Introducing: Penn Foster’s Online High School Diploma Program

Yes, it is! Penn Foster High School is nationally accredited by both the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and Cognia. In addition to our national accreditation, we are regionally accredited by the Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (CSS-MSA). You can find more details about each of our accreditations on the Penn Foster Accreditations page.

Several factors influence the cost to get your high school diploma online at Penn Foster, including monthly offers, whether you’re transferring credits into the program, and the payment plan you choose. We pride ourselves on making our high school program as affordable as possible, giving you the option to choose the payment plan that works best for your budget. Visit our online high school tuition page for more information about costs and payment plan options.

To successfully transfer credits into Penn Foster High School, you’ll need an official, sealed transcript sent from your previous school for evaluation. Your credits will likely transfer if the courses are equivalent to our curriculum and are from a regionally accredited high school. Visit our high school credit transfer page for more details.

Penn Foster welcomes students of all ages, including adult learners. Enrolling in our high school program is open to anyone 13 years or older who has completed the 8th grade. We know how challenging it can be to earn your diploma as an adult learner so we do our best to make it as easy as possible for you with our online and self-paced learning platform.

To get your high school diploma from Penn Foster, you will need to complete 16 core credits and 5 elective credits. Each student chooses their 5 elective requirements from courses ranging from music appreciation and psychology to vocational courses, such as small business management and veterinary assistant.

Our core curriculum includes English, math, social science, science, arts, and humanities, as well as health and physical education courses. If you are transferring credits, your coursework may vary.

Not every online high school has achieved accreditation. One credential to look for is from the Distance Education Accreditation Commission, or DEAC. The DEAC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

There are several different types of high school diplomas, including:

• General high school diploma. This is the most common type, awarded by most institutions.
• Occupational diploma. This is for students who choose to focus studies on a specific career path in addition to taking their general education requirements, including math, science, and English.
• Honors diploma. Honors diplomas are given to students who have excelled in their studies, maintaining a specific GPA while taking more advanced courses.

Each state has different options for online high school programs, some even through the public school districts. Most have set scheduling for study time as well as for taking exams. Penn Foster offers flexibly paced scheduling, meaning you study when it’s best for you and complete your tests once you feel you are well-prepared. As a traditional-aged learner, you can have your parent or guardian enroll you online. You’ll need to have an official copy of your transcript sent to us if you’ve already started high school to help you pick up right where you left off.

A lot of online schools across the country do not offer online high school diplomas to those over the age of 21. However, Penn Foster accepts students starting at age 13 with no age limit on reaching your goal of completing high school.

A high school diploma is necessary to enroll in college, but it can also be a crucial part of getting hired for a job. Many employers look for a minimum of a GED, so obtaining your high school diploma can give you more opportunities. On average, people with high school diplomas earn more.

Diploma mills are schools that issue diplomas without proper credentials. Meaning, even though you paid for your education, your diploma has little value because employers and institutions of higher education don’t recognize it as legitimate. Penn Foster is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, meaning we have met rigorous standards of education set forth by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This recognition means your diploma should be accepted by employers and most colleges and universities.

The Penn Foster High School Diploma is a proprietary program. You are solely responsible for ensuring that the program and program award satisfy the education requirements of potential employers, desired postsecondary institutions, and all other relevant agencies. Neither job placement nor postsecondary admission are guaranteed to graduates upon program completion. Students who attend and complete the program as an adult, age 18 years or older, who wish to further verify their earned award may request a Certificate of Preliminary Education according to the process outlined in the student catalog. The program name on file with the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed schools is High School 9-12.

To ensure that we are compliant with all of the regulations in your state, there is a minimum age requirement of 18 for our Career programs for Texas residents.