Homeschooling Statistics in 2023 – Latest Data and Trends

Remote and virtual education saw its largest spike in 2020 when schools were locked down. Most people assumed that education would go back to normal after the pandemic. But recent statistics and data have shown that homeschooling is starting to gain popularity.

In this article, we will explore homeschooling data and trends alongside how it compares to conventional schooling. By the end of this post, you’ll know some interesting facts about homeschooling. So let’s get started.

What is Homeschooling?

Homeschooling refers to education given at home as opposed to a traditional school. In a strict definition, even remote education is excluded from homeschooling, which is limited to schooling under the tutelage of parents or a visiting tutor.

However, recent developments in the education ecosystem have blurred the lines between homeschooling and online learning.

If your ward studies from home with the help of a remote tutor or as a student of an online school, he might be considered to be homeschooled. The more control you have over your ward’s curriculum, class schedule, and educational subjects, the more his education would fall in the homeschooling category.

On the other end of the spectrum is public schooling, where the curriculum, schedule, and classes are decided by the government.

Homeschooling vs. Public School

Almost all parents have three choices for their children’s education: homeschooling, private education, and public schools. Private schools aren’t equally accessible to everyone because of their selective enrollment practices and high fees, leaving behind homeschooling and public schools.

Public schools are cheap, highly social, and widely accepted because of their government backing. But as is the case with anything “public,” public schools don’t have the same quality of education as private schools.

Homeschooling can emulate and even exceed the curriculum quality of conventional private schools. However, it fails to present an option for socialization.

Homeschooling isn’t always recognized by colleges and can lead to problems in higher education. But if your ward joins a board-affiliated online school, then he can learn from home without facing acceptance issues at the college level.

Here are some interesting statistics regarding public schools and homeschooling:

• According to Research.com, most public schools have a student-to-teacher ratio of 16 to 1. In contrast, homeschooling has a student-to-teacher ratio of 3 to 1, and online schools have a student-to-teacher ratio of 7 to 1.
   
• According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 49.5 million students were enrolled in public schools in the fall of 2021.
   
• There are over 98,469 public schools in America, as per EdWeek’s findings.
   
• National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) has found that the average score of a homeschooler is 15% to 30% higher than that of an average public school student.
   
• NHERI also asserts that pre-2020, there were around 2.5 million homeschooling students. In 2022, the figure rose to 3.15 million students.
  

Why Do Parents Prefer To Homeschool Their Children?

The reason many parents choose to homeschool their children instead of.enrolling them in private school range from financial ones to religious differences. Parents who move around a lot do not like the regional limits of private schools, while those who want their wards to get in-demand skills have problems with the slow updates to conventional schooling curricula.

• Parents prefer homeschooling for flexibility
   
• Parents want a say in their wards’ education
   
• Homeschooling is more affordable
   
• Homeschoolers can learn new and in-demand skills
  

Some Interesting Homeschooling Facts

Homeschooling has been misunderstood and shrouded in misconceptions, pushing more parents to opt for public and private schools. While homeschooling isn’t for everyone, it is the best option in some contexts. The following facts will make you rethink homeschooling.

• Homeschoolers outperform public school students even if they are taught by uncertified parents.
   
• Homeschoolers have better average SAT and ACT scores.
   
• 83% of the data consolidated and studied by Ray (2017) shows that homeschoolers have better emotional and psychological development than conventional schoolgoers.
  

Homeschooling Statistics For 2023

While some experts predicted that schools would go back to normal after 2020, recent statistics have revealed that homeschooling is experiencing a renaissance because of the mass introduction of remote schooling in 2020. Here are the latest statistics regarding homeschooling.

• Over 33% of homeschoolers’ parents have an annual income of over $100,000
   
• Homeschooling rates have quadrupled since the COVID-19 lockdowns.
   
• Contrary to popular belief, 98% of homeschoolers take part in 5 extracurricular activities each week. 
  

Why 21K School Offers The Best Homeschooling Curriculum

21K School offers the best of both worlds, giving you more control and transparency over your ward’s education without compromising their education quality and future prospects.

Not only is 21K School fully online, but it is also affiliated with national and international boards, making it as good as any board-affiliated educational institution for college enrollment purposes.

21K School’s greatest value proposition is its adaptive education style which is tailored toward students’ needs. Instead of pushing one-size-fits-all, 21K School educators use compassionate and productive strategies that suit your ward’s personal learning style. Such teaching is absent in public schools and very rare in private schools.