Enriching Education - States with the Most and Least Homeschooled Students

 With the education sector embracing remote learning models in the post-pandemic years, homeschooling has become increasingly popular in the US. 

That’s why education recruitment agency Find a Super Tutor investigated the states with the most homeschooled students according to US census data collected from 23rd July to 19th August 2024. 

The research analyzed the total number of children reported in the survey and the number of homeschooled children, and calculated the ranking based on the percentage of children who are homeschooled. 

The top 10 states with the most homeschooled students 

Rank	State	Total children reported	Number of homeschooled children	Percentage of children who are homeschooled
1.	Alaska	254,677	37,298	14.65%
2.	Delaware	406,402	47,123	11.60%
3.	Vermont	246,119	27,159	11.03%
4.	North Carolina	3,991,805	404,036	10.12%
5.	Arkansas	1,045,830	100,817	9.64%
6.	Idaho	856,689	78,903	9.21%
7.	Iowa	1,051,823	96,516	9.18%
8.	Montana	397,060	35,769	9.01%
9.	West Virginia	565,999	50,334	8.89%
10.	Alabama	1,940,008	161,240	8.31%

 

Alaska was revealed to be the state embracing the shift to homeschooling and remote learning the most at 14.65%. Of the 254,677 children reported, 37,298 were homeschooled at least some of the time. 

Ranking as the state with the second-highest proportion of homeschooled students was Delaware. 11.6% of the state’s 406,402 children were reported as being homeschooled, corresponding to 47,123 children. 

Following in third was Vermont, with 11.03% of the state’s 246,119 children being homeschooled, which amounted to 27,159 homeschooled students. North Carolina ranked fourth, with 10.12% of students homeschooled, which was equal to 404,036 out of 3,991,805 children. 

Rounding out the top five was Arkansas, with a homeschooling rate of 9.64%. Of 1,045,830 total students reported in the state, 100,817 of them were homeschooled. 

Idaho and Iowa followed in sixth and seventh place, with 9.21% and 9.18%, respectively. In Idaho, 78,903 of 856,689 students were homeschooled, whereas in Iowa, 96,516 out of 1,051,823 students were homeschooled. 

Other states with high proportions of homeschooled students were Montana, with 9.01% (35,769 out of 397,060 students) and West Virginia, with 8.89% (50,334 out of 565,999 students). 

Completing the top 10 was Alabama, with a homeschooling rate of 8.31%. Of the 1,940,008 students reported in the state, 161,240 of them were homeschooled. 

The top 10 states with the fewest homeschooled students 

Rank	State	Total children reported	Number of homeschooled children	Percentage of children who are homeschooled
1.	New York	7,122,863	129,602	1.82%
2.	Illinois	4,396,783	87,721	2.00%
3.	Minnesota	1,919,335	40,148	2.09%
4.	Florida	8,630,638	205,102	2.38%
5.	Colorado	1,918,248	48,620	2.53%
6.	New Jersey	3,408,365	92,384	2.71%
7.	Ohio	3,705,802	100,946	2.72%
8.	Texas	12,046,485	370,085	3.07%
9.	Connecticut	1,226,433	38,500	3.14%
10.	New Mexico	837,988	26,847	3.20%

 

At the other end of the spectrum, New York had the fewest homeschooled students. Only 1.82% of the state’s 7,122,863 children were reported as homeschooled, which was the equivalent of 129,602 students. 

Not far behind was Illinois, with 2% of the state’s child population being homeschooled. This was 87,721 of the 4,396,783 children in Illinois. Similarly, Minnesota had a homeschooling rate of 2.09%, or 40,148 of the total 1,919,335 children reported. 

Florida also had a relatively low homeschooling rate of 2.38%, which was 205,102 of the 8,630,638 children in the state. In Colorado, 2.53% of children, or 48,620 out of 1,918,248, were homeschooled.  

Other states with low proportions of homeschooled children included New Jersey (2.71%), Ohio (2.72%), Texas (3.07%), Connecticut (3.14%) and New Mexico (3.20%). 

Commenting on the findings, Joshua James, director of Find a Super Tutor, said, 

“The popularity of homeschooling has unsurprisingly grown since the pandemic, with remote learning proving convenient for students due to a number of reasons. However, as the data shows, homeschooling is far more prevalent in some states than in others.  

“States such as Alaska, Idaho, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, and North Carolina had some of the highest levels of homeschooling. This trend can largely be explained by factors such as location, local regulations, and underfunded or less trusted public education systems. In places like Alaska and Idaho, for example, homeschooling is not only culturally normalized but often logistically necessary due to remote communities and long distances to schools. 

“On the other hand, states like New York, Illinois, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Minnesota historically saw far lower rates of homeschooling. These states often have more comprehensive public school systems, stricter homeschooling regulations, and higher urban population densities. Families in these areas may have better access to a variety of educational resources, reducing the perceived need or appeal of homeschooling. 

“If you’re thinking of switching to homeschooling, there are a variety of options depending on the needs and preferences of the family and child. One traditional option is parental teaching, where a parent or guardian takes full responsibility for educating their child at home, often following a specific curriculum. Another approach involves hiring a tutor, a subject expert who provides personalized instruction in one or more academic areas, either part-time or full-time.  

“A more immersive option is employing a governess, typically a highly educated individual who lives with the family and provides comprehensive education and moral guidance, often seen in more formal or structured home education settings. Similarly, an au pair, usually a young person from a foreign country, may provide childcare and light teaching duties while living with the family, offering both academic support and cultural exchange. Each method offers different levels of customization, structure, and interaction, allowing families to choose what best supports their child's learning style and lifestyle.” 

 

Post courtesy https://www.findasupertutor.com/

Sources: 

United States Census Bureau 

Methodology: 

Reported numbers of homeschooled children were retrieved from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2024/demo/hhp/cycle08.html  

The total number of reported children and the number of reported children that are being homeschooled were extracted for each state. 

For each state, the percentage of children reported as homeschooled was calculated and used to rank the states from highest to lowest.