Homeschooling Cost: Tuition, Fees & Total Price

Homeschooling has no standard price. Families spend very different amounts on the same grade level, because most of the budget is optional. A family that borrows library books and uses free lessons spends little, while one that buys a boxed curriculum, online classes, and tutoring spends much more.

The numbers below come from published guides and from a 2024 survey by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), as reported by The Good and the Beautiful and Numa School. They describe typical spending, not what any one family will pay.

The most specific figures come from the HSLDA survey of homeschooling families in 2024. It reports averages for two grade bands and for a two-student household.

Families reported spending an average of $1,295/yr for an elementary student and $1,636/yr for a middle or high school student, according to The Good and the Beautiful. For a household with two students, the survey implies about $3,104/yr in total.

How you homeschool matters more than where you live. The ranges below show how the same guide prices different approaches.

Homeschooling overall runs $300 – $2,500/yr. Online programs run $400 – $6,000/yr, and adding tutoring brings the range to $700 – $7,000/yr. Hiring a private teacher is a different category, at $35,000 – $70,000/yr.

Curriculum is usually the largest line, but not by a wide margin.

The Good and the Beautiful estimates curriculum and academic resources at $200 – $800/yr per student, and supplies and materials at $100 – $700/yr. Supplies such as a computer or calculator may last more than one year.

Online curriculum is one common route, and it comes in monthly and yearly plans.

Numa School lists Monarch full access at $439.95/yr and says typical online subscriptions run $440 – $600/yr. It also says families who assemble their own curriculum often spend $250 – $400/yr. Time4Learning, a monthly option, is listed at $39.95/mo for any grade from kindergarten through twelfth.

A monthly plan may cost more over a full year than a yearly plan, so compare both before you commit. Some programs discount additional students.

• Curriculum type. Boxed packages, online subscriptions, and self-assembled materials are priced very differently.
• Grade level. The HSLDA survey found higher spending for middle and high school students.
• Outside help. Online classes, tutors, and co-ops add to the total.
• Reuse. Materials can serve younger siblings, which lowers the cost for later children.
• Testing and records. Some states require testing or evaluation, which may carry a fee.
• State funding. Some states offer education savings accounts that can help pay for homeschool expenses.

Each state sets its own homeschool rules, including notice, subjects, record keeping, and testing. Those rules affect cost, so check them before you buy anything. Your state department of education publishes the requirements that apply where you live, and it is the right place to confirm them.

Numa School gives a typical range of $600 – $1,800/yr for each student, and The Good and the Beautiful gives $300 – $2,500/yr. The ranges differ in width, which may reflect how each guide gathered its examples. Many widely repeated homeschool cost ranges have no study behind them, according to Numa School, so the HSLDA survey figures are the best-documented numbers here.