Definitions for College and Career Readiness
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Most Southern Regional Education Board states have one definition for college and career readiness while some states define college readiness and career readiness separately. As states continue to focus on postsecondary preparedness for their students, SREB encourages states to consider revisiting their definitions over time to ensure the definition, goals and policies are aligned and relevant.
See below for each state’s college and career readiness definitions. (Updated July 2025)
Alabama
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Alabama defines a college- and career-ready graduate as a student who possesses the knowledge and skills needed to enroll and succeed in credit-bearing, first-year courses in a two- or four-year college, trade school, or technical school without the need for remediation and possesses the ability to apply core academic skills to real-world situations through collaboration with peers in problem solving, utilizing precision and punctuality in delivery of a product, and demonstrating the desire to be a life-long learner.
Arkansas
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Arkansas defines college and career readiness as: “the acquisition of the knowledge and skills the student needs to be successful in future endeavors, including credit-bearing, first-year courses at a postsecondary institution, such as a two-year or four-year college, trade school, or technical school, or to embark on a career.”
Delaware
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Each Delaware student will graduate ready for college and career. Students will be prepared to successfully plan and pursue an education and career path aligned to their personal goals, with the ability to adapt and innovate as demands change. Students will graduate with strong academic knowledge, the behaviors and skills with which to apply their knowledge, and the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively. Each student will exhibit the behaviors of an independent learner, and have respect for a diverse society and a commitment to responsible citizenship.
Florida
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Florida defines college and career readiness as, “Students who are ready for college and career can quality for and succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing college courses leading to a baccalaureate degree, a certificate, or a career pathway-oriented training program without the need for remedial or developmental coursework.”
Georgia
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Georgia defines college and career readiness as: “the level of achievement required in order for a student to enroll in two- or four-year colleges and universities and technical colleges without remediation, fully prepared for college-level work and careers. This means that all students graduate from high school with both rigorous content knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge.”
Kentucky
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Kentucky define college and career readiness separately:
College readiness is the level of preparation a student needs to succeed in credit-bearing courses in college. ‘Succeed’ is defined as completing entry-level courses at a level of understanding and proficiency that prepares the student for subsequent courses. Kentucky’s system-wide standards of readiness guarantee students access to credit-bearing coursework without the need for remediation in high school or college coursework or intervention programming.
Louisiana
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Louisiana has not adopted a statewide definition.
However, the Louisiana College and Career Readiness Commission defines college and career readiness: “College and career ready means that individuals graduate from high school prepared for university, community college, or technical college programming without need for remediation or corequisite support and/or graduate prepared for employment with the foundational skills required for entry into career pathways, possessing both rigorous content knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge.”
Maryland
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Maryland defines college and career readiness: “prepares graduates for success in college and the workforce by ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to complete entry-level credit-bearing college courses and work in high-wage and high-demand industries.”
Mississippi
College and Career Readiness Definitions
The state has not adopted a statewide definition.
North Carolina
College and Career Readiness Definitions
In North Carolina, students are considered career and college ready when they have the knowledge and academic preparation needed to enroll and succeed, without the need for remediation, in introductory college credit-bearing courses in English language arts and mathematics within an associate or baccalaureate degree program. These same attributes and levels of achievement are needed for entry into and success in postsecondary workforce education, the military, or directly into a job that offers gainful employment and career advancement.
Oklahoma
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Each student graduating with a diploma from an Oklahoma public school will be ready for college or career without the need for remediation and will be citizen ready, meaning they will know something about our government and the history of our nation.
South Carolina
College and Career Readiness Definitions
South Carolina has not adopted a statewide definition for college and career readiness but has developed a Profile of the SC Graduate. According to the description, South Carolina graduates demonstrate “world class knowledge (rigorous standards in language arts and math for career and college readiness, multiple languages, science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), arts and social sciences); world class skills (creativity and innovation; critical thinking and problem solving; collaboration and teamwork; communication, information, media and technology; knowing how to learn); and life and career characteristics (integrity, self-direction, global perspective, perseverance, work ethic, and interpersonal skills).”
Tennessee
College and Career Readiness Definitions
Tennessee defines college and career readiness as, “Career-ready students are those who graduate K-12 education with the knowledge, abilities, and habits to enter and complete postsecondary education without remediation and to seamlessly move into a career that affords them the opportunity to sustain or exceed a living wage.”
Texas
College and Career Readiness Definitions
College readiness is the level of preparation a student must attain in English language arts and mathematics courses to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in an entry-level general education course for credit in that same content area for a baccalaureate degree or associate degree program. It should be noted, however, that the measurement of college readiness through the Algebra II and English III assessments will be only one piece of information that students, parents, and schools will have in making readiness determinations. Algebra II and English III are courses students typically take in grade 11; after students have taken these assessments and potentially met the college-readiness performance standards, they will continue to take higher-level courses (i.e., calculus and English IV) in grade 12. Students will need to continue to acquire content knowledge and perform at a high level in these courses to fully prepare for postsecondary activities.
Virginia
College and Career Readiness Definitions
The level of achievement students must reach to be academically prepared for success in entry-level credit-bearing college courses.
West Virginia
College and Career Readiness Definitions
West Virginia defines career readiness as:
“Career readiness involves three major areas: core academic skills and the ability to apply those skills in concrete situations in order to function in the workplace and in routine daily activities; employability skills (such as critical thinking and responsibility) that are essential in any career area; and technical, job-specific skills related to a specific career pathway. These skills allow students to enter career pathways that offer gainful employment and opportunities for advancement.”
“College readiness involves being prepared to enroll in and successfully complete entry-level, credit-bearing, academic programs at two- and four-year post-secondary schools as well as being equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to transition successfully. This entails having mastered rigorous content knowledge, demonstrated ability to apply knowledge through higher-order skills, and the ability to navigate the pathways that will gain access to post-secondary opportunities.”
