Home Schooling Rates Higher Than Pre-Pandemic — Here’s Where They’re Highest
The COVID-19 pandemic thrust the educational world into a remote learning experiment. However, many parents chose to forgo the Zoom classrooms and took to home schooling instead. While we’re largely back to in-person learning, home schooling rates are still higher than before the pandemic.
We’ll go over how home schooling rates have changed and where they’re highest now. Plus, with child care as expensive as it is, stick around for tips on mitigating home-school costs.
Key findings
- Home schooling rates continue to be higher than before the coronavirus pandemic. Between Aug. 23 and Sept. 4, 4.7% of U.S. families with kids younger than 18 reported doing some amount of home schooling. Before the pandemic, no more than 3.4% of students were home-schooled during the years in which data was available. However, during the 2020-21 school year (the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic), 6.8% of families reported some home schooling.
- Alaska has the largest percentage of home schooling families. 15.4% of families in Alaska with kids younger than 18 have at least one home-schooled child. Idaho (8.9%) and Tennessee (8.5%) follow.
- Massachusetts families are least likely to home-school their kids. In Massachusetts, 1.1% of families with children younger than 18 home-school at least one child. Connecticut (1.3%) and New Jersey (1.5%) have the next lowest home-school rates. Overall, just five states have home schooling rates below 2.0%.
- The wealthiest Americans and Asian Americans are less likely to home-school their children. Just 1.6% of families with a household income above $200,000 home-school at least one of their children, while 2.6% of Asian families say similarly. On the other hand, families identifying as two or more races or another unspecified race (7.9%), those with a household income below $25,000 (5.5%) and those with an income between $75,000 and $99,999 (5.5%) are the most likely to home-school.
Home schooling rates are still riding a post-pandemic wave
Remote learning may have been a temporary fix for most school-age kids, but some experienced a permanent shift in their education. In fact, 4.7% of U.S. families with kids younger than 18 reported doing some amount of home schooling between Aug. 23 and Sept. 4, according to a LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey data. That’s higher than home schooling rates before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before 2020, no more than 3.4% of students ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade were home-schooled during the years in which data was available. Here’s a breakdown of home-school rates in the years with available data:
- 1999: 1.7%
- 2003: 2.2%
- 2007: 3.0%
- 2012: 3.4%
- 2016: 3.3%
- 2019: 2.8%
Meanwhile, during the 2020-21 school year at the peak of the pandemic, 6.8% of families reported some home schooling — a significant jump from 2019. Of course, there are several reasons families took up home schooling during the lockdowns and for some time beyond it, including:
- Concerns for exposure to illnesses
- Skyrocketing screen time for school
- Unstable learning environments and difficulty adapting to hybrid learning schedules
Why are home schooling rates still up despite COVID-19 threats diminishing? According to LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schulz, parents may have realized they could home-school successfully for the first time.
“Before the pandemic, there were surely many Americans who were intrigued by the idea of home schooling but who hadn’t yet taken the plunge,” he says. “After being stuck at home for all that time and having their kids adjust to remote learning, I think a lot of parents decided they were perfectly capable of providing their kids with a decent education from home.”
15.4% of families in Alaska home-school — here’s which states follow
By state, Alaska has the largest percentage of home schooling families. Overall, 15.4% of families in Alaska with kids younger than 18 have at least one home-schooled child. Idaho (8.9%) and Tennessee (8.5%) round out the top three.
Notably, home schooling regulations are lax in these states. While most states require parents to notify education officials that a child is being home-schooled (which may require parents to submit a basic curriculum plan, the student’s current grades and a copy of the student’s birth certificate), Alaska and Idaho are two of just 11 states that require no notice and have low home schooling regulations, according to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). And while Tennessee requires notice, its regulations are low compared to other states. Most notably, Tennessee doesn’t require any specific subjects to be taught.
It’s also worth noting that six of the 10 states with the highest home schooling rates were also among the 20 states with the lowest per-student spending in public schools during the 2021 fiscal year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances. When public schools are underfunded, the students tend to have lower achievement levels — which may play a role in a parent’s decision to home-school instead.
States with the highest home schooling rates
| Rank | State | Total population 18 and older in households with children | Total population 18 and older in households with home-schooled children | % of families who home-school |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 193,593 | 29,797 | 15.4% |
| 2 | Idaho | 573,699 | 51,272 | 8.9% |
| 3 | Tennessee | 1,939,144 | 164,372 | 8.5% |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 1,118,962 | 93,123 | 8.3% |
| 5 | West Virginia | 431,947 | 35,567 | 8.2% |
Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey data from Week 61 (Aug. 23 to Sept. 4, 2023).
