American families are choosing to educate their children at home in unprecedented numbers, with homeschooling continuing to surge well beyond pandemic levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, approximately 3.7 million children are being homeschooled across the United States, representing about 10% of all school-age students, a dramatic increase from just 3% before COVID-19. What’s even more striking is that homeschooling is now growing at 5.4% annually, nearly triple the pre-pandemic growth rate of around 2%, with more than a third of states reporting their highest homeschooling numbers ever.â
A Pandemic-Fueled Shift That Refused to Fade
When schools shuttered their doors in March 2020, millions of families suddenly found themselves thrust into the role of primary educators. The number of homeschooling households doubled during the pandemic as parents watched remote learning stumble and fumble its way through months of screen time and Zoom fatigue. Many experts expected this trend to reverse once classrooms reopened, but something unexpected happened. After a brief dip in 2022 and 2023, homeschooling numbers climbed right back to pandemic peaks by 2024, signaling what Johns Hopkins researcher Angela Watson calls “a fundamental shift in how American families are thinking about education”.â
The reasons behind this sustained growth are complex and varied. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 80% of parents cite safety concerns as their primary motivation for homeschooling. Beyond physical safety, parents express deep dissatisfaction with the academic quality of traditional schools, with 72% of homeschooling families reporting concerns about teaching approaches and educational standards. Religious instruction remains important too, with nearly 59% of families wanting to integrate faith-based education into their children’s daily learning.â
Who’s Homeschooling Now? A More Diverse Picture
Gone are the days when homeschooling was dominated by a single demographic. Today’s homeschooling families reflect America’s diversity far more than ever before. About 41% of homeschooling families now identify as non-white or non-Hispanic, representing a significant cultural shift in who chooses this educational path. Between 2019 and 2020, Black families choosing homeschooling increased by an impressive 41%, while Hispanic families account for 15% of homeschoolers and Asian families represent 4%.â
Geography matters too. Alaska leads the nation with more than 10% of students being homeschooled, followed by North Carolina at nearly 9% and South Dakota close behind. However, even states with stricter regulations and lower percentages still show steady growth. Interestingly, 48% of homeschooling households have three or more children, and 83% are two-parent families, suggesting that family structure often plays a supporting role in making homeschooling feasible.â
Academic Performance: The Numbers Tell a Story
For families considering homeschooling, academic outcomes often weigh heavily in the decision. Research from the National Home Education Research Institute reveals that homeschooled students typically score 15% to 25% higher on standardized tests than their public school peers, with average percentile scores ranging from the 65th to 75th percentile compared to the 50th percentile for public school students. The gap extends beyond K-12: homeschooled students average 1190 on the SAT versus 1060 for public school students, and about 74% of homeschoolers attend college compared to just 44% of public school graduates.â
However, the picture isn’t uniformly rosy. High school graduation rates present an interesting contrast, with public school students graduating at 91% compared to 66.7% for homeschoolers. This discrepancy may reflect differences in how graduation is defined and tracked for homeschoolers, who often follow non-traditional educational pathways. Once in college, though, homeschoolers tend to excel, with a 67% college graduation rate versus 59% for public school graduates.â
The Lived Experience: Meet the Johnsons
Sarah and Mark Johnson of Charlotte, North Carolina, never imagined they’d become homeschooling parents. When their daughter Emma struggled with severe dyslexia in third grade, the public school system offered limited support. “The classroom environment just wasn’t working for her,” Sarah recalls. “Her confidence was plummeting.” In 2022, they made the leap to homeschooling, tailoring Emma’s curriculum to her learning style and pace. Within a year, Emma’s reading scores improved dramatically, and she developed a genuine love of learning. “We can focus on her strengths while patiently working through challenges,” Mark explains. “That flexibility has been transformative”.â
The Balancing Act: Benefits and Challenges
Homeschooling offers undeniable advantages. Families enjoy unprecedented flexibility in scheduling, allowing children to learn at their own pace and pursue interests deeply. The personalized attention means lessons can be adapted instantly to a child’s needs, whether that involves slowing down for difficult concepts or accelerating through mastered material. Parents also maintain complete control over curriculum content, values education, and the overall learning environment.â
Yet challenges exist. Socialization remains the most common concern, though research shows that 98% of homeschooled students participate in an average of five extracurricular activities weekly, providing ample peer interaction. The financial burden can be significant too, with costs ranging from $700 to $1,800 per child annually for curriculum, supplies, and activities, though this remains far less than private school tuition. Perhaps most demanding is the time commitment required from parents, with one parent often reducing work hours or leaving the workforce entirely to manage education full-time.â
Looking Ahead: A New Educational Landscape
Will homeschooling continue its upward trajectory? Most experts believe so. Traditional public schools face the possibility of losing as many as 8.5 million students by mid-century if current trends persist, shrinking enrollment from 43 million to potentially 34.5 million. The shift isn’t just about homeschooling in isolation but reflects broader dissatisfaction with rigid, one-size-fits-all educational approaches. With 59% of parents now saying K-12 education is on the wrong track (up from 52% in 2021), and homeschooling enjoying a 70% favorability rating among all parents of school-age children, the appetite for alternatives shows no signs of waning.â
States are responding by easing regulations and, in some cases, offering Education Savings Accounts that families can use toward homeschooling expenses. This financial support, combined with the explosion of online resources, curriculum options, and homeschooling co-ops, makes DIY education more accessible than ever before. What was once considered fringe has moved decisively mainstream, reshaping the American educational landscape one family at a time.
Have you considered homeschooling for your family, or are you already on this journey? Read more:
Empowering Homeschool Families: Discover the Best Online Resources for Stress-Free Learning at Home
Building a Supportive Homeschool Community: Online Forums, Co-ops, and Parent Groups
Homeschooling: Nurturing Knowledge and Faith at Home
Image by Amr.
Feeling the call of the wild? Or just vibing with unconventional ideas? If so, let yourself go a little. Toss a tip in our virtual jar and help keep the blog fresh, fiercely independent, and full of wisdom worth sharing. Click below to keep the stories and the wild thinking going strong.