In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, more parents across the United States are choosing to homeschool their children, according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy’s Homeschool Research Lab.
The report analyzed homeschooling rates across 21 states during the 2023-2024 academic year, revealing that all but two states saw an increase in the number of homeschooled students. The percentage in which each state increased varies significantly. Georgia experienced just a 2 percent rise in homeschooling, while Delaware saw the highest increase, with a 29 percent jump in homeschooled children.
“Recent data shows that, in the 2023-2024 school year, homeschooling grew across the United States. While the exact reason for this growth is unknown, we do know that it was not driven by the pandemic or a sudden disruption to traditional schooling,” the report stated.
States that experienced increases in homeschooling come from all regions of the US. Southern states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Arkansas all saw growth, as did Midwestern states such as North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Even states like Washington and Massachusetts reported increases in homeschooling. Vermont and New Hampshire were the only states in the analysis that saw a decline in homeschooling participation.
The report highlighted that while many expected the surge in homeschooling during the pandemic to taper off once the pandemic subsided, the opposite has occurred. Because of this trend, factors beyond COVID-19 are likely contributing to the continued rise in homeschooling.
“While homeschooling grew rapidly during the pandemic, most people thought that students would return to more traditional schools when the pandemic disruptions abated,” the report explained. “Some states did show a decline, but few have returned to normal, even four years after the onset of the pandemic. What we see with the most recent increases in state-reported homeschool participation is something new — these numbers are not driven by the pandemic.”
The continued rise in homeschooling may be driven by declining trust in educational institutions among parents. Concerns over radical curriculum changes, including the introduction of topics like critical race theory and gender theory, could be influencing parents to seek alternative methods of education that align more closely with their values.