On the other end of the list, Massachusetts families are least likely to home-school their kids, at 1.1%. Connecticut and New Jersey follow, at 1.3% and 1.5%, respectively. Just two other states have home schooling rates below 2.0%: Delaware (1.7%) and Hawaii (1.8%).
Unlike the top-ranking states, Massachusetts is one of four states with the strictest regulations, according to HSLDA. And unlike in many states, home schooling is regulated at the school district level rather than the state level.
While Connecticut and New Jersey are two of the 11 states that require no notice and have low home schooling regulations, both were among the five states that spent the most money per public school student during the 2021 fiscal year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances. More specifically, Connecticut spent $22,769 per student and New Jersey spent $22,160. According to the Center for American Progress, increased spending on education improves student outcomes — so parents in these states may be satisfied with the education their child receives.
States with the highest/lowest home schooling rates
Full rankings
| Rank | State | Total population 18 and older in households with children | Total population 18 and older in households with home-schooled children | % of families who home-school |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 193,593 | 29,797 | 15.4% |
| 2 | Idaho | 573,699 | 51,272 | 8.9% |
| 3 | Tennessee | 1,939,144 | 164,372 | 8.5% |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 1,118,962 | 93,123 | 8.3% |
| 5 | West Virginia | 431,947 | 35,567 | 8.2% |
| 6 | Alabama | 1,465,604 | 115,152 | 7.9% |
| 7 | Arkansas | 801,471 | 61,168 | 7.6% |
| 8 | Virginia | 2,323,194 | 171,313 | 7.4% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 200,982 | 14,622 | 7.3% |
| 9 | Missouri | 1,589,434 | 115,338 | 7.3% |
| 11 | Kentucky | 1,200,954 | 84,971 | 7.1% |
| 12 | Utah | 1,094,587 | 74,296 | 6.8% |
| 13 | Indiana | 1,746,001 | 108,325 | 6.2% |
| 14 | Oregon | 1,002,458 | 61,252 | 6.1% |
| 15 | Vermont | 161,057 | 9,497 | 5.9% |
| 16 | Florida | 4,891,124 | 284,896 | 5.8% |
| 16 | Texas | 8,394,226 | 488,680 | 5.8% |
| 18 | Montana | 274,356 | 14,810 | 5.4% |
| 19 | Wyoming | 140,497 | 7,447 | 5.3% |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | 3,073,392 | 155,860 | 5.1% |
| 21 | South Dakota | 200,100 | 9,717 | 4.9% |
| 22 | Colorado | 1,465,376 | 70,503 | 4.8% |
| 22 | Georgia | 2,889,538 | 137,446 | 4.8% |
| 24 | New Hampshire | 365,962 | 17,113 | 4.7% |
| 25 | Louisiana | 1,247,861 | 56,763 | 4.5% |
| 25 | Ohio | 3,066,901 | 136,982 | 4.5% |
| 27 | North Carolina | 2,482,768 | 109,970 | 4.4% |
| 28 | California | 10,715,017 | 457,445 | 4.3% |
| 29 | South Carolina | 1,327,489 | 55,180 | 4.2% |
| 30 | Maine | 315,791 | 12,883 | 4.1% |
| 30 | Michigan | 2,420,111 | 98,624 | 4.1% |
| 32 | Kansas | 721,331 | 29,206 | 4.0% |
| 32 | Mississippi | 774,154 | 31,196 | 4.0% |
| 32 | Washington | 2,050,062 | 82,261 | 4.0% |
| 35 | Nevada | 791,961 | 30,053 | 3.8% |
| 35 | Arizona | 1,952,465 | 74,035 | 3.8% |
| 37 | New Mexico | 546,361 | 19,486 | 3.6% |
| 38 | Wisconsin | 1,384,872 | 44,685 | 3.2% |
| 38 | Nebraska | 497,568 | 16,040 | 3.2% |
| 38 | Minnesota | 1,382,833 | 44,471 | 3.2% |
| 41 | Maryland | 1,587,232 | 49,524 | 3.1% |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 139,187 | 4,296 | 3.1% |
| 43 | Iowa | 804,512 | 16,688 | 2.1% |
| 44 | Illinois | 3,101,825 | 62,700 | 2.0% |
| 44 | New York | 4,170,553 | 83,311 | 2.0% |
| 44 | Rhode Island | 268,923 | 5,322 | 2.0% |
| 47 | Hawaii | 393,004 | 7,205 | 1.8% |
| 48 | Delaware | 245,500 | 4,134 | 1.7% |
| 49 | New Jersey | 2,341,912 | 35,476 | 1.5% |
| 50 | Connecticut | 910,962 | 11,416 | 1.3% |
| 51 | Massachusetts | 1,520,592 | 17,447 | 1.1% |
Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey data from Week 61 (Aug. 23 to Sept. 4, 2023).
