Home Schooling Statistics

Home Schooling Statistics

Education is the basic right of every child. Education is necessary to become a responsible citizen of society. Homeschooling, a relatively less common system of education, is the education for children at home imparted by either parents or tutors. Homeschooling statistics points towards some advantages of home schooling. These home schooling statistics help parents in deciding the best way of way of teaching their children. The statistics of home schooling in U.S. is analyzed and published by NHERI (National Home Education Research Institute) and HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association), organizations for home schooling supporters.

One of the biggest questions faced by home school parents is “how will their children learn how to socialize”. The fear is a temporary illusion. Socialization includes developing social skills that enable children to interact appropriately in different real life situations. Home school students receive equal opportunities to learn and practice social skills when they interact with real life on a regular basis. There are many networks and social groups dedicated to home school students and socialization.

Differences in curriculum also emerge in home school environments. Some parents choose to incorporate a religious aspect into their child’s education. This is a personal choice that must be carefully considered. Families involved in home school often enjoy their involvement in their child’s education and value communication between everyone involved to make sure the child’s needs are being met, both academically and socially.

Home Schooling statistics in America

  • There are approximately 2 million homeschooling children in the US (2008 - 2009 data).
  • 1.5 to 2 million students opted for home schooling students in 2008 - 2009 (all grades from standard K to 12).
  • Rates of home schooling are higher in families with three or more children in two parent households with only one parent in the labor force.

Number of student’s homeschooled-

  • In 2003, 2.2 percent of all students - about 1,096,000 - were homeschooled, up from 1.7 percent (850,000) of students in 1999.
  • 43% of home schooled students were in grades K-5. 28% students who opted for home schooling were in grades 6-8. Only about 29% students in grades 9-12 opted for homeschooling.
  • Over 19.5% of parents of homeschoolers have been to graduate or professional school.
  • 2.4 Million Children were home schooled in 2008.
  •  Of the 1,096,000 students being homeschooled in 2003, 82% of them had no education other than homeschooling, while 18% attended another school part-time, most of those for less than 9 hours a week.
  • 74% home schooled adults of age 18-24 years have taken college classes as opposed to 46% adults of the general population. (HSLDA)

Why Do People Homeschool?

  • The median income of a homeschooling family is $75,000-$79,999
  • Few families believed that believe that there is a poor learning environment at traditional schools (NCES)
  • Few believed that homeschools could provide greater flexibility. (NCES)
  • The chief reason is that some people think that home schools provide moral or religious instruction in their child’s curriculum. (NCES)
  • 79.5% believed they could give their child a better education at home. (NHERI)
  • 66.7% Object to what school teaches. (NHERI)
  • 69.2% to develop character/morality. (NHERI)
  • 73.5% to teach their children particular values and beliefs. (NHERI)
  • Homeschooling statistics show 71% of home taught adults participate in at least one on-going community service/37% of similar general population. (HSLDA)
  • 95% said they were glad they were home educated. 82% planned to home school their children. (HSLDA)

Observations on Curriculum- NCES data shows that:

  • Over 41% of homeschooled students were involved in some kind of distance learning.
  • Of those students involved in distance learning, more than 20% were gaining instruction through television, video, or radio
  • 19.5% were instructed through the Internet, email, or other use of the web; more than 15% were instructed using the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Children who are homeschooled

  • Students who have been home schooled their entire academic lives have the highest scholastic achievement.
  • Recent studies demonstrate that 98% of home taught children are involved in two or more social/community beyond the home each week.
  • The homeschool students had a slightly higher retention rate, 88.6% compared to the counterpart at 87.6%.
  • Graduation rate from homeschooled students is higher. (66.7% compared to the counterpart at 57.5%).
  •  71% of previously homeschooled adults served in their communities (in comparison with the public's statistic at 37-39% of service).
  • 59% reported that they were very happy with life (compared to the general U.S. population, which is at 27.6%).
  • 94% said their religious views were the same as their parents.

Additional Resources:

Homeschooling: Homeschooling, an alternate way of imparting knowledge and building personality of children.

Homeschool socialization: The greatest thing about homeschool is that when children socialize it is more realistic than public or private school.

Homeschooling Statistics Research: Homechooling saves over 10 million tax dollars per year of the government.
National Home Education Research Institute: NHERI is a key international leader specializing in homeschool research

National centre for Education Statistics: This report represents the latest survey information from the National Center for Education Statistics on the prevalence of homeschooling in the United States.

Home school Legal Defense Association: HSLDA is another statistical finding association which provides academic statistics for homeschooling.

Estimated Number of Homeschooled Students in the United States: Estimates in this report are based on interviews conducted with the parents

Why Do Parents Home School Their Children: shows that why parents feel as though they can teach their children so much more one on one instead of having to deal with disciplining the class, decreasing the production in the class.

Home Schooled Students & Religious Exemptions Reports: these reports contain the list of number of students who have excused themselves from the school attendance on religious exemptions.

Home schooling questions and answers: here are the frequently asked homeschooling questions and there answers. 

Home school progress report: homeschoolers have been achieving high test scores and winning spelling bees.

Home schooling: it provides an introduction to home schooling and variety of other bibliography resources.

Home schooling videos: here are some home schooling video regarding issues in early childhood education and various other videos.

Publications and products: provides the reports on the trends in the use of school choice and various other related issues.

Government publications library: A Guide to Selected Government Information Available at WIU's Government Publications Library.

Role of technology: An Exploratory Study of the Role of Technology in the Rise of Home schooling.

Perceptions of admission officers: provides the admission officers perceptions of and attitude towards home schooling entering the community college.

State comparisons: shows the state requirements for parents or guardians intending to home school their children.

Behind doors: home schoolers may be no safer in their homes than other children.

Resources used by home schooling families: popular resources include libraries, museums, colleges, parks departments, churches, local businesses, and schools.

Cyber home schooling: the explosion of internet has created a new paradigm on which to build the education of tomorrow.

Race or ethnicity: shows the diagrammatic comparison between home schoolers and traditional students on the basis of race/ethnicity.

Religious home schoolers: a primary focus for home schooled children is religious values.