The S.C. Commission on Higher Education has adopted two policies updating high school course requirements for admission to public four-year colleges and standardizing how exam scores translate into college credit.
Based on a release from S.C. Commission on Higher Education.
The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education approved two policies on May 7 that will update preparatory course requirements for admission to the state’s public four-year institutions and standardize how colleges award credit for national exams, according to the Commission on Higher Education. The policies take effect in fall 2026.
“These updates provide students and families with clear expectations for college admission and consistency in how prior academic achievement is recognized across South Carolina’s public colleges and universities,” said CHE Office of Academic Affairs and Licensing Director Angela W. Peters, according to the commission.
The College Preparatory Course Prerequisite Policy was developed with the South Carolina Department of Education, the Education Oversight Committee, and college and high school English and mathematics faculty, according to the commission. Beginning with students entering high school in fall 2026, a 20-unit sequence covering English, mathematics, laboratory science, social studies, world language, arts, physical education or JROTC, and approved electives will serve as the baseline for freshman admission starting fall 2030.
Mathematics requirements specify Geometry with Statistics, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2 with Probability, and encourage four years of algebra-based math. Science guidance requires three laboratory science courses. The policy replaces the term “foreign language” with “world language” and expands the arts category to include media and digital arts, dance, music, theater, and visual and spatial arts, according to the commission. Advanced electives now explicitly include computer science.
A companion measure, the South Carolina Exam-Based Credit Awards Policy, creates a unified statewide approach for awarding college credit for Advanced Placement, Cambridge Assessment International Education, College Level Examination Program, DANTES Subject Standardized Test, and International Baccalaureate exams, according to the commission.
“Our goal is to make it easier for students and families to understand how exam scores count toward a degree, so they can plan smarter pathways from high school into college,” said CHE College Completion and Transfer and Articulation Manager Tim Rees, according to the commission.
Under the policy, public institutions must award credit for AP scores of 3 or higher, AICE scores of E or higher, CLEP scores generally of 50 or higher, qualifying DSST scores based on American Council on Education recommendations, and IB scores of 4 or higher on higher-level exams. Students completing the full IB diploma with qualifying scores may receive up to 24 semester hours of credit, according to the commission.
Credit must satisfy general education or core curriculum requirements when appropriate rather than being awarded only as elective credit, though institutions are not required to award more than eight credits in a single discipline area, according to the commission. The exam-credit standards take effect in fall 2026, and institutions must update catalogs and websites by fall 2027.
Both policies will be reviewed regularly with input from faculty, administrators and students, according to the commission.
Source: S.C. Commission on Higher Education original release.
