A report by Brian Ray and Braden Hoelzle says homeschool students scored 25 to 29 percentile points above public-school students across five subjects. Independent verification and representative sampling remain important limits.
Reading showed the widest gap. Homeschool students scored 29 percentile points above public-school students in that subject, according to a new peer-reviewed study. The report's study materials present the finding, but available independent web results do not verify all of the underlying figures.
The comparison covered reading, science, social studies, language and math. Researchers also examined why families choose home education and which factors predict academic achievement.
That distinction matters.
A national summary citing National Center for Education Statistics data estimated that 3.4% of K-12 students were homeschooled during the 2022-23 school year. Another 1.8% attended full-time virtual schools. Those are separate categories. They should not be treated as one homeschooling population.
Five subject areas compared
The reading gap was 29 percentile points. Homeschool students scored 27 points higher in science, 26 in social studies, 25 in language and 25 in math.
These are percentile-point differences on standardized tests. They do not mean homeschool students scored a specific percentage higher. The study compares positions on an achievement scale. It does not establish that homeschooling caused the results.
A Nationwide Study on the Academic Achievement of Home-Educated Students was conducted and written by Brian Ray and Braden Hoelzle. It appeared May 21 in the Peabody Journal of Education. The authors describe it as the first study of its kind in 15 years.
The independent material reviewed for this article did not include the complete article or a full set of underlying tables. A separate verification was not possible.
Study examined varied families
The researchers collected information from homeschooling families in rural and urban settings. Thirty percent of respondents lived in rural areas. Another 28% lived in urban clusters with populations from 2,500 to 50,000. The remaining 42% lived in urban areas with populations of 50,000 or more.
The report found stronger results for homeschool students regardless of location, ethnicity and family income. That gives the study a wider reach than a sample drawn from one kind of homeschooling family.
Selection effects remain central.
Families who volunteer for a study, choose homeschooling and have access to testing may differ from families who do not participate. The report also describes its comparison with institutional-school students as limited.
Earlier research and policy reviews have sometimes found higher standardized-test results among homeschool students. Analysts have warned that sampling and other methods can distort those comparisons. More representative federal measures involving high-school completion and college enrollment do not support a simple conclusion that homeschooling is always better than public schooling.
Michael Van Beek, vice president for research at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, told Michigan Capitol Confidential that direct comparisons are difficult because of data limitations. He called the Ray and Hoelzle report perhaps one of the better studies on the subject. He said its results were consistently positive for homeschool academic performance.
Why families choose homeschooling
Families gave several reasons for educating children at home. They cited teaching family morals and beliefs, spending more time together and meeting the needs of children receiving special support.
COVID-19 policies or exposure in public schools were the initial reason for 13% of respondents. Pandemic-related concerns were among the reported motivations. They were not the main explanation for the study's overall findings.
The National Home Education Research Institute posted selected findings on Facebook. Ray is the institute's president. Hoelzle is its research associate. The institute did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Michigan participation shifted
Michigan's homeschooling rate changed sharply during the pandemic. Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub estimates show that 5.3% of Michigan families homeschooled in spring 2020. The figure reached 11.3% in fall 2020 after many public schools closed or shifted to online-only instruction.
National estimates moved from 5.4% to 11.1% over the same periods.
The rate later fell as Michigan moved beyond the pandemic period. The estimate dropped to 5.04% in the 2022-23 academic year. It rose to 6.58% in 2023-24.
These figures estimate families, not individual children. They should not be compared without accounting for the different measures.
The Michigan figures add context, but they do not settle the broader comparison. Homeschooling rose when public-school operations changed. Participation later moved closer to its earlier level, even as the new report found academic differences between homeschool and institutional-school students.
Michigan's public-school results offer a separate view of the state's education challenges. Nearly two-thirds of public-school students in grades three through seven are not proficient in English or math on the M-STEP.
Michigan performed better than only two states in fourth-grade reading on the latest version of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The state scored below 31 jurisdictions and matched 18 others. A Michigan reading breakdown also examined the state's public-school literacy results and spending.
For families in the Farmington area, the study does not provide a direct performance comparison for students in Farmington Public Schools or any particular neighborhood. The Farmington Public Schools board and district administration handle local decisions about enrollment, services and academic programming. The Michigan Department of Education maintains statewide assessment information.
The Farmington Public Schools website is the place to check current district calendars, board materials and enrollment information. A national homeschool sample cannot establish local outcomes.
Families considering home education may interact with the City of Farmington or City of Farmington Hills for local program information and community resources. Oakland County administration may provide countywide services and demographic information.
None of those municipal or county entities is identified in the study as a participant or data provider. Their records should not be presented as evidence for the report's academic conclusions.
The study supplies updated comparative data in an area where direct comparisons are difficult. It is not proof that every homeschool student will outperform every public-school student. It also cannot replace a close look at how participants were selected and tested.
The supported conclusion is narrower. In this sample, homeschool students posted substantially higher standardized-test percentile scores across five subjects. Families and education policymakers can weigh that finding alongside the limits of the comparison.
