Wyoming Financial Literacy Standards
Every two years, the American Public Education Foundation (APEF) publishes the Nation’s Report Card on Financial Literacy, which assigns a grade to each U.S. state, DC, and Puerto Rico based on its personal finance education standards for state schools. In September 2025 the fourth edition of the report card was issued, in which the state of Wyoming was listed as receiving a grade of “C” for its relevant standards.
In order to improve that grade, Wyoming would need to include a standalone personal finance class as part of its high school graduation requirements. In reality, there are no state-level financial education requirements to receive a high school diploma in the Equality State. Wyoming does mandate instruction in “economic systems and institutions” for high school graduation, and the state’s Mathematics and Social Studies Content and Performance Standards established in 2018 integrate some financial literacy education across grade levels K-12.
The Wyoming State Legislature currently is considering no specific statewide policy related to personal finance education. However, the Wyoming Department of Education’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027 includes the objective to “Increase personal finance education” as one of its goals under Developing Citizenship for Students. And according to the GoWest Credit Union Association, nine local Wyoming school districts do mandate financial literacy education for high school graduation, with one district (Natrona County) requiring a standalone course. A group of school board members and credit union representatives presented a session at the Wyoming School Board Association meeting in November 2025 to advocate for the importance of financial literacy instruction in Wyoming schools.
WY Financial Education Standards by Grade Level
The Wyoming Education Code mandates that “each school district across the state shall provide education programs sufficient to meet uniform student content and performance standards at the level established by the state board of education in the following areas of knowledge and skills:…life skills, including personal finance management skills.” The Content and Performance Standards for Mathematics set in 2018 incorporate cross-disciplinary connections to financial literacy education in grades K, 3-7, and high school. Benchmarks for personal finance instruction also are included in the Social Studies standards at grade levels 2, 5, and 8.
Recommended Policy for WY Financial Literacy Programs
To address the gap in standards for personal finance education, the National Financial Educators Council has developed a set of benchmarks for all grade levels, K-12. This policy guide offers legislators a framework that standardizes educational quality and learner outcomes to provide the best possible financial education for American youth.
The Standards Guide is based on the notion that financial education should be treated with the same rigor as any other topic taught in schools and that all students should be capable – at minimum – of making near-term financial decisions.
National Standards for Financial Education
Financial Literacy Standards for Older Youth & Adults (High School through Adults)
Although there is no direct mandate by the Wyoming State Board of Education, it is recommended that national standards be implemented. Financial education is a unique subject; all participants have developed financial habits and relationships with money before instruction begins.
National standards are those that have been proven in empirical and theoretical research to produce the highest improvements in participant test scores.
Financial Literacy Standards for Kids (Kids PK through 8th Grade)
In collaboration with education leader Heidi Jacobs, the NFEC created these financial literacy standards to define learning goals and educational targets for optimal child financial education. Guided by strong pedagogical theory, the standards ensure that instructional targets are age- and developmentally-appropriate and that lessons can be effectively scaffolded. Standards represent five sections based on topic areas in the NFEC curriculum.
Standards for Financial Education Instructors
The NFEC teamed with the well-known Danielson Group to develop the first and only national standards for financial educators – The Framework for Teaching Personal Finance – to define optimal educator skill sets and performance levels. The framework also identifies the financial educator responsibilities empirically proven to produce highest gains in participant test scores. This framework is used in all 50 states, including Wyoming.
