How Much Does Homeschooling Cost? Real 2026 Prices, From Free to Full-Time Online School
Updated · By Edulist · 11 sources
The short answer: it depends on how you homeschool
Your biggest cost driver is the type of curriculum you choose, not the number of subjects. Here is what each approach typically costs per child per year, using prices from our listings as of October 2026.
| Approach | Typical cost per child per year (our estimate) | Examples and real prices |
|---|---|---|
| Free and library-based | $0–$200 | Easy Peasy (free), Khan Academy (free), AmblesideOnline (free booklists), The Good and the Beautiful language arts (free PDFs) |
| Budget mix-and-match | $200–$600 | Build Your Library $29.95–$59.95 per level, Teaching Textbooks $48.95–$83.95, Gather 'Round units about $28–$65 |
| Online subscription | $350–$1,200 | Time4Learning $39.95/month, Miacademy $480/year, Power Homeschool $99/month |
| Subject-by-subject premium | $600–$1,500 | All About Reading $159.95 per level, Math-U-See from about $206, Mystery Science $199/year, Brave Writer bundles $247–$347 |
| Boxed all-subject curriculum | $700–$1,900 | Sonlight about $1,000–$1,300 per level, BJU Press Grade 1 kits about $979–$1,209, Memoria Press about $209–$1,882 list |
| Video school at home | $700–$1,900 | Abeka Academy video about $720–$1,890 a year |
| Accredited online private school | $4,500–$12,000+ | K12 Private Academy $4,495–$7,995, Bridgeway Academy $8,245–$12,125, Stanford Online High School $31,900 full time |
| Microschool or hybrid | $2,000–$15,000+ | Prenda $2,199 platform fee plus guide fee, Acton Academy campuses about $11,500–$14,500 |
NHERI estimates the average homeschool family spends about $600 per student a year. Most families land between the budget and premium rows, and spend more in high school.
Want a number for your family? Build a line-by-line budget in our homeschool cost calculator.
What a homeschool budget includes
Curriculum is only part of it. A realistic budget covers:
| Category | What it includes | Rough planning range per child per year (our estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Core curriculum | Math, reading/language arts | $0–$500 |
| Content subjects | Science, history, geography | $0–$400 |
| Supplies | Paper, printer ink, art supplies, notebooks | $50–$200 |
| Books | Read-alouds and literature (library cuts this a lot) | $0–$300 |
| Outside classes | Co-op fees, online classes, music lessons | $0–$2,000+ |
| Activities | Sports, field trips, museum memberships | $0–$1,000+ |
| Testing or evaluation | Required in some states | $0 to the evaluator's or test fee |
| Technology | Computer, tablet, internet | Often already owned |
| Optional legal membership | HSLDA dues are $150 a year per household | $0–$150 |
Hidden costs to plan for
- Lost income. The largest cost for many families is one parent working less. It doesn't show up in curriculum budgets but matters most.
- Higher utility and food bills with everyone home all day.
- Curriculum that doesn't work. Most families switch something in the first year. Buy one level at a time and check resale groups.
- High school. Lab science, dual enrollment, test prep and tutoring for advanced math add up. See homeschool high school.
Sample homeschool budgets
The frugal family: about $150 per child
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Easy Peasy All-in-One (free) | $0 |
| Khan Academy for math practice (free) | $0 |
| Library books and audiobooks | $0 |
| Printer ink and paper | $80 |
| Art and craft supplies | $40 |
| Free park days and library programs | $0 |
| Used manipulatives | $30 |
| Total | About $150 |
The middle-of-the-road family: about $900 per child
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Teaching Textbooks math | About $60–$84 |
| All About Reading level | $159.95 |
| Build Your Library level plus some books | About $150 |
| Mystery Science homeschool membership (shared) | $199 |
| Supplies | $100 |
| One online class per term | About $200 |
| Total | About $900 |
The boxed-curriculum family: about $1,800 per child
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Sonlight All-Subjects Package (on sale) | About $1,000–$1,300 |
| Co-op fees | Varies by co-op |
| Sports or music lessons | $300+ |
| Field trips and memberships | $150 |
| Total | About $1,800 |
How to homeschool on a budget
- Start free. Try Easy Peasy or our list of best free homeschool curriculum before buying anything.
- Use the library hard. Interlibrary loan, digital audiobooks and museum passes.
- Buy core subjects, borrow the rest. Spend on math and phonics, use library books for history and science.
- Teach family-style. One history or science program for all ages.
- Buy used and resell. Non-consumable teacher guides and manipulatives hold value.
- Use free printables. Our free math worksheets and multiplication chart replace some workbook pages.
- Wait for sales. Sonlight and Memoria Press both showed sale prices in October 2026, and Blossom and Root runs three 30%-off sales a year.
