How Much Does Homeschooling Cost?
Before you dive into homeschooling, check out this information about the cost of homeschooling.
Author
Lisa Luciano
Published:
March 2025
Key takeaways
- • It costs money to homeschool, and the exact amount varies from family to family.
- • Parents can find ways to save money on homeschool curriculum and extracurricular activities.
- • Being part of a local homeschool group can help parents minimize the cost of homeschooling.
It’s no wonder that homeschooling continues to grow in popularity. It’s an attractive option because it allows parents to personalize their child’s education, satisfy unique learning styles, and use different teaching methods. However, when you bring education home, you suddenly become aware of all the resources the traditional school provides, including curriculum, computers, textbooks, art supplies, and sports equipment. In addition, public and private schools offer well-stocked science labs and libraries.
Some parents who would like to homeschool are understandably concerned about the cost. While it’s true that you could spend thousands per child per year on homeschooling, it’s also true that many families spend far less. In one of our leanest years, we got by easily with used textbooks, online printables, cheap classes, and free field trips.
If you want to homeschool, it is wise to ask the question: “How much does homeschooling cost?” In reality, it is challenging to judge the exact yearly amount since individual student and family needs differ. While some families choose a comprehensive online instruction package, other families take advantage of free library books and used textbooks. Looking at the likely costs that homeschooling families may encounter can help answer the question: “How much does homeschooling cost?”
The Average Cost of Homeschooling
The average cost of homeschooling varies widely, depending on your choices and preferred mode of instruction. A general range of homeschool expenses may run between $500 to $2000 yearly (although resourceful parents can homeschool for less.) If you want to enroll in an online homeschool program, the average annual cost might increase from $700 to $5,000 per child. The following breakdown of costs is only a general range:
- Curriculum: $150 – $800
- Materials: $250 -$400
- Field trips and extracurriculars: $100-$800
- Approximate average cost per year per student: $500 -$2000
What Do I Have to Purchase For Homeschooling?
Most parents would agree that the first year is often the most expensive because you must purchase the initial textbooks that will be used and reused over the years. Of course, consumable workbooks and paper must be purchased every year.
When aiming at a general budget for homeschooling, consider these questions:
- Which curriculum will you select?
- Will you buy new or used materials?
- Will you choose a packaged online curriculum?
- How many children and what ages will be homeschooled? More students equals more materials. Elementary materials typically cost less than middle school and high school resources.
Answering questions such as “How much does homeschooling cost per month?” or “How much does homeschooling cost per year?” are difficult to pinpoint. However, here are some general cost guidelines.
Homeschool Curriculum
The curriculum consists of the academic content you need in order to get started, and this is often the biggest part of a homeschooling investment. Curriculum may include textbooks, teacher’s manuals, educational software, and workbooks.
Consider this helpful hint from a seasoned homeschool mom: resist the temptation to invest in a shiny, new, comprehensive, expensive curriculum package for the first year of homeschooling. Start with the bare minimum – with used materials if you can get them – especially for Pre-K students. In the early years, homeschooling can be highly effective using books from the library, simple workbooks, and some fun preschool math activities.
That said, you must eventually choose a curriculum and the types and costs vary widely. You might want to select all textbooks in the same series, from the same publisher. Or, you might decide to mix and match: a history textbook from one publisher, a homeschool math program from another source, and another brand’s language arts program. Depending on your choices, here’s a general breakdown of possible costs:
- All-in-one curriculum bundles $300-$1,000 per child (every year)
- Individual subject textbooks $50-$200 per subject
- Online lesson subscriptions: $300-$800 every year
- Free or used curriculum: $0 – 25
Homeschool Supplies and Testing
Students need basic supplies for homeschooling, just like they do in traditional schools. Depending on the student’s age, grade, and subjects, a budget of $100-$300 yearly per child is average. The list of basic supplies may include:
- Paper, notebooks, pens, and pencils
- Workbooks
- Textbooks
- Art supplies
- Printer ink and paper
- Math manipulatives
- Science supplies/kits
Another expense that varies from state to state is the cost of standardized testing. Our state requires all homeschoolers to take an annual standard test, which may cost $30 – $100, depending on the test type. Some states do not require yearly testing, but if your state does, consider contacting your local homeschool group for reduced prices on a group purchase of testing materials. (Some parents choose to test their child, even if the state does not require it. This can be helpful in determining your child’s academic weaknesses, and what to focus on in the future.)
Extracurriculars
Homeschooling families enjoy enriching their children’s education with field trips, music lessons, and educational experiences. The costs of these vary according to what families choose. Examine your local area for group discounts, teacher discounts, free field trips, and annual memberships. Costs vary widely.
- Memberships: $75-$150 yearly
- Educational trips: $200 – $1000
- Zoo memberships: $75 – $250 yearly
- Homeschool group dues: $20 – $100 yearly
- Homeschool co-op classes: $200 – $1000 yearly
- Musical instruments: $150 -$1,200+ (rental or purchase)
- Sports participation: costs vary
Table of contents
Cost Comparisons
If you’ve plugged into a Facebook group or attended a homeschooling event, chances are you’ve heard about a local co-op you can join. If not, take the time to join a Facebook group (or some kind of online forum if you’re not on social media), or do a Google search for “homeschool co-ops near me.”
