Summer School Sessions start June 8 - secure your spot
Enroll Now →
How homeschooling works, what each state requires, what it costs, and how accredited online school compares to the DIY path.
Homeschooling is parent-directed education conducted outside of a traditional school. Parents choose or build the curriculum, set the daily schedule, and take primary responsibility for their child’s academic progress. In the United States, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., though regulations range from no oversight at all (Texas, Alaska) to detailed reporting and assessment requirements (New York, Pennsylvania).
The modern homeschool movement began gaining traction in the 1970s and 1980s, and by 1993, every state had established a legal pathway for families to educate children at home. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), approximately 1.77 million students were homeschooled in the spring of 2020.
That number accelerated during the pandemic: the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey estimated 5.4% of U.S. households with school-age children were homeschooling by September 2020, up from 3.3% the prior spring.
A growing number of families use hybrid approaches, combining parent-led instruction with online classes, co-op groups, or community college courses. This flexibility is one of homeschooling’s core appeals, but it also raises a question many parents encounter later than they expect: will this education be recognized by colleges, employers, and athletic organizations?
Homeschooling has grown from a fringe movement to a measurable segment of the U.S. education system. Here is what federal data shows.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, homeschooling accounted for roughly 3.3% of U.S. school-age children, per the NCES National Household Education Survey (2019). Post-pandemic enrollment in traditional public schools dropped by approximately 1.2 million students between 2019 and 2022 (NCES), and while not all of that shift went to homeschooling, a substantial portion did.
The demographic profile has shifted too. NCES data from 2019 showed the top three reasons parents cited were concern about school environment (80%), desire to provide moral or religious instruction (67%), and dissatisfaction with academic instruction (61%). Post-pandemic surveys indicate new entrants are more urban, more racially diverse, and more likely to cite academic quality and schedule flexibility as primary motivators.
Starting homeschooling requires understanding your state’s legal requirements, choosing a curriculum approach, and setting up a structure your family can sustain. These six steps apply across the board.
Requirements differ by state. Some require no notification. Others mandate annual assessments, detailed records, and curriculum approval. Start with HSLDA’s state law directory.
Boxed curricula (Abeka, BJU Press) provide complete packages. Online platforms (Time4Learning, Khan Academy) offer self-paced content. Many families mix approaches by subject.
States that require notification typically ask for a Letter of Intent. Some require it annually. Check deadlines: Virginia requires 30 days before the school year starts.
A kitchen table works. Focused instruction takes 3 to 5 hours per day depending on age, compared to 6 to 7 hours in a traditional school day.
Co-ops, field trip groups, and sports leagues exist in most metro areas. Many offer group classes in subjects like science labs and foreign languages.
Track courses, grades, hours, and work samples. Organized records protect your child when applying to college, transferring schools, or pursuing athletic eligibility.
HSLDA classifies state homeschool laws into four categories: no notice required, low regulation, moderate regulation, and high regulation. This table covers the states with the highest homeschool populations.
| State | Regulation | Notification | Assessment? | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | None | Not required | No | Homeschools treated as private schools. No state curriculum mandates. |
| Florida | Moderate | Required annually | Yes | Annual evaluation by certified teacher or standardized test. ESA vouchers available. |
| California | Low | Private school affidavit | No | File PSA or use a public independent study program. |
| New York | High | IHIP filed annually | Yes | Individualized Home Instruction Plan. Quarterly reports. Annual standardized test. |
| North Carolina | Low | Required | Yes | Operate under G.S. 115C-563. Annual standardized test required. |
| Pennsylvania | High | Notarized affidavit | Yes | Portfolio review by certified evaluator. Standardized tests at grades 3, 5, 8. |
| Ohio | Moderate | Required | Yes | Notify superintendent. Annual standardized test, narrative, or portfolio. |
| Virginia | Moderate | 30 days before year | Yes | Provide evidence of academic achievement by August 1 each year. |
Eleven states require no notification before homeschooling. New York and Pennsylvania require detailed curriculum plans, periodic reporting, and annual assessment. The HSLDA maintains an up-to-date directory at hslda.org/legal with the specific requirements for every state.
