What the Facts Say About Homeschooling

Interest in homeschooling as an educational option is on the rise for families around the globe. The educational landscape has shifted as more parents seek alternative methods to traditional schooling. Some families find the current learning model isn’t working for their children, or they have concerns about the quality of education near them. As homeschool statistics show, this method works for thousands of American families.

According to studies and surveys, the number of homeschooled students was already rising, but it surged during the COVID-19 pandemic years. The data reveals a diverse spectrum of motivations, demographics, and outcomes associated with this educational approach. Homeschool statistics shed light on the homeschooling decision and its impact on student performance and overall development.

Explore what the data says about full-time homeschooling over public schooling.

Student Enrollment

As of Fall 2022, the United States had 49.6 million K-12 students learning across all types of schools. Of that nearly 50 million, about 3.7 million families opted to homeschool their children. That’s about 6.7% of all students.

The vast majority attend a traditional public education program. Besides homeschooling, about 5% attend a magnet school, 6.6% a charter school, and 6.8% a private school. Varying definitions among the states may impact these numbers as more public school systems are managing their own magnet schools. Additionally, some states classify homeschooling as a private school.

In normal years, the data trend has seen the percentage of students in homeschooling grow from 2 to 8%. From 2016 to 2021, it spiked 10%, directly correlating with the at-home schooling required by the state at-home mandates. Some families found that homeschooling worked better for them and kept it up as public schools reopened.

Figures can vary slightly depending on the local homeschool definition. Some count attending a centralized or district-led virtual school as a public school, while others classify it as homeschooling.

Where Homeschooling is Prevalent

Who has the most homeschooled students? Figures from 2022-2023 show this flexible form of education option isn’t limited to one part of the country.

North Carolina led the way, both by total student enrollment and by the percentage of K-12 students choosing homeschooling. It had 179,000 enrollees, which comprised 10.6% of its total student population.

Alaska’s vast territory and isolated rural communities make homeschooling a popular–and sometimes only–choice for educating school-aged children. Some 10.3% of students are homeschooled.

South Dakota is another community where homeschooling is slightly more common. Its homeschooling rate was 6.5% for 2024.

Missouri is known as a homeschool-friendly state with minimal regulations and a long-running lobby group. It ranked fourth among homeschool totals, with 6.2% choosing this option.

Finally, Idaho ranked fifth, with 6% of its students choosing a flexible education journey over an institutional schooling.

Other states with a homeschooling rate over 5% include Nevada, Alabama, Maine, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Indiana. The diversity in locations shows homeschooling is widespread in the United States. It’s not more popular in one region over another.

On the other end of the spectrum, in 2024, Rhode Island was recorded as having 2.9% of its total student population enrolled in a homeschooling program. Instead, it had double-digit figures for magnet and charter schools. Massachusetts reported 3.1%, while New York was at 3.2%.

By Grade Level

For 2019, grades 6 to 8 were the most enrolled for homeschooled students. About 29% were in these critical middle grades. Following that, the higher grade levels, 9 to 12, and lowest, 1 to 3, had 22% of the homeschooling population.

Homeschool Family Setup

The average homeschool family may not be what you think. Some 41% had three or more children. Just 19% had one child at home.

Homeschooling may be easier or more advantageous with more kids at home, as curriculums can be re-used as students advance in grade level. One parent may already be staying at home to manage the household and save on daycare costs.

Most families have two-parent households (81%), with only 18% of one-parent households opting for this educational pathway. Around 54% of these households had one parent not working in the labor force. Only a quarter of homeschool families had both parents working.

Around one-third of US homeschooling households had an income over $100,000. About 21% made between $50,000 and $75,000.

Reasons Families Homeschool

Every family has unique learning needs and situational factors influencing their decision to homeschool their children. It’s usually not just one reason but a combination of factors that lead to choice. Homeschooling statistics show the top three reasons families said they decided to homeschool were:

• Safe environment concerns: 80%
• A desire to provide moral or religious instruction: 75%
• Poor academic quality: 73%

Many parents find public schools struggle to provide safe learning experiences for children. Beyond gun violence and school shootings, homeschool parents also talked about negative peer pressure and bullying their kids experience. The use of drugs was another.

The separation of church and state is written in the U.S. Constitution, but some families want to provide specific moral instruction to their children. Rather than send them to non-secular private schools, they choose to educate them at home so they can design a learning program aligned with family values.

Finally, academic instruction quality and rigor aren’t equal across institutional schools or even at the individual schools within a school district. Educating at home enables families to oversee the curriculum and meet their individual learners’ needs.