- Join a co-op to share the cost of labs and specialty classes. See homeschool co-ops.
How ESAs and scholarships offset homeschool costs
Several states now fund homeschool expenses directly. Amounts below are for 2026–27 unless noted; each program sets its own rules, and funding is never guaranteed.
| State | Program | Homeschool amount | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Texas Education Freedom Accounts | $2,000 per homeschooled student | Texas scholarships |
| Alabama | CHOOSE Act | $2,000 per homeschooled student, up to $4,000 per family | Alabama scholarships |
| Utah | Utah Fits All | $4,000 (ages 5–11) or $6,000 (ages 12–18) in 2025–26 | Utah scholarships |
| Florida | Personalized Education Program | A full ESA amount that varies by grade and county | Florida scholarships |
| West Virginia | Hope Scholarship | About $5,000; traditional homeschoolers eligible from 2026–27 | West Virginia scholarships |
| Arizona | Empowerment Scholarship Account | Most students $7,000–$8,000; ESA students sign a contract instead of filing as homeschoolers | Arizona scholarships |
A few states offer tax benefits that may help homeschoolers, including Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit, Iowa's tuition and textbook credit and Minnesota's K–12 education credit and subtraction. Our homeschool funding guide has the full, current list.
What ESA funds can usually pay for
Most programs cover curriculum, textbooks, online courses, tutoring, testing and therapies, and some cover classes, technology or field trips. They don't pay parents for their time. See what ESA funds can be used for for details by program.
What about 529 plans?
The 2025 federal law expanded 529 plans to cover more K–12 expenses, including curriculum and tutoring, starting in 2026. But the law ties those expenses to a public, private or religious school, so whether your homeschool qualifies depends on how your state classifies it. Ask a tax professional before withdrawing.
Private scholarships and the new federal credit
Scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) fund families in many states, and the new federal scholarship tax credit, under proposed Treasury rules published October 2026, will let SGOs in participating states fund more students starting in 2027. Whether homeschool expenses qualify depends on each state and SGO. Save the programs you want to your wishlist and check scholarships for your state so you can apply once when funding opens.
Is homeschooling worth the cost?
Compared with private school, homeschooling is almost always cheaper in cash. Compared with "free" public school, it costs more in money and much more in parent time. Many families find the trade worth it for the flexibility and one-on-one attention. Our homeschool vs. public school guide lays out the full trade-offs.
Programs that help
- Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool: a complete, free online curriculum for PreK–12.
- The Good and the Beautiful: free K–8 language arts PDFs with affordable printed options.
- Time4Learning: one flat monthly price for any grade, with sibling discounts.
- Teaching Textbooks: self-grading math from about $49 per level.
- Build Your Library: literature-based plans for $30 to $60 per level.
Not sure where to start? Our how to start homeschooling guide puts the budget in context.
Free tools
Programs that help
Sources
- NHERI: Research facts on homeschooling (average spending per student)
- Time4Learning: pricing
- Sonlight: All-Subjects Packages
- Memoria Press: Classical Core Curriculum packages
- HSLDA: Membership FAQs (dues)
- Texas Comptroller: Texas Education Freedom Accounts
- Alabama Department of Revenue: CHOOSE Act
- EdChoice: Utah Fits All Scholarship
- West Virginia Hope Scholarship
- Step Up For Students: Personalized Education Program
- 26 U.S.C. 529 (K–12 expenses)
Questions
What is the average cost of homeschooling per year?
NHERI estimates homeschool families spend about $600 per student a year on average. In practice the range is huge: under $200 with free resources, several hundred for a typical mix, and several thousand for boxed curriculum, online private school or microschool tuition.
Is homeschooling cheaper than private school?
Almost always, if a parent teaches. Even premium boxed curriculum usually costs less than a year of private school tuition. Accredited online private schools and microschools can approach private school prices, so compare total costs including classes and activities.
Do you get paid to homeschool?
No state pays parents a salary to homeschool. Several states, including Texas, Alabama and Utah, fund homeschool expenses such as curriculum, tutoring and classes, and a few offer tax credits. Programs pay for education costs, not the parent's time.
Does homeschooling cost more with more kids?
It costs more, but not proportionally. Family-style subjects like history, science and read-alouds work for several ages at once, many publishers offer family plans, and books and manipulatives can be reused. Consumable workbooks and online subscriptions are usually per child.
Can I deduct homeschool expenses on my taxes?
There's no federal homeschool deduction or credit. A few states, such as Minnesota and Iowa, offer tax benefits that may apply, and Oklahoma has a parental choice tax credit with a homeschool portion. Ask a tax professional about your situation.
Keep exploring
Check what your state covers before you buy
Programs, amounts and deadlines, state by state.