North Dakota advances to ‘B’ grade for K-12 financial literacy education

North Dakota has improved its grade on a national financial literacy report card, moving from a “C” in 2023 to a “B” this year. The report card, published every two years by the American Public Education Foundation (APEF), evaluates state laws, educational policies, and curricula that influence financial literacy instruction in K-12 schools.

The improvement follows the passage of House Bill 1533 in April, which requires each high school student to complete at least one-half unit of financial literacy or receive instruction on personal finance topics such as budgeting, investing, debt, and risk management. The APEF report also noted the approval of new K-12 academic content standards for financial literacy by the Department of Public Instruction in July.

“Our state government has set a goal of having North Dakota rated as the nation’s most financially literate state by 2027,” said State School Superintendent Levi Bachmeier. “This improvement on a national report card represents important progress toward that goal.”

Former Superintendent Kirsten Baesler commented on the development of new standards: “This is the first time our state has developed a stand-alone set of standards specifically focused on financial literacy,” she wrote in a foreword to the standards.

Despite these advancements, the APEF report stated that high schools are not yet required to offer a dedicated course in financial literacy. According to the report, this requirement would be necessary for North Dakota to achieve an “A” grade.

In April 2024, then-Governor Doug Burgum launched an initiative aiming for North Dakota to become the most financially literate state by 2027. This effort included introducing SmartWithMyMoney.nd.gov., a website offering various tools for financial education. The initiative involves several agencies including the superintendent of public instruction, state treasurer, Bank of North Dakota, Insurance and Securities Department, and Department of Financial Institutions.

According to recent data from the Finra Investor Education Foundation’s national study—published in July 2025—30 percent of surveyed North Dakotans demonstrated high levels of financial literacy based on their responses.

The latest APEF assessment graded all U.S. states along with Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Seventeen states received an “A”, including Minnesota; twenty-two states—including North Dakota—earned a “B”. Six states were rated with a “C”, four with a “D” (including Montana), and three received an “F”: South Dakota, Alaska, and Washington D.C.