What if you could design your own school day? Imagine finishing your assignments by noon, practicing your sport, and studying subjects that match your personal goals. For a growing number of students across the United States, that flexibility is now a reality through homeschooling.
In 2024, 90% of the 30 reporting states reported an increase in the number of homeschooling students for the 2023-2024 school year, according to the Johns Hopkins School of Education. Those statistics continue to rise, but why? Our schools, whether online or public, house our nation’s future leaders, and their learning environments are among the most important places in their lives.
Harvard’s Child Development Center states, “the conditions in a child’s developmental environment…shape their developing brain and biological systems, with impacts on lifelong health and well-being.”
Every child has differing needs, making strong learning environments vital for students’ development. Overall, research suggests that homeschooling is growing due to the flexibility, personalization, and new learning methods it offers. As homeschooling becomes more common in the U.S., it’s clear that students and families are rethinking what education can look like.
The Pandemic’s Impact
Notably, COVID-19 had a major effect on homeschooling in the U.S. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that during the spring of 2020, “77 percent of public schools moved to online distance learning.” The pandemic brought rapid changes to school districts and introduced novel routines for millions of families nationwide. However, the online programs didn’t work for everyone. As previously stated by the University of Illinois, parents expressed financial and mental concerns as their children began learning at home. In interviews the university conducted, one parent admitted, “It stopped me from doing a lot of things because I had to make sure that they were doing what they were supposed to. It was like I went back to school.” Some parents decided to take matters into their own hands. A 2020 survey managed by Education Week reported that “Nine percent of parents who weren’t homeschooling their children in the 2019-2020 school year said they planned to homeschool their children at least some of the time” for the 2020-2021 school year.
A Continued Rise
The trend didn’t stop there. According to The Center Square, “in March 2021, an estimated 5 million children were being home-schooled in grades K-12 in the U.S., representing roughly 8% to 9% of school-age children.” Although the homeschool population declined slightly in 2022, it continued to grow afterwards. The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) reported, “There were about 3.408 million homeschool students in 2024-2025 in grades K-12 in the United States.” This is roughly 6% of school-age children, meaning about 1 in every 17 students now learns outside a traditional classroom.
What Homeschooling Looks Like Today
Despite its growing popularity, a common misconception is that “home” school is simply school at home. However, it is actually quite different. Homeschooling takes place in various locations such as at home, in coffee shops, in hotels while traveling, and even occasionally in classrooms. Some programs are parent-led, some are online, and others are hybrid.
Homeschooling often looks very different from traditional school schedules. A typical day at Santiago High lasts more than seven hours, not including homework or extracurricular activities. For homeschool students, however, daily assignments can take anywhere from one to five hours, depending on the program. With flexible schedules, students can advance in the curriculum and tailor their learning to their abilities and goals. Santiago also offers a variety of clubs and classes for students, but the options can be limited and time-consuming.
Why Families Choose Homeschooling
With flexible schedules, pacing, and subjects, students can meet academic and personal needs that aren’t met in traditional settings. Students who have experienced homeschooling often report that it allows for personal customization in their education. Flexible schedules can make it easier to balance academics with activities such as sports, dual enrollment classes, or part-time work.
Other students have not yet been homeschooled but look forward to it. Freshman Jada McDonald plans on attending the Academy of Innovation, CNUSD’s own homeschool program. “I need a more flexible schedule for sports. I have played soccer my entire life, and right now I want that to be my main focus. I also think I’m gonna learn more. Honestly, I think regular school is too easy, and I would love to challenge myself and choose specific courses,” said Jada.
Social Life and Community
Homeschooling isn’t for everyone, though. One commonly mentioned downside is the potential lack of social interaction. “I would not want to go homeschooled because I feel like I’d miss out on all the cool activities at school, like football games and rallies. I also feel like my friendships would disappear because I wouldn’t be able to hang out with my friends,” said freshman Ava Gomez.
Delores Jackson, a senior interviewed for this article, shares a similar experience. When asked why she didn’t like homeschooling, she explained, “Because I had no social interaction.” Even though sports gave her some opportunities to meet people, it wasn’t enough. “I was only in sports, and that wasn’t sufficient for me,” she said.
However, Delores did acknowledge the advantages. “I could work at my own pace, and I could decide when to do my work.” Still, if she could choose again, she says she “would probably not do it at all.”
Academic Outcomes and Opportunities
Despite the downsides, homeschooling still shows admirable academic results. Based on research conducted by the NHERI, homeschooled students typically score between 15 and 25 percentile points higher than their public school counterparts on standardized tests. Moreover, 78% of peer-reviewed studies demonstrate that homeschooled students outperform their traditionally educated peers.
Still, success depends heavily on the student’s self-discipline. Delores mentioned that, in her experience, motivation was sometimes difficult to maintain. “At times, I needed to be told to be motivated, and I could slip because no one’s telling you to do your stuff,” suggesting that discipline is vital when learning at home.
Many homeschool students address this challenge by creating structured daily schedules, joining co-ops, and setting clear academic goals. These strategies can help students stay organized and maintain accountability while learning independently.
Many families are choosing homeschooling for its flexibility, personalization, and improved academic results. However, homeschooling isn’t a one-size-fits-all program. Some students thrive at their own pace, while others crave social interaction and structure. As homeschooling education continues to evolve, students and families have more choices than ever before. The real question may no longer be whether homeschooling works, but rather which learning allows each student to succeed.
