Homeschool Statistics

Key Takeaways

• 1In the United States, the homeschooling population grew by 63% between 2019 and 2021, reaching an estimated 3.7 million K-12 students according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey data
• 2Globally, approximately 5.4 million children were homeschooled in 2022, with the highest numbers in the US (3.1 million), UK (100,000), and Canada (150,000) per the International Center for Home Education Research
• 3From 2016 to 2021, homeschooling enrollment in the US rose from 1.7 million to 3.7 million students, a 118% increase, as reported by the National Home Education Research Institute
• 4Homeschooled students in the US score an average of 15 to 30 percentile points higher on standardized achievement tests than public school students, according to a study by Dr. Brian Ray of NHERI analyzing 15,000 students
• 5A 2022 study of 3,829 homeschool graduates found they had a 94th percentile SAT score average compared to the national 50th percentile, per NHERI
• 6Homeschool students outperform public school peers by 34-51 percentile points in reading, 27-44 in language, and 34-44 in math, based on the 1990s Rudner study of 20,000 students at Johns Hopkins CTY
• 7Homeschooled children demonstrate higher levels of self-esteem, with 87% rating themselves in the top quartile compared to 65% of public school peers, according to a 2006 Concordia University study of 5,000 students
• 8A 2013 Irish study of 100 homeschool families found homeschooled children had significantly lower rates of anxiety (12% vs 28% in schooled peers)
• 9NHERI's 2022 survey of 16,000 homeschoolers showed 98.5% were happy with their socialization experiences versus 72% in public schools
• 10The top reason parents cite for homeschooling is concern about school environment (50%), followed by dissatisfaction with academic instruction (17%), per NCES 2019 data
• 1191% of homeschool parents report being more satisfied with their child's academic progress than if enrolled in public school, from HSLDA 2022 survey of 10,000 families
• 12Religious or moral instruction motivates 72% of homeschool families, according to a 2021 Census analysis
• 13All 50 US states permit homeschooling, but 11 require parent notification only, while 5 mandate approval, per HSLDA 2023 map
• 14In 2023, 15 states introduced or passed new homeschool regulations post-COVID, focusing on attendance tracking, via Coalition for Responsible Home Education
• 15Germany's strict ban on homeschooling led to 100+ families fleeing annually, with 500 cases prosecuted since 2003, per Netzwerk Bildungsfreiheit

Homeschooling grew dramatically because parents wanted better educational environments and results.