Homeschool Statistics

In 2011, NCHE commissioned the following research:

A Summary of Homeschooling Across North Carolina: Academic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics
Brian D. Ray, Ph.D.

March 11, 2011

The modern homeschool movement in America continues to grow, currently at a rate of 8% a year (Ray, 2004; Rudger, 1999; Spiegler, 2003). In America, as of 2009, roughly 2.9% of school-aged children (5-17) were homeschooled (NCES, 2009).  Indeed, the success of America's nearly 2 million homeschoolers have inspired others in numerous developed societies; current estimates include 15 developed countries and an additional 2 million students (Ray, 2011). 

Not only is homeschooling growing internationally and in the United States, but also in North Carolina.

NC: 67,800+ Homeschools, 169,000+ Students

In January 1988, there were about 1046 homeschools in North Carolina. When NCHE convinced the NC General Assembly to pass a favorable homeschool law that was ratified on June 20, 1988, the number of homeschools began to grow rapidly. By the end of the 1988-89 school year the NC homeschool community had experienced a phenomenal 32% increase in numbers to 1,385 homeschools. Since then, the number of homeschools in North Carolina has grown at an annual compound growth rate of more that 16%. By the end of the 2014-2015 school year, the number of homeschools had grown to 67,804. By August 24, 2015 there more than 70,000 homeschools in North Carolina.

The state estimates that there are about 1.6 students per homeschool for a total of 106,853 students ages 6 through 17. An informal survey of homeschools in Mecklenburg County several years ago concluded there were three students per homeschool. If, we use a conservative estimate of 2.5 students per homeschool, there are more than 169,510 students being educated at home. Putting this into perspective, the largest school district in the state, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, had a total student enrollment of 145,363 in the 2014-2015 school year, and the total private school enrollment in NC was 97,259 students in the 2014-2015 school year. Here is a link to the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education homeschool data for the the 2014-2015 school year,