Joining a homeschooling community for weekly classes, lessons, and play dates can be a highly beneficial part of homeschooling. Your child will have the opportunity to make friends and have lots of fun while learning new things, and you’ll hopefully find a support group of moms to connect with.
Bonus step: invest in a few supplies for yourself!
Here are a few things you’ll need to homeschool 1st grade well:
- Planner
- Access to a printer and computer
- A 3-ring binder
- A few folders and notebooks
- General school supplies
- Learning games (read more about game-based learning!)
- A library card
- Coffee and chocolate
Now let’s talk about what you’ll be teaching!
7 Ways to Save Money on Homeschooling
By now, you are aware of the potential costs of homeschooling. However, there are many ways to save money while homeschooling, too. Here are 7 helpful hints on how to cut homeschooling costs:
- Visit local libraries. Using the local library is a great way to expand your homeschool resources. Local libraries offer a wide range of freebies that include videos, games, puzzles, magazines, free classes, and more.
- Use online teacher resources. There is an abundance of free printables, word finds, puzzles, and worksheets online. Some sites require a membership, but many do not.
- Join a local homeschool group. Homeschool groups offer ideas for saving money, such as: book swaps, sales, and group rates for field trips and test orders.
- Take free field trips. My son’s favorite field trip was an open house at the local water treatment plant – fascinating and free of charge. We have also toured the post office, police station, fire station, and bank with others from our homeschool group.
- Try unit studies or project-based learning. Begin with a topic or project, which can involve several grade levels. This is a fun and memorable way to break up the school year. One year, we shelved the regular curriculum for a month and did a unit study on “islands.” We found islands on a map, we read books about islands, we visited a local island, and we wrote reports on islands all over the world. We didn’t buy an expensive curriculum to do this; we simply brainstormed a long list of activities that went along with our theme.
- Resell your used curriculum. Consumable workbooks cannot be resold, but many textbooks are easily sold online or at local homeschool sales.
- Find free college classes. Contact your state homeschool group to discover if your state offers free early college classes. In our state, when you apply and qualify, the participating university donates free instruction, textbooks, and materials. It’s a great way to bank college credits for free while a student is still enrolled in high school.
Conclusion
I recommend starting with the basics: reading, writing, and a homeschool math program. Some parents are uber-focused on finding the right curriculum, then suddenly discover that it’s not working for their child. This is not uncommon, so resist the urge to buy a huge, complete package of one curriculum before testing it for a few months. Many local homeschool groups host an annual used textbook sale.
FAQs about how much homeschool costs
Homeschool expenses vary widely. Parents with limited resources can find ways to make homeschooling successful on a small budget. The costs of homeschooling depend on the choices made on things like curriculum, memberships, classes, field trips, and extracurricular activities.
Some states offer grants, tax deductions, or reimbursements for homeschooling families. Certain restrictions may apply. Check out this detailed list of states that gave funds to homeschooling parents in 2024.
Homeschooling costs vary widely, depending on the choices you make. If you want to include music lessons, online instruction packages, and museum memberships, you will pay more. It’s easy to find ways to cut costs on homeschooling without compromising quality.
Online homeschooling costs vary, but averages range from $300 to $5000 per year. The amount depends on the curriculum and whether the online instruction is done with live tutoring or recorded video.
Homeschooling multiple children can be more expensive initially. However, textbooks can be reused and many places offer bulk discounts on books and activities. The cost of homeschooling per child often decreases with each additional homeschooled student.
Generally, high school students cost more to homeschool than younger students. Older students sometimes need supplemental materials such as science kits, lab equipment, advanced textbooks, tutoring, and online classes. However, high school students can learn independently and may be able to find free online resources in place of expensive curricula.
Homeschooling is doable on a tight budget! Be sure to take advantage of libraries, free online resources, and used or free textbooks. Many families homeschool with limited resources. Being part of a local or online homeschooling group can be helpful when homeschooling on a tight budget.
At this time, the U.S. Federal Government does not give tax deductions to homeschooling families. However, some states offer tax deductions or credits for homeschooling families. Reach out to your state’s homeschooling organization or a professional tax preparer for more information on state tax benefits.
Many families share this concern. Some families slowly transition to a single income, in preparation for homeschooling. Other parents explore part-time work from home. Discussing your budget beforehand and planning carefully is crucial for managing a loss of one income.
Some individualized materials or therapy may add to homeschool costs, but check with your local public school district. They offer many special services free of charge.
Homeschool scholarships and grants are not as common as traditional school grants and scholarships, but they do exist. These are typically offered by curriculum publishers, homeschool organizations, or arts and sports organizations. Check out options in your area through your local homeschool organization.
This depends on your region and personal preferences. Generally, homeschooling families spend 10-20% of their yearly homeschool budget on enrichment activities. However, free activities are available, so be sure to check with your local libraries and parks.
About the Author
Lisa Luciano
