When a child graduates depends less on the birth year than on the birthday relative to the state cut-off date. Most US states require a child to be five years old on or before a fixed date – 1 September in more than half of the states, but 31 July in Hawaii, 1 August in Indiana and Kentucky, 1 October in Colorado and 15 October in Maine. A child born one day after the cut-off waits a full year and becomes one of the oldest in the next class.
Choose the state and enter the date of birth. The calculator finds the first fall in which the child is five by the cut-off, adds thirteen school years (kindergarten to 12th grade) and gives the graduation year, together with the grade the child is in during the current school year. Where the state leaves the date to local districts (for example Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania), a common local date is assumed – pick “Custom cut-off date” to enter your district’s own.
Families can sometimes delay kindergarten by a year (“redshirting”) or request early entry; both shift the graduation year by one. State cut-offs come from the National Center for Education Statistics state policy table, updated for Connecticut’s move to 1 September.
How to use the Graduation Year by Birthday Calculator
- State or district
- Cut-off month (1–12)
- Cut-off day
- Date of birth
Everything is calculated in your browser, so results appear instantly and nothing you type is sent to a server.
How it works
The state cut-off decides whether the child starts kindergarten in the fall of the year they turn five or the year after. Graduation is in the spring thirteen school years after kindergarten starts.
Worked example
A child born on 12 April 2020 in California (cut-off 1 September) turns five on 12 April 2025, before the cut-off, so kindergarten starts in fall 2025. Thirteen school years later the child graduates in spring 2038 – the Class of 2038 – aged 18. Born on 12 September 2020 instead, the child would start in 2026 and graduate in 2039.
Kindergarten cut-off dates by state
| State | Child must be 5 by |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Sep 1 |
| Alaska | Sep 1 |
| Arizona | Aug 31 |
| Arkansas | Aug 1 |
| California | Sep 1 |
| Colorado | Oct 1 |
| Connecticut | Sep 1 |
| Delaware | Aug 31 |
| District of Columbia | Sep 30 |
| Florida | Sep 1 |
| Georgia | Sep 1 |
| Hawaii | Jul 31 |
| Idaho | Sep 1 |
| Illinois | Sep 1 |
| Indiana | Aug 1 |
| Iowa | Sep 15 |
| Kansas | Aug 31 |
| Kentucky | Aug 1 |
| Louisiana | Sep 30 |
| Maine | Oct 15 |
| Maryland | Sep 1 |
| Massachusetts | Sep 1 (district sets – Sep 1 assumed) |
| Michigan | Sep 1 |
| Minnesota | Sep 1 |
| Mississippi | Sep 1 |
| Missouri | Jul 31 |
| Montana | Sep 10 |
| Nebraska | Jul 31 |
| Nevada | Sep 30 |
| New Hampshire | Sep 30 (district sets – Sep 30 assumed) |
| New Jersey | Oct 1 (district sets – Oct 1 assumed) |
| New Mexico | Aug 31 |
| New York | Dec 31 (district sets – NYC uses Dec 31) |
| North Carolina | Aug 31 |
| North Dakota | Jul 31 |
| Ohio | Sep 30 (districts may use Aug 1) |
| Oklahoma | Sep 1 |
| Oregon | Sep 1 |
| Pennsylvania | Sep 1 (district sets – Sep 1 assumed) |
| Rhode Island | Sep 1 |
| South Carolina | Sep 1 |
| South Dakota | Sep 1 |
| Tennessee | Aug 15 |
| Texas | Sep 1 |
| Utah | Sep 1 |
| Vermont | Sep 1 (district sets – Sep 1 assumed) |
| Virginia | Sep 30 |
| Washington | Aug 31 |
| West Virginia | Aug 31 |
| Wisconsin | Sep 1 |
| Wyoming | Sep 15 |
Formula
Kindergarten year = birth year + 5 (or + 6 if born after the state cut-off) · Class of = kindergarten year + 13
Worked example
Inputs — State or district: California – 5 by Sep 1; Date of birth: 2020-04-12.
Results — Expected graduation = Class of 2038; Kindergarten starts = Fall 2025; Middle school (6th grade) starts = Fall 2031; High school (9th grade) starts = Fall 2034; Age when kindergarten starts = 5 (on 1 September 2025); Age at graduation (1 June) = 18.
Key terms
- Cut-off date
- The date by which a child must turn five to enter kindergarten that year.
- Redshirting
- Delaying kindergarten entry by a year.
- Class of
- The year a student graduates from high school.
Frequently asked questions
What year will my child graduate based on their birthday?
In a state with a 1 September cut-off, a child born on 12 April 2020 starts kindergarten in fall 2025 and graduates with the Class of 2038.
What if my child's birthday is right after the cut-off?
They start kindergarten a year later and graduate a year later, as one of the oldest in their class.
Which states have the earliest cut-offs?
Hawaii and Nebraska (31 July), Missouri and North Dakota (before 1 August), and Arkansas, Indiana and Kentucky (1 August).
Which states let districts decide?
Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania leave the date to local districts; New York City uses 31 December.
How old are students when they graduate?
Usually 17 or 18; those born just after the cut-off are often 18 or 19.
Can I start my child in kindergarten early?
Some states allow early entry after an assessment; it moves graduation one year earlier.