What Grade Is My Kid2026–27

Per-age guide · 9 years old · 2026–27

What grade is a 9-year-old in?

A typical 9-year-old in the United States is in 4th grade for the2026–27 school year — if they were born before their state's kindergarten cutoff. If they were born after, they're typically one grade behind: 3rd grade.

Quick answer

The cohort split, visualized

The cohort split

How a single year of birthdays becomes two grades.

Every state draws a line on the calendar. Children born before the September 1 cutoff start school a year ahead of children born after.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
September 1 cutoff
Born before cutoff4th gradeStarted K on schedule. Now age 9.
Born after cutoff3rd gradeStarted K a year later. Same age, one grade behind.

Calculate for your child

↓ Tap Calculate to see the grade
Most US states use a September 1 cutoff. Year-stamped for the 2026–27 school year.

9-year-olds by state — 2026–27

The same 9-year-old lands in different grades depending on which state they live in. Sortable.

Grade for a 9-year-old by state — 2026–27
StateCutoffTypical gradeNotes
AlabamaSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
AlaskaSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
ArizonaAugust 314th gradeChildren must turn 5 before September 1 — in practice, on or before August 31.
ArkansasAugust 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before August 1.
CaliforniaSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
Coloradovaries4th gradeColorado sets no statewide kindergarten cutoff — each district adopts its own. Most use a date in August or September.
ConnecticutSeptember 14th gradeConnecticut moved its cutoff from January 1 to September 1 starting in 2024–25 — one of the largest cutoff changes any state has made.
DelawareAugust 314th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before August 31.
District of ColumbiaSeptember 304th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 30.
FloridaSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
GeorgiaSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
HawaiiJuly 314th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before July 31 — one of the earliest cutoffs in the country.
IdahoSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
IllinoisSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
IndianaAugust 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before August 1.
IowaSeptember 154th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 15.
KansasAugust 314th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before August 31.
KentuckyAugust 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 before August 1.
LouisianaSeptember 304th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 30.
MaineOctober 154th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before October 15 — the latest fixed cutoff of any state.
MarylandSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
Massachusettsvaries4th gradeMassachusetts sets no statewide cutoff — each district establishes its own minimum age for school attendance.
MichiganSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1 — but Michigan gives parents an unusually strong early-entry right for later birthdays.
MinnesotaSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
MississippiSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
MissouriAugust 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 before August 1.
MontanaSeptember 104th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 10.
NebraskaJuly 314th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before July 31 — one of the earliest cutoffs in the country.
NevadaAugust 14th gradeNevada moved its cutoff from September 30 to August 1 under A.B. 65 (2023), creating a single uniform statewide enrollment date.
New Hampshirevaries4th gradeNew Hampshire is the one state with no kindergarten entrance age in statute or regulation at all — the date is entirely a local district decision.
New JerseyOctober 14th gradeA child who is 5 by October 1 has a statutory right to enroll where kindergarten is offered. Districts may adopt policies admitting younger children, so the practical date can be earlier.
New MexicoSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 before September 1.
New YorkDecember 14th gradeNew York districts set their own kindergarten entrance age. December 1 is the statewide reference date in Education Law; New York City uses December 31.
North CarolinaAugust 314th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before August 31.
North DakotaJuly 314th gradeChildren must turn 5 before August 1 — in practice, on or before July 31.
Ohiothe first day of school4th gradeOhio changed its rule for 2026–27: a child must turn 5 on or before their district’s first day of instruction. Districts no longer pick between August 1 and September 30.
OklahomaSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
OregonSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
Pennsylvaniavaries4th gradePennsylvania sets only a floor: a child must be more than 4 years old before the first day. Each district picks its own entrance date above that, and most use September 1.
Rhode IslandSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
South CarolinaSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
South DakotaSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
TennesseeAugust 154th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before August 15.
TexasSeptember 14th gradeChildren must be 5 on or before September 1.
UtahSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
Vermontvaries4th gradeVermont law sets the outer limit at January 1, but each district may require a child to turn 5 by any date between August 31 and January 1 — the widest legal spread of any state.
VirginiaSeptember 304th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 30.
WashingtonAugust 314th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before August 31.
West VirginiaJuly 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 before July 1 — the earliest kindergarten cutoff in the United States. West Virginia moved to this date in 2019–20.
WisconsinSeptember 14th gradeChildren must turn 5 on or before September 1.
WyomingAugust 14th gradeWyoming moved its cutoff from September 15 to August 1 under H.B. 0174. September 15 now matters only as the outer limit for an early-admission request.

Frequently asked

Can a 9-year-old skip a grade?
Grade-skipping is possible but rare; most US districts require formal academic assessment plus a social-emotional review. Talk to the school counselor before assuming.
What if my 9-year-old started kindergarten late?
If they were redshirted (held back a year before K), they'll be one grade behind their birth-year cohort. That's the second row of the answer above.
Is my 9-year-old considered "redshirted"?
Only if you intentionally delayed kindergarten. Children born after the cutoff who start K on schedule for their birthday aren't redshirted — they're on time for their state.
Shopping for a 9-year-old?
See gift ideas for 9-year-olds on Birthdaze →

Nearby ages

← What grade is a 8-year-old in? · What grade is a 10-year-old in? →

See every state's kindergarten cutoff →

Sources

Education Commission of the States — Kindergarten Entrance Ages.
Individual state Departments of Education (linked from each state page).