POLL: MOST U.S. ADULTS BELIEVE QUALITY OF LIFE WOULD BE BETTER IF PROVIDED FINANCIAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOL

Financial Education Considered an Essential Subject, Needed for Successful Future

DENVER, Oct. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New nationwide opinion polling from the National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) examines which school subjects U.S. adults believe students need to learn to prepare for life after graduation. The polling shows that "Economics/Personal Finance" and "Mathematics" were the only subjects selected by at least 75% of respondents when asked to select their six ideal core subjects. Additionally, 70% of respondents who did not take financial education stated their current quality of life would be better if they had the opportunity to take it.

"We believe schools and school districts should strongly consider the courses they offer—and even require—to fully prepare young adults for their futures. A majority of states now require financial education, and this poll reinforces the importance of these efforts," says Billy Hensley, Ph.D., president and CEO of NEFE. "These data do more than simply support the need for financial education. The findings indicate that many U.S. adults believe it is on the same level of importance as core curricula that students must complete throughout their educational careers."

NEFE, in conjunction with Verasight, polled U.S. adults on their general views of education, including whether it should be viewed as a guaranteed right, what the purpose should be, where additional funding should be allocated, and which subjects should be required, elective or not offered at all.

• At 82%, more respondents believe access to "Public K-12 Education" is a guaranteed right to everyone compared to "Food/Adequate Nutrition" (75%), "Healthcare" (74%), "Public Transportation" (63%), "Housing" (62%), "Childcare" (48%) and "Higher Education" (44%).
• "English/Language Arts" (88%), "Personal Finance Education" (80%), "U.S. History" (78%), "Foundational Math" (77%) and "Civics/U.S. Government" (75%) were the five courses most respondents stated should be required for all students, chosen from a list of subjects commonly seen in high school curricula.
• "Teaching children basic life skills they will rely on in adulthood" (57%) and "Expanding children's knowledge and critical thinking skills" (53%) were what most respondents believe is the purpose of public education. No other option was selected by over 50% of respondents.
• Aside from traditional core curricula subjects, respondents believe additional funding (e.g., teacher training, professional development, materials, etc.) should be allotted for "Economic/Personal Finance Education" (46%) and "Computer Science/Digital Literacy" (41%).

These data provide more context to polling NEFE conducted earlier in the year, which stated that 83% of respondents say the state they live in should require a semester- or year-long course focused on personal finance as a graduation requirement, while 82% of respondents who attended high school say they wish they were required to complete a personal finance class while they were in school.

"Throughout 2025, we have gained inspiring data about the importance of financial education and have received an overwhelming response in favor of personal finance instruction among those who did not have access to it in high school. From legislators to education leaders, decision makers at every level should now feel confident about requiring financial education among the most essential high school subjects for future success," Hensley adds.

For more on this poll, visit the NEFE website.

About NEFE
The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) is the independent, centralizing voice providing leadership, research and collaboration to champion effective financial education and advance financial well-being. NEFE has received national recognition for strengthening action-oriented research agendas, mobilizing intermediaries, and creating better solutions for researchers, educators, practitioners and policymakers. For more information, visit www.nefe.org.

SOURCE National Endowment for Financial Education