High earners and Asian Americans are less likely to home-school
The wealthiest Americans and Asian Americans are less likely to home-school their children, according to our analysis of race and income demographics. Just 1.6% of families with a household income above $200,000 home-school at least one of their children, while 2.6% of Asian Americans say similarly.
One reason could be that these families may have a higher reliance on private schools, which could offer the additional resources and support that home schooling families seek for their children. Both these groups may have more financial means than other demographics — in fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Asian men had the highest annual median earnings in 2022, while Asian women had the third-highest. With more cash available, these groups are more likely to be able to afford a costly private education.
In the same vein, a 2019 survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 80.3% of home-schooled children had parents who said one reason they chose to home-school was a concern about school environment (such as safety, drugs or negative peer pressure). Wealthier families and Asian families may be able to afford private schools that offer a safer and more controlled environment than public schools, which could reduce the need for home schooling.
Here’s a deeper look at these demographics (and some others):
Home schooling rates by demographic
| Demographic/details | % of families who home-school |
|---|---|
| Age | |
| 18 to 24 | 2.4% |
| 25 to 39 | 4.9% |
| 40 to 54 | 4.9% |
| 55 to 64 | 4.2% |
| 65 and above | 5.2% |
| Gender | |
| Male | 5.0% |
| Female | 4.4% |
| Race | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.7% |
| White | 5.3% |
| Black | 3.8% |
| Asian | 2.6% |
| 2 or more races or other races | 7.9% |
| Income | |
| Less than $25,000 | 5.5% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 3.5% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 4.8% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 5.4% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 5.5% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 4.6% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 4.4% |
| $200,000 and above | 1.6% |
| Highest education | |
| Less than high school | 3.1% |
| High school or GED | 5.4% |
| Some college/associate degree | 5.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 4.2% |
| Household size | |
| 2 people in the household | 1.6% |
| 3 people in the household | 2.4% |
| 4 people in the household | 3.9% |
| 5 people in the household | 5.4% |
| 6 people in the household | 7.7% |
| 7 or more people in the household | 7.8% |
Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey data from Week 61 (Aug. 23 to Sept. 4, 2023).
On the other hand, families identifying as two or more races or another unspecified race (7.9%), those with a household income below $25,000 (5.5%) and those with an income between $75,000 and $99,999 (5.5%) are more likely to home-school, among these demographics.
Cutting home-school costs: Top expert tips
If you’re looking to try home schooling with your kid(s), you don’t have to wait until the next pandemic to give it a go. If navigating the finances of home schooling is one of your concerns, Schulz offers the following advice:
- Consider a personal loan. “No one likes debt, but if you need a little help covering the costs of getting started with home schooling, a personal loan could be a strong option,” he says. “Before you get one, take the time to do your homework and understand how much you’ll need to get started and then shop around for the best deal you can find.”
- Leverage credit card rewards. “Getting 1% or 2% cash back may not seem like much, but every bit counts when you’re on a budget,” he says. “Those rewards can be used to extend that budget a little bit and make the transition into home schooling a little smoother.”
- Don’t be afraid to buy used. “As much as you’d love to start home schooling with all the best, newest and shiniest tools, you don’t have to,” he says. “There are plenty of resources available online for those looking for a used curriculum. Also, don’t be afraid to sell your used stuff once your kid is done with it. That can be a good supplement to your budget as well.”
Methodology
To find the states where home schooling is most prevalent, LendingTree researchers analyzed U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey data from Week 61 — Aug. 23 to Sept. 4, 2023.
Specifically, researchers looked at the population of those 18 and older in households with children — for each state — and calculated the percentage of families who home-school at least one child. Researchers ranked the states from highest to lowest.