The last few years have brought a huge growth in the homeschooling movement, especially in the United States. Here are some of the most interesting facts and metrics when it comes to homeschooling statistics. Have you noticed these trends too? And what does it mean for YOU as a homeschooling family? Tune in to episode 171 of the Homeschool with Moxie Podcast or check out the statistics below.
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Homeschooling Statistics
Homeschooling statistics do show that homeschooling doubled in the United States between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic. Let’s compare some numbers.
According to HSLDA, 5.4% of U.S. households had at least one homeschooled child in the spring of 2020. By the fall of 2020, this number was 11.1%, and then it had grown to a whopping 19.5% by May of 2021!
With a doubling of the number of homeschooled students in the United States, it seems that homeschooling may not be considered as “fringe” as it used to be. And the data does bear out that families of all income levels, ethnicities, religious and political affiliations, and educational levels are homeschooling their children. It’s definitely not a monolithic group!
All of the links used to find these statistics can be found at the end of this post.
Check out this graph from Brian D. Ray, PhD, of the National Home Education Research Institute.
Listen to episode 171: Homeschooling Statistics & Trends (and what it means for YOU!)
On episode 171 of the Homeschool with Moxie Podcast, I walk through these homeschooling statistics one by one.
What is the success rate of homeschooling?
According to homeschooling statistics, the success rate of homeschooling is very high. Most people are asking about academics when talking about success rates. So let’s look at those numbers first.
The graduation rate of homeschoolers is 67% and only 59% for public school students.
One-quarter of homeschooled students are enrolled a grade above their age level.
On standardized tests, homeschooled kids average 15-30% higher. And they consistently score higher and above average on the ACT and SAT.
What about success in life and community involvement? Homeschooled kids are very active! 98% of homeschooled kids are involved in an average of five activities outside the home. The “what about socialization” question has no bearing on the reality of most homeschool children.
But then there are aspects of a “successful” homeschool that you really can’t quantify.
Things like:
- worldview & discipleship
- family bonds
- well-adjusted kids
- responsibility
- independent learning
- maturity
- life skills
- internships
- pursuing passions with a customized education
- life-long learners
- dual enrollment
So, when you ask the question – “are homeschoolers more successful?” – you have to define your terms and how you’ll be measuring what success looks like. By all metrics, it does look like homeschoolers enjoy success in academics and in other areas of life too.
Is homeschool more effective?
Dr. Brian Ray is a leading international expert in research on homeschooling and president of the National Home Education Research Institute. His site reports that 69% of peer-reviewed studies do show that homeschool graduates have success in the “real world.” This includes higher community participation in things like voting and attending public meetings.
In a nutshell, homeschool graduates tend to be more well-adjusted as functioning members of society. Of course, he cautions, research has shown trends but cannot “conclusively prove” that these trends are indeed caused by homeschooling.
Are homeschoolers smarter than public schoolers?
Standardized test scores do show that homeschoolers tend to score higher than their public schooled peers, but it’s not necessarily because the homeschooled kids are smarter. It probably is due to these considerations.
Homeschooling allows for:
- a customized education
- efficient education with a one-to-one tutoring approach
- ability to be an independent learner
- more time to read
- more parental involvement
- a love of learning that is sometimes squashed by institutional school
Do homeschoolers perform better academically?
Yes, homeschoolers do perform better academically.
We’ve already mentioned above that they have higher scores on standardized testing, including the SAT and ACT. Graduation rates are higher than that of their public school peers. And studies show that into adulthood, homeschool graduates do succeed in the real world.
Another important note is that homeschool success is not dependent on the parent’s educational levels or achievements. Homeschool parents represent every educational level fairly evenly. From less than a high school education, to high school diploma, technical or vocational school, bachelor’s degree to graduate or professional school – none of this matters in the success rate of the homeschooled child.
As a former teacher, I would argue that parental involvement is the most important part here, not parental education. A parent can be highly educated but not involved in their child’s learning and that child will not do as well as a parent with only a high school diploma who is involved. I’ve seen this across the board in public school scenarios along with homeschooling.
Are homeschoolers more successful?
Let’s dive into another aspect of answering the question about whether homeschoolers are more successful than their public schooled peers.
Let’s talk about college admissions.
Studies show that homeschoolers are actively recruited by some of the top colleges in the United States because of their academic achievement and leadership qualities.
Are homeschoolers wealthy?
New research shows that homeschool families are represented fairly evenly at every single income bracket. And homeschooling is growing across all income categories.
How can homeschool families afford to live on one income? Yes, there may be sacrifices that need to be made, and you definitely need to live within your means, but 43% of homeschooled families do this.
Need resources? Check out these links!
- Homeschooling on One Income Strategy Guide
- The Thrifty Girl’s Guide to Living on One Income
- How to Thrive as a One Income Family
- How to Find an Extra $1000 in Your Budget This Year
- How Much Does It Really Cost to Homeschool?
Can working moms homeschool?
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, homeschool families are more likely than public school families to have two parent homes with only one parent in the workforce. One-third of homeschooled children had both parents in the labor force according to the 2012 data.
We had a great conversation with Jen Mackinnon from Practical, By Default, about how to homeschool as a working mom. She shared so many actionable strategies that you’ll definitely want to check out if you’re a working mom who wants to homeschool.
Famous people who were homeschooled
Check out this fun list of 100 famous homeschoolers and see if any of them surprise you! From Agatha Christie to Thomas Edison and Theodore Roosevelt to FDR, there have been many famous people who were homeschooled. Many U.S. Presidents have been homeschooled too.
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Resources Cited Related to Homeschooling Statistics
https://hslda.org/post/new-research-shows-homeschool-growth-across-all-race-income-categories
https://hslda.org/post/why-will-parents-likely-continue-to-homeschool-during-the-2021-22-school-year
