Homeschool Statistics 2026: National Growth and Florida's Latest Count

New 2025-26 figures published by the Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub, which collects enrollment data from states that report it, show that homeschooling continued to grow nationally but at a slower rate than in previous years. This post summarizes the national figures and Florida's most recently reported numbers.

The national figures

EdChoice estimates that nearly 1 in 20 American K-12 students is now homeschooled, about 6%, roughly double the share before the pandemic. EdChoice puts charter schools at about 7% and private schools at about 9%.

According to Johns Hopkins, across the 22 states that have reported 2025-26 data so far, homeschool growth fell from 6.3% in 2024-25 to 1.5% in 2025-26, about 9,000 additional students compared with about 38,000 the year before. Seventeen of the 22 states (77%) reported an increase. In 2024-25, 80% of the 28 reporting states saw increases, and in 2023-24, 90% of the 21 reporting states did.

The largest increases reported for 2025-26 so far are Montana (27.7%) and North Dakota (18.8%). Five states reported declines: Maine (-1.7%), Maryland (-3.5%), Minnesota (-10.8%), New Hampshire (-4%) and North Carolina (-7.5%). Johns Hopkins notes that some counts are partial and that eight states have not yet reported.

Florida's numbers

Florida is not among the 22 states in the 2025-26 data so far.

In the 2024-25 report, Florida showed a 1.7% decline. The Johns Hopkins researchers noted that Florida is a universal ESA state "where homeschooled students who take the ESA are no longer counted as homeschooled in the state which could impact reported growth."

Johns Hopkins does not name the program; in Florida, the scholarship ESA available to students who are not enrolled full time in a public or private school is PEP, the Personalized Education Program. Under Florida law, PEP and a registered home education program are separate legal categories, and a student receiving the scholarship cannot also be participating in a home education program. A student who moves from a home education program to PEP is no longer included in the home education count.

Under state law, the number of PEP scholarships started at 20,000 in 2023-24 and may increase by 40,000 each year, which allows up to 140,000 students in 2026-27. Step Up For Students states that PEP applications for the 2026-27 school year are closed and that the deadline for renewing and new students was 30 April 2026.

The Florida Department of Education's 2024-25 Home Education Annual Report counts 152,871 home education students in 114,370 families. The report counts only students whose parents registered a home education program with their school district; it does not include students using PEP or students enrolled in private schools.

Other states

In the 2024-25 report, South Carolina had the largest increase (21.5%), with large gains also reported in Vermont (17%), Ohio (15%) and New Hampshire (14.5%). Other 2026 developments in state education funding programs:

Arizona's ESA, the first in the nation to become universal, passed 100,000 students in January 2026.
Tennessee raised the cap on its Education Freedom Scholarship, a private-school scholarship program, to 35,000 students for 2026-27.
Iowa expanded independent instruction, removed limits on unrelated students learning together in cooperative settings, and added a December ESA application window.
West Virginia's Hope Scholarship became open to all K-12 students eligible to enroll in a West Virginia public school for 2026-27, and existing homeschool students who were previously ineligible could apply starting 2 March 2026.

Separately, a federal scholarship tax credit for contributions to scholarship granting organizations begins 1 January 2027; as of 14 September 2026, the IRS listed 30 states, including Florida, that have elected to participate.

Frequently asked questions

What percent of students are homeschooled in 2026?

EdChoice estimates about 6% of American K-12 students, or nearly 1 in 20, are homeschooled, roughly double the share before the pandemic.

Is homeschooling increasing or decreasing?

Increasing, but more slowly. Across the 22 states that have reported 2025-26 data to the Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub, homeschool enrollment grew 1.5%, down from 6.3% in those same states in 2024-25. Seventeen of the 22 states reported increases.

How many homeschoolers are there in Florida?

The Florida Department of Education's 2024-25 Home Education Annual Report counts 152,871 home education students in 114,370 families. Students using the PEP scholarship are a separate legal category and are not included in that count.

Which states had the largest homeschool growth?

In 2025-26 data reported so far, Montana (27.7%) and North Dakota (18.8%). In 2024-25, South Carolina had the largest increase (21.5%).

Sources

Last checked: 4 October 2026.