A minimum of 16 academic credits is required for graduation from Walnut Hill, with a minimum of 4 academic credits to be completed each year at the School. Students must meet all the requirements of their arts concentration every year they are enrolled, including senior year. Arts requirements are found under the appropriate arts major.
Academic requirements are as follows:
- 4 credits of English
- 3 credits of mathematics
- 2 credits of history, one of which must be United States history
- 2 credits of a laboratory science
- 2 credits of consecutive courses of the same modern world language
Every academic course confers one credit; Music History and Music Theory are also considered academic courses and confer one credit each. Walnut Hill does not award partial credit for its academic courses.
Students entering Walnut Hill from other secondary schools may have their prior credits applied toward Walnut Hill diploma requirements, upon admission to the School pending approval of the Academic Dean and the appropriate department. After they have begun at Walnut Hill, students must complete their diploma requirements with courses taken at the School.
A student who fails a course in the second semester of senior year may not be permitted to graduate.
International students must fulfill all of the above graduation requirements with the exception of the modern world language requirement. English as a Second Language courses count toward the English graduation requirement. International students must also pass the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a minimum score of 173 (for the exam administered by computer) or 500 (for the paper exam).