The least common reason for homeschooling was accommodating a child’s temporary illness. Homeschooling makes it easier to manage the education of children facing intensive medical treatments or physical or mental health limitations–even temporarily.

Families also choose this pathway for children with special needs or to emphasize family life together.

About 35% picked it for other reasons, such as geographical factors. They may live too far from a traditional school to make it a reasonable option for their children. It could also be their young child is academically gifted, and needs an accelerated course of study far beyond what a conventional school could provide.

Nonetheless, in study after study, safety in the school environment remained the primary reason parents made this educational choice.

Academic Achievement

Homeschool detractors often claim that students learning at home are academically below their public school peers. They say the at-home environment doesn’t provide the quality of education students need to prepare them for success in life.

However, a growing body of research challenges this narrative, illustrating that homeschooled students outperform their peers in traditional educational settings. According to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data, homeschooled students consistently score higher than their public and private school counterparts on standardized tests.

A 2017 peer-reviewed study found that 78% of homeschooled students performed better than traditional school students on academic achievement tests. Oftentimes, they outscored by 15 to 25 percentage points. The public school standardized test score averages hover around 50%.

A comparison of average SAT and ACT scores shows that homeschooled students often achieve higher than the national average, demonstrating their preparedness for college-level work. Further follow-up found these college students had higher first-year and four-year GPAs than their public school student peers. That included after controlling for other factors like demographics and pre-college coursework.

So, homeschool graduates are well-prepared for the rigors of formal education at the highest levels.

The Flexibility of Learning

One of the significant advantages of home-based education is the ability to tailor educational experiences to the child’s unique learning style and pace. Parents can implement diverse teaching strategies, from hands-on experiments to digital learning platforms, providing a customized curriculum that may better resonate with their child’s interests and strengths. This personalized approach integrates real-world experiences and enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

In addition to academic subjects, many homeschooling families emphasize life skills and practical knowledge, preparing their school-age children for everyday challenges. An incredible 98% of homeschool students participated in five extra-curricular activities a week and are more likely to do so than their peers.

This blend of formal and informal learning can lead to well-rounded individuals equipped with the tools necessary for future success.

Homeschooling Cost

Pinning down the cost is a bit harder to do, but that’s because of the flexibility of the educational program. Families can invest as little or as much as they wish or up to their budgetary constraints. Different curriculums also charge varying amounts. Curriculum costs may also increase as the homeschooled students rise in grade levels and take more challenging and specialty coursework. They may invest more in extracurricular activities than they would have otherwise.

General estimates say the cost of homeschooling ranges from $700-$1,800 per child. Most of the cost goes into purchasing curriculum materials. The average cost spanned from $200 to $700 and is just for the curriculum plan–not any computers or devices you may use to access a subscription-based service.

Choosing to homeschool saves taxpayers money, to the tune of over $68 billion in 2023.

Additionally, some 16 states provide either a grant, tax credit, or educational savings accounts to help with the cost of homeschooling. The rules and regulations vary, but generally, all target purchasing learning supplies for these students.

Funding States:

Alaska	Arizona	Arkansas
California	Florida	Idaho
Illinois	Indiana	Iowa
Louisiana	New Hampshire	Oklahoma
Oregon	Tennessee	Utah
West Virginia

Socialization and Community Engagement

Concerns about social and emotional development in homeschool environments have long been debated; however, evidence suggests homeschooled children are often well-socialized. Families engage in cooperative learning groups, sports leagues, community service activities, and field trips, allowing children to interact with peers and develop social skills.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that 89% of homeschool families participate in group activities that further enhance social interaction. These activities include co-op classes where families band together to share teaching duties, art and music lessons, and various sporting events.

Moreover, many homeschooling families utilize online resources and social media to connect with others, creating a vast community of support and shared experiences. Online forums and local meetups provide platforms for knowledge exchange, resource sharing, and friendship.

A National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) report indicates that homeschooled children often exhibit greater social maturity and may have enhanced communication skills compared to their peers in traditional schooling. These children are often encouraged to engage with individuals of differing ages and backgrounds, fostering adaptability and inclusivity.

What Statistics on Homeschooling Show

Homeschooled children are doing just as well as public school students socially and academically. Families across the nation have found a way to make this model of academic construction work for them, regardless of their income, family situation, or time constraints.

The decision to homeschool significantly impacts families, from educational experiences to social dynamics and financial considerations. Many families choose homeschooling for its flexibility, allowing parents to tailor the educational activities to fit their child’s unique needs, interests, and learning styles. This adaptability can result in a more fulfilling and positive outcome for their educational experience.