How to finish high school as an adult

First, find out what you already have

Before enrolling anywhere, find out what you are working with. If you attended any high school, there may be a record of the credits you earned. Request those transcripts, even if it was years ago and even if you think none of it counts.

If there is no record, or the school no longer exists, that is not the end of it — but it does mean the route will be one that does not depend on past credits. Both of the common routes can accommodate it.

The two realistic routes

For an adult, the choice usually comes down to two, and neither requires going back to a classroom:

• A high school equivalency credential — completing an assessment and earning a certificate of equivalency.
• A diploma program — completing a school's program and being awarded a diploma by that school, with the credits and transcript behind it.

What it takes in practice

Less time than most people expect, and more consistency. The two things that decide the outcome are the same as they were at sixteen: whether you keep going, and whether the program lets you.

That second part is why an option with unlimited retakes matters. If one bad sitting can end your attempt, and every retake costs money, the program has built in a reason for you to stop. Look at that before you look at anything else.

Doing it without anyone knowing

A common reason adults never start is that the process feels public. It is not. An online program is completed from home. Nobody at work is told. The only thing that changes is what you can answer when you are asked whether you finished school.

Common questions