Literacy grades each state on whether it requires personal finance education as a condition of high school graduation. States that mandate standalone personal finance courses consistently produce students with higher financial literacy scores than those that do not.
As of 2026, more than half of U.S. states require some form of personal finance education, but the depth and quality of those requirements vary widely. Some states require a full semester course, while others satisfy the requirement with a few hours of instruction embedded in another subject.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has made financial literacy a priority, launching the "Financial Literacy Solutions Sprint" at the G20 Finance Ministerial in Asheville, N.C. The competition seeks innovative, data-enabled solutions for strengthening financial literacy across G20 nations. Finalists will be recognized at the World Bank and IMF annual meetings in Bangkok in October.
The European Commission has also launched two initiatives to strengthen financial literacy within the EU, including a call for best-practice submissions and a stakeholder roundtable to develop a voluntary code of conduct for organizations promoting financial education.
NEFE said it plans to expand the report card's reach and update its methodology to reflect the growing body of research on effective financial education.
