Homeschool vs Public School: What the Research Says
If you are reading this, you are probably weighing a decision that feels enormous. Pull your child out of public school and take their education into your own hands, or keep them in a system you are not entirely confident in and hope for the best.
It is a big decision. But it does not have to be a blind one. There is decades of peer-reviewed research comparing homeschool and public school outcomes, and the data tells a consistent story. Homeschooled students perform better academically. They perform as well or better socially. And the advantages hold across income levels, demographics, and parental education levels.
Here is what the research actually says, followed by the most important step to take if you decide to make the switch.
The Academic Data
The most comprehensive body of research on homeschool academic performance comes from the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), led by Dr. Brian Ray, who has been studying homeschool outcomes for over three decades.
Here is what the research consistently shows:
Homeschooled students score 15 to 25 percentile points above public school students on standardized achievement tests. The public school average is the 50th percentile by definition. Homeschooled students typically land between the 65th and 80th percentile. That is not a marginal difference. That is a significant, consistent advantage documented across multiple studies over multiple decades.
62% of peer-reviewed studies show homeschool students performing significantly better academically than institutional school students. The remaining studies generally show no significant difference. Virtually none show homeschoolers performing worse.
Homeschool students score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or household income. This is one of the most striking findings in the research. In public schools, parental income and education are among the strongest predictors of student performance. In homeschooling, that correlation largely disappears. What matters is engagement, consistency, and intentionality, not credentials.
Whether the parent was ever a certified teacher has no notable relationship to the child’s academic achievement. You do not need a teaching degree to educate your child effectively. The data is clear on this.
Homeschool students typically score above average on the SAT and ACT. NHERI data shows homeschooled students average approximately 72 points higher on the SAT than the national public school average.
The degree of state regulation has no significant relationship to homeschool academic achievement. Students in heavily regulated states do not outperform students in states with little or no oversight. What matters is what happens in the home, not what the government requires.
The Social and Emotional Data
The most common objection to homeschooling is socialization. It is also the most thoroughly debunked by research.
According to NHERI, 64% of peer-reviewed studies on social, emotional, and psychological development show homeschool students performing as well or better than conventionally schooled students. Homeschool graduates participate in local community service more frequently than the general population. They are more likely to volunteer. They report higher levels of life satisfaction.
The idea that a child needs to be in a room with 25 same-age peers for seven hours a day to develop social skills is not supported by the evidence. Homeschooled children socialize through co-ops, sports, church, community activities, and real-world interactions with people of all ages. That is arguably a healthier and more realistic social environment than a traditional classroom.
The Numbers in Public Schools Right Now
While homeschoolers are outperforming, public schools are struggling with the aftermath of pandemic-era learning disruptions. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that roughly one-third of U.S. public school students are currently performing below grade level. In some regions, the number is closer to 40%.
Chronic absenteeism remains elevated. Teacher shortages continue to affect instruction quality. And the gap between where students are and where they should be has not closed in the years since schools reopened.
This is not an attack on teachers. Most teachers are doing their best with the resources they have. But the system itself is under enormous strain, and the results show it. If you are a parent looking at your child’s public school experience and feeling like something is off, the data suggests you might be right.
What the Data Does Not Tell You
Here is the part that matters most for your decision, and it is the part that most “homeschool vs public school” articles leave out.
The research shows that homeschoolers as a group outperform public school students as a group. That is encouraging. But averages hide the details. A child who scores in the 75th percentile overall can still be completely missing a foundational concept like fractions while compensating with strength in other areas. The composite score looks fine. The gap underneath is invisible.
Whether your child is currently in public school or already being homeschooled, the group-level data does not tell you where your specific child stands. It does not tell you which subjects they are strong in. It does not tell you where they are behind. It does not tell you what to focus on first.
That takes an individual assessment. And it is the single most important step you can take when you decide to bring your child home.
The First Step If You Make the Switch
If you have looked at the research and decided that homeschooling is the right move for your family, the very first thing to do, before you buy curriculum, before you set up a schedule, before you even tell the school, is find out where your child actually stands academically. For a complete walkthrough of getting started, see our 9-step homeschool checklist.
Think of it like buying a house. You would not close without an inspection. You want to know what you are working with: what is solid, what needs repair, and what needs immediate attention. An academic assessment does the same thing for your child’s education.
You need to know:
Which specific topics has your child mastered? Not just “they are good at math” but which areas of math, specifically, are strong?
Where are the gaps? Which topics are below grade-level expectations? Which ones are close to the benchmark and which ones are significantly behind?
How do they compare to other students their age? Not to make them feel bad, but to give you an honest reference point for where to begin.
That information shapes every decision that follows. It tells you which curriculum to choose, which subjects to prioritize, where to start each child, and where to spend extra time. Without it, you are guessing.
How Homeschool Test Track Gives You That Starting Point
Homeschool Test Track was built by homeschool parents for exactly this moment. It gives you the complete academic audit you need to start your homeschool with clarity and confidence:
Topic-level scoring across four core subjects. Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies. Every subject is broken into specific topics. In math, you see algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis separately. Each score is compared to the national average for your child’s grade level. You see the full picture, not just a single number.
Strengths and Learning Gaps, identified automatically. Your parent dashboard sorts every tested topic into two columns: areas above the benchmark and areas below it. You do not need to interpret anything. The strong areas are here. The gaps are there. The distance from the national average is clearly labeled. You open the dashboard and you know what to work on.
A baseline you can measure against all year. Test when your child first comes home. Adjust your teaching based on what you find. Test again a few months later and see if the gaps are closing. Every attempt is saved, giving you a clear view of whether your homeschool is producing results. For more on what to track and how to use that data, see our guide to homeschool progress reports.
$145 for up to 6 kids, all year. Unlimited test attempts. Instant results. Grades 1 through 6. No per-student fees. No testing windows. No waiting for scores. No automatic renewal. One price, your whole family, for the entire year.
The Bottom Line
The research is clear. Homeschooled students outperform public school students academically. They develop socially and emotionally at the same rate or better. And the results hold regardless of parental education, income, or whether the parent has a teaching credential.
If you are considering the switch, the data is on your side. But data about homeschoolers as a group is not a substitute for data about your specific child. The single best thing you can do when you start this journey is find out exactly where each of your children stands so you can build their education on real information, not assumptions.
Homeschool Test Track gives you that starting point. Real scores. Real detail. Topic by topic. Benchmarked against the national average. One price for the whole family, all year long.
