Calculator
What year will my child graduate high school?
Enter a birthday to find the year your child starts kindergarten, their high school and college “Class of”, and which grade they will be in each school year.
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How graduation year is worked out
In the United States a child usually starts kindergarten in the autumn of the year they are five on or before a cutoff date. They finish twelfth grade thirteen school years later, so the high school class year is the kindergarten start year plus 13. A four-year college degree adds four more.
A baby born in March 2026 with a 1 September cutoff starts kindergarten in autumn 2031 and is in the Class of 2044.
Check your own cutoff date
The cutoff varies. Many states use 1 September, others use dates from late July to the end of the year, and a few leave the decision to school districts. This calculator defaults to 1 September and lets you choose a different date. Confirm the date with your state education department or school district before relying on the result.
The result is the typical path. Starting a year late, transitional kindergarten, skipping or repeating a grade all move the class year. School systems outside the United States are organised differently.
A letter for graduation day
Knowing the year makes it real. Many parents write a short letter now, describing who their child is today, and save it to be opened on graduation day. It takes ten minutes and it gives them a personal memory to read alongside the congratulations.
Common questions
What year will a baby born in 2026 graduate high school?
With a 1 September cutoff, a child born from January to 1 September 2026 is typically in the Class of 2044, and a child born later in 2026 is typically in the Class of 2045.
How old are most students when they graduate high school?
Most are 17 or 18. A child with a birthday shortly before the cutoff will usually be among the youngest in the class and may graduate at 17.
Does this work outside the United States?
It follows the US kindergarten-to-twelfth-grade structure. Other countries use different starting ages and year names, so treat the result as a rough guide only.
Write something for graduation day.
Save a letter now and choose the date it opens.