State review · Data version 1.0 · October 2026

Missouri

K-8 standards only

Missouri's K-5 social studies learning standards include economics items on money, income and wages, and saving versus financial investment, but no statute or rule found requires personal finance instruction in grades K-8. The State Board of Education's graduation requirements include one-half credit of personal finance in high school, and 2026 bills to put that requirement in statute were not confirmed as enacted.

Statuses come from published law and standards and an automated second check, not a lawyer. Last verified: 2026-10-15. Report a correction

What the law says

Grades K-8

Grades where K-8 content was confirmed: None found
Standards document: Missouri Learning Standards, Social Studies Grades K-5 (State Board of Education, 2016) (2016)
Required by law: No
Delivery: Embedded in another subject
Assessed: Not determined
Funded: Not determined

The K-5 social studies standards have a strand 'Knowledge of economic concepts and principles' with items on using money, income, labor and wages, and saving versus financial investment. Which item sits in which grade column could not be read reliably from the PDF text extraction, so grades are not listed. The dedicated Personal Finance course level expectations are labeled Grades 9-12. No Missouri statute or State Board rule requiring K-8 financial education was found; the Code of State Regulations (sos.mo.gov) could not be checked.

Grades 9-12

Graduation requirement: Yes
Course length: one-half credit
Effective date: Not stated

DESE states the State Board revised graduation requirements in 2006 to include one-half credit of Personal Finance and that students must earn it; the rule text in the Code of State Regulations was not accessible (sos.mo.gov blocked automated access). 2026 bills (HCS HBs 2303 & 2867, a committee substitute; SB 1778) would put a one-half unit requirement in statute starting 2027-28.

What’s missing for K-8

State standards include personal finance in K-8, but the sources reviewed did not show a requirement to teach it.

Pending bills

SB 1778 (2026 Regular Session): Establishes provisions relating to personal finance curriculum requirements for public school students. Status: Second Read and Referred S Education Committee (as of retrieval; no later action seen).
HCS HBs 2303 & 2867 (2026 Regular Session): Personal finance curriculum in schools. Status: Committee substitute voted Do Pass by Financial Institutions (14-0) and Rules-Administrative (10-0); later action and final disposition not confirmed.

How to read the status

Status key

K-8 requirement: A statute or rule requires financial education in at least one grade from K to 8.
K-8 standards only: State standards or frameworks include personal finance in K-8, but no mandate to teach it was found.
High school only: A requirement or graduation course exists only in grades 9-12. No K-8 requirement was found.
Study or pilot only: A task force, study, pilot, or unfunded permission exists, without a requirement.
None found: No state-level requirement or standards were found. The searches run are recorded.
Under review: Not yet confirmed. Sources found so far are shown and no status is stated.
Research in progress: This state has not been researched yet.

Sources

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. DESE, Social Studies & Personal Finance page (Personal Finance Assessment section). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“As part of their curriculum, students in Missouri must earn a 1/2 credit in the area of Personal Finance.”
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. DESE, Missouri Learning Standards page (Personal Finance); State Board of Education action 2006, standards approved September 2017. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“the State Board of Education revised graduation requirements for Missouri’s students to include one-half credit of Personal Finance.”
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Missouri Learning Standards, Social Studies K-5, strand 4 Knowledge of economic concepts and principles (SBOE 2016). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“Compare and contrast saving and financial investment.”
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Missouri Learning Standards, Social Studies K-5, strand 4 Knowledge of economic concepts and principles (SBOE 2016). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“Demonstrate how people use money to buy and sell goods and services.”
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Missouri Personal Finance Course Level Expectations, Grades 9-12 (DESE, Summer 2017). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“Personal Finance Course Level Expectations Grades 9-12”
Missouri House of Representatives. HCS HBs 2303 & 2867 (2026 Regular Session), committee summary. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“starting in the 2027-28 school year, must require students to complete a one-half unit of credit in personal finance”
Missouri Senate. SB 1778 (2026 Regular Session), bill summary. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“each school district shall require every student, after completion of 9th grade, to complete one-half unit of credit in personal finance”

Open items are being reviewed.

RSMo 170.011 (read in full) concerns civics and American history courses beginning not later than seventh grade; it does not mention personal finance. The one-half credit personal finance graduation requirement is described on DESE pages as a State Board of Education action; the underlying rule text in the Code of State Regulations (5 CSR 20) could not be read because sos.mo.gov returned a bot challenge, so it was not retried. The K-5 standards PDF text extraction mixes grade columns, so grade placement of the economics items is unverified, which is why confidence is medium. The final disposition of the 2026 bills was not confirmed (House bill status page loads in a frame that could not be read; the Senate bill showed committee referral only).

Suggested citation
CENTS. Missouri: K-8 financial education. State-by-state review, v1.0, October 2026. https://centscampaign.org/states/mo