For the first time in more than 15 years, researchers have published a nationwide study examining the academic achievement of homeschooled students. The new peer-reviewed study offers encouraging results for homeschooling families while also being transparent about its limitations.
The researchers analyzed standardized test scores from 1,149 homeschooled students across the United States and surveyed their parents about their homeschooling experiences. Rather than relying on a single test, the study included students who had taken nationally recognized assessments such as the Iowa Tests, Stanford Achievement Test, TerraNova, MAP, California Achievement Test, and others.
What the Study Found
Overall, across reading, language, mathematics, science, and social studies, the participating homeschool students scored well above average on nationally recognized standardized tests. Even after adjusting for differences in race/ethnicity and family income, they continued to score substantially above the national average.
To make the comparison as fair as possible, the researchers compared homeschool students with similar students nationwide in conventional schools, adjusting for differences in race/ethnicity and family income.
Even after making those adjustments, the homeschool students continued to score well above the national average, with adjusted average scores ranging from approximately the 74th to the 82nd percentile, depending on the subject.
Does More Regulation Improve Results?
One of the questions the researchers explored was whether homeschool students performed differently depending on how heavily homeschooling is regulated in their state.
They found no meaningful relationship between the level of state regulation and student achievement. Students living in states with stricter homeschool laws did not, on average, score higher than students in states with fewer regulations.
This finding mirrors several earlier studies that reached the same conclusion. While regulations may serve purposes such as record-keeping or ensuring compliance with state law, this study found no evidence that stricter oversight was associated with higher academic achievement among the homeschooled students who participated.
In case you were concerned, this is good news for New Hampshire families, where homeschooling is now completely deregulated.
An Interesting Finding
The researchers also looked at whether certain family characteristics were associated with higher test scores within the homeschool group. They found little consistent relationship between achievement and factors such as:
- Parents’ education levels
- Family income
- Whether a parent had been a certified teacher
- Years spent homeschooling
- Family size
While no single study can answer every question, these findings suggest that successful homeschooling is not limited to families with teaching credentials or unusually high incomes.
Full Disclosure
The authors are careful to point out that this was not a random national sample of homeschool families.
Instead, participants volunteered after learning about the study through homeschool organizations, testing companies, websites, social media, and other homeschool networks. As a result, the study cannot tell us exactly how all homeschool students around the nation perform. Families who choose to participate in research — or who administer standardized tests — may differ in important ways from those who do not.
The researchers also note that the sample included fewer minority families than exist in the homeschooling population overall. Although they adjusted statistically for race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, other factors — such as parental involvement or family culture — were not measured.
For these reasons, the study does not prove that homeschooling itself causes higher academic achievement. Instead, it shows that among the more than 1,100 homeschool students who volunteered for this nationwide study, academic performance remained well above national norms, even after accounting for two major demographic differences.
Why This Matters
Research on homeschooling often relies on studies that are decades old. This new study provides updated evidence using recent data, nationally recognized standardized tests, and transparent statistical methods.
Like all good research, it acknowledges its own limitations. That makes its findings more — not less — valuable. For families exploring education options, the study adds another piece of evidence suggesting that homeschooling can be an academically successful choice for many students while reminding us that no single study tells the whole story.
-Jody
Jody Underwood, Ph.D
President, Education Options
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Upcoming Fairs
- Saturday October 3 from 2-4pm, Evergreen Elementary in Hudson (near Nashua) will host our next fair. It’ll be a Fall Fest theme with a food truck (the same delicious one from our Bow fair!) and Trunk-or-Treat fun! The fair will be both indoors and outdoors. Education providers and attendees can register here. Spaces are limited. Here’s the current list of providers:
- 2nd Nature Academy (SNA)
- 5 Rock Learning
- Camp Constitution
- Celebrating the whole child
- Education Options
- Evergreen Elementary
- NH Project Learning Tree, sponsored by New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association
- Orchard Kids Preschool
- Riverwood Academy Chartered Public School
- RIZE Robotics
- That Math Stuff
- Upstone Montessori School
- Saturday October 24 from 9am-1pm. Join us in Loudon (near Concord). It’ll be held indoors at the Benjamin Franklin Academy Charter School, 157 Chichester Rd in Loudon, in conjunction with a 5k run, so we expect a lot of families to show up. Education providers and attendees can register here. Here’s the current list of providers:
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About EdOpt
EdOpt is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose aim is to help families understand all their education options, from non-traditional (homeschooling, homeschool co-ops, microschools) to traditional (charter schools, private schools, tech centers, dual enrollment, learn everywhere).
Use our website to find education providers options around the state. If your organization isn’t there, please enter it!
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