Homeschooling works well for some families and creates problems for others. The benefits are real, but so are the tradeoffs.
Both take place outside a physical classroom, but they differ on structure, credentialing, and who bears responsibility for instruction.
| DIY Homeschooling | Accredited Online School | |
|---|---|---|
| Accreditation | Typically not accredited. Depends on parent’s documentation. | Regionally accredited (e.g., Cognia/SACS CASI). Credits recognized by colleges. |
| Instruction | Parent teaches or selects curriculum. | Certified teachers deliver live and recorded instruction. |
| Transcript | Parent-created. May face scrutiny. | Official transcript issued by accredited institution. Accepted by colleges and NCAA. |
| NCAA | Complex. Courses approved individually. | NCAA-approved courses. Eligibility requirements met through enrollment. |
| Flexibility | Maximum. Parent controls all scheduling. | Flexible within the school’s framework. Self-paced, hybrid, and structured options. |
| Socialization | Parent-organized. Co-ops, community groups. | Built-in peer interaction through live classes and school community. |
| Cost | $500 to $2,500+/year for curriculum. | Tuition-based. Some programs accept ESA or scholarship funds. |
| Parent Burden | High. Parent is teacher, admin, and counselor. | Lower. School handles instruction, grading, transcripts, and college counseling. |
Many families start with homeschooling and transition to accredited online school in middle or high school, where transcript credibility, college preparation, and athletic eligibility become critical. In the upper grades, accreditation becomes the difference between a smooth college application process and a complicated one.
Score Academy Online is a Cognia-accredited private online school for grades K through 12, with NCAA-approved courses and dedicated teacher support. For families who want home-based flexibility with accredited structure, it offers a middle path. View tuition or request enrollment information.
A typical homeschool day involves 3 to 5 hours of focused instruction. Parents plan lessons around core subjects and supplement with electives, physical activity, and independent reading. Some families start early and finish by lunch. Others spread learning across the day with breaks for outdoor time, music practice, or other activities.
No. No U.S. state requires parents to hold a teaching certificate or college degree to homeschool. Some states require a high school diploma or GED. Many parents use structured curriculum packages, online programs, or co-op classes for subjects they are less confident teaching.
Most colleges accept homeschool applicants, but the process can be more complex. Because homeschool diplomas are issued by parents, colleges may request standardized test scores, detailed course descriptions, portfolio work, or letters from non-family evaluators. An accredited online school issues an official transcript that colleges recognize without extra documentation.
It depends on the state. More than 30 states have laws allowing homeschooled students to participate in public school extracurriculars. Florida, Colorado, and Arizona have broad access. New York and California do not guarantee participation. Each district has its own eligibility rules.
Costs range from near-zero to $2,500+ per year for curriculum. The hidden cost is the parent’s time. Accredited online school tuition is higher but includes teacher instruction, transcripts, and college prep support the family would otherwise source independently.
Homeschooling is parent-directed: the parent chooses curriculum, delivers instruction, and manages all record-keeping. Online school is an accredited institution that delivers instruction through certified teachers via a digital platform. The learning happens at home in both cases, but the responsibility for teaching and credentialing sits with different people.
Research from NHERI indicates homeschooled students score 15 to 25 percentile points higher on standardized tests. However, these results reflect self-selected, highly engaged families. Homeschooling works best when parents have the time, resources, and commitment to sustain it. For families where that’s difficult, accredited online school delivers home-based flexibility with institutional accountability.
In some states, yes. ESAs in Florida, Arizona, West Virginia, and others allow families to use public funds for approved educational expenses including curriculum and online course tuition. Some accredited online schools qualify as approved ESA providers, which can offset or cover the full cost of tuition. Learn more about school choice options.
Score Academy Online is a Cognia-accredited private online school for grades K through 12. NCAA-approved courses. Certified teachers. Official transcripts. Learn from anywhere with the credentialing that colleges recognize.