Homeschooling is a trend that began to gain followers in the 1970s in countries such as the U.S. What are the reasons for preferring this type of education to traditional schooling? Several: One is the lack of confidence in traditional state educational programs.
💡 Homeschooling Statistics — Highlights
- About 5.22% of students between the ages of 5 and 18 in the U.S. are homeschooled.
- 80.3% of U.S. parents who homeschool their children said their main reason to do it is their concern over safety, drugs, and negative peer pressure.
- 3.3% of homeschooled students come from families with higher levels of educational attainment.
- 20.4% of families with homeschooled children are of white ethnicity and culture.
- 78% percent of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show that home-schooled students perform better than those in institutional schools.
- 4.7% of homeschooled students live in rural areas.
- 16.2% of parents who homeschool their children have annual incomes less than $50,000.
- The number of black families increased more than fivefold between 2020 and 2021.
- 60% of parents have a more favorable view of homeschooling due to the pandemic.
- 66.7% of homeschooled students graduate from college.
While there are some doubts about the consequences on the social development of homeschooled students, some studies point out that personalization also brings advantages that seduce an increasing number of parents worldwide. Do you want to know both? Look at these 10 homeschooling statistics to watch out for in 2023.
1. About 5.22% of students between the ages of 5 and 18 in the U.S. are homeschooled.
While it is true that the lock-in following the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 increased homeschooling due to public health concerns, a recent study by the National Home Education Research Institute assured that this type of schooling has increased by at least 12% since 2019.
According to the research, this is how the different kinds of education attended by 2022 are divided, with 56.3 million active students in the U.S.
- 86.58% of students between the ages of 5 and 18 are educated in public schools.
- 8.29% goes to private schools.
- 6.66% of students receive education at home (approximately 3,7 million children).
2. 80.3% of U.S. parents who homeschool their children said their main reason to do it is their concern over safety, drugs, and negative peer pressure.
According to a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report published in May of 2022, there are many reasons for homeschooling a child, for example, the dissatisfaction with academic instructions at other schools, the unique needs of a child, or the preference for personalized education.
However, the study found the top 3 reasons for parents to homeschool their children:
- 80.3% said they do it because they are concerned about the school environment (such as safety, drugs, and negative peer pressure),
- 74.7 % pointed to their desire to provide religious or moral education.
- 74.6% indicated homeschooling helps keep the family together.
3. 3.3% of homeschooled students come from families with higher levels of educational attainment.
According to the same report, most homeschooled students in the United States come from families with higher educational attainment than the general population.
NCES data from 2021 shows that the number of homeschooled students was higher for those whose parents had attained a bachelor’s degree or some graduate school as their highest education level (3.3%); meanwhile, 2.2% of parents who home school their children have a high school diploma or less.
4. 20.4% of families with homeschooled children are of white ethnicity and culture.
To read this data, you must consider history, as the beginnings of homeschooling were founded on traditional and religious issues. That would explain to some extent why white ethnicity still dominates this type of methodology at 20.4%, as shown by the Household Pulse Survey.
However, white families are not the only ones who choose to homeschool their children:
- 18.3% of those who choose this pedagogy are African Americans.
- Hispanic families account for 18.2%.
- 15.1% are Asian families (the population that most increased homeschooling in 2021).
5. 78% percent of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show that home-schooled students perform better than those in institutional schools.
According to an analysis by the National Home Education Research Institute, 78% of the time, home-schooled students outperform those attending a traditional school.
The report showed that home-schooled students typically score between 15 and 30 percentile points higher on standardized tests than school-bound students.
6. 4.7% of homeschooled students live in rural areas.
Most homeschooled students live in rural areas, as the National Center for Education Statistics study shows.
According to the report, this is how the areas with the most homeschooled students are currently divided:
- Rural: 4.7%
- City: 2.5%.
- Suburban: 2.4%
- Town: 2.2%.
7. 16.2% of parents who homeschool their children have annual incomes less than $50,000.
Not only are the majority of homeschooled students from rural backgrounds, but in 16.2% of cases, these children belong to families with resources of less than $50,000.
According to the NCES survey, this is how homeschooling families were divided in 2021:
- 8.6% have incomes between $50,000 and $75,000.
- 7.7% between $75,000 and $99,999.
- 5.3% between $100,000 and $150,000.
8. The number of black families increased more than fivefold between 2020 and 2021.
The number of black families jumped more than any other racial group between 2020 and 2021. According to data from The Guardian, the number of homeschooled black students went from 3.3% to 16.1% in just one year.
While there is no specific motive for the increase in this modality in this type of family, some analyses suggest that the preference lies in the conviction that the traditional system not only tends to punish black students disproportionately but that public education does not represent their culture in any field such as literature or history.
9. 60% of parents have a more favorable view of homeschooling due to the pandemic.
Proper social and academic development is a valid concern when deciding whether or not to homeschool a child. However, since the Covid-19 lockdown forced parents to replace the classroom with a laptop in their bedroom study, personalized homeschooling has gained greater confidence from parents.
According to EducationNext.org, 60% of parents have a more favorable opinion of homeschooling due to the pandemic. Efficient use of time, safety, and flexibility are several reasons that benefit this modality.
10. 66.7% of homeschooled students graduate from college.
A University of St. Thomas study showed that graduations of homeschooled students could be up to 10% higher than that of public schools.
The research shows that while, at least in the United States, only 11 states allow parents to educate their children at home without authorization from any authority, approximately 66.7% of homeschooled students graduate from college.
Conclusions on homeschooling:
- Homeschooling allows parents to play a more active role in their child's education and tailor the curriculum to their individual needs and interests.
- It offers an alternative to traditional school education, which some families may find a better fit for their children.
- Homeschooling allows students to work at their own pace, focus on subjects they are particularly interested in, and avoid areas they may struggle with.
- Many families homeschool to reinforce their values and beliefs or provide a more faith-based education.
- The only critique of homeschooling is the lack of socialization because to have a successful homeschool career, a child must also be exposed to social situations outside of the home.
Summary
- About 5.22% of students between the ages of 5 and 18 in the U.S. are homeschooled.
- 80.3% of U.S. parents who homeschool their children said their main reason to do it is their concern over safety, drugs, and negative peer pressure.
- 3.3% of homeschooled students come from families with higher levels of educational attainment.
- 20.4% of families with homeschooled children are of white ethnicity and culture.
- 78% percent of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show that home-schooled students perform better than those in institutional schools.
- 4.7% of homeschooled students live in rural areas.
- 16.2% of parents who homeschool their children have annual incomes less than $50,000.
- The number of black families increased more than fivefold between 2020 and 2021.
- 60% of parents have a more favorable view of homeschooling due to the pandemic.
- 66.7% of homeschooled students graduate from college.