Homeschooling Is No Longer a Niche Choice — Survey Data Shows Why Parents Are Opting Out of Traditional School

Homeschooling has moved from the margins of American education to one of its fastest-growing segments. What began as a choice made by a small number of families in the 1990s has, over the past decade, become a mainstream option — and recent survey data help explain why parents are making the switch.

The Growth, By the Numbers

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the share of K-12 students being homeschooled rose from about 3.7% in the 2018–19 school year to roughly 5.2% in 2022–23 — a jump of nearly 40% in the participation rate in just a few years. The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) estimates the total number of homeschooled children in the U.S. has grown from around 1.7–1.8 million in 2012 to somewhere between 3 and 4 million today.

Much of that growth traces back to the pandemic. The U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey found that the share of households reporting at least one homeschooled child more than doubled in the early months of COVID-19, reaching 11.1% by fall 2020. What's notable is what happened next: rather than reverting to pre-pandemic levels once schools reopened, homeschooling rates settled at a new, higher plateau.

What Parents Say Is Driving the Decision

• Concern about the school environment — citing safety, exposure to drugs or alcohol, and negative peer pressure — is the most commonly cited reason, named by a large majority of homeschooling parents and the single most important reason for roughly 1 in 4.
• Dissatisfaction with academic instruction at traditional schools is cited by a majority of homeschooling parents, according to both NCES data and a 2025 Pew Research Center analysis, which found that close to three-quarters of homeschooling parents were unhappy with the academic quality of the schools their children would otherwise attend.
• A desire to provide moral or religious instruction remains a significant motivator for many families, though surveys show it now shares the top tier of reasons with safety and academics rather than standing alone as the dominant driver.
• A desire for a more personalized or flexible approach to learning is cited by a large share of parents, particularly those with children who have learning differences or who are academically ahead of or behind grade level.
• A smaller but consistent share of parents point to logistical reasons, such as accommodating a child's extracurricular schedule, family travel, or a desire for more time together as a household.

EdChoice's national survey of parents during the pandemic similarly found that many families who tried homeschooling for the first time during COVID-19 reported being surprised by how well it worked for their child, and a meaningful share said they intended to continue rather than return to their previous school.

Who's Homeschooling Now

The demographic picture has also shifted. Homeschooling families are increasingly diverse: Census data show the Hispanic homeschooling population grew significantly between 2019 and 2021, and homeschooling has expanded in both urban and suburban areas, not just the rural communities often associated with it historically.

Taken together, the data suggest homeschooling's growth isn't a single-cause story. It's the product of overlapping concerns — safety, academic quality, personalization, and flexibility — that have led a growing number of parents to conclude that home-based education, in some form, is worth the tradeoffs it requires.