Homeschooling in the 

United States: 2003

Statistical Analysis Report

U.S. Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

NCES 2006–042

U.S. Department of Education 

Institute of Education Sciences 

NCES 2006-042

Homeschooling in the 

United States: 2003 

Statistical Analysis Report 

February 2006 

Daniel Princiotta 

Stacey Bielick 

Education Statistics Services Institute 

Christopher Chapman 

Project Officer 

National Center for Education Statistics 
U.S. Department of Education

Margaret Spellings 

Secretary

Institute of Education Sciences 

Grover J. Whitehurst 

Director 

National Center for Education Statistics 

Mark Schneider 

Commissioner

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Suggested Citation 

Princiotta, D. and Bielick, S. (2006). Homeschooling in the United States: 2003, (NCES 2006-042) U.S. 

Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, DC: 2005. 

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iii 

Executive Summary 

This report represents the latest survey information from the National Center for 

Education Statistics on the prevalence of homeschooling in the United States. Homeschooling in 

the United States: 2003 uses the Parent and Family Involvement Survey of the 2003 National 

Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) to estimate the number and percentage of 

homeschooled students in the United States in 2003 and to describe the characteristics of these 

students and their families. It reports on the race and ethnicity, income level, and educational 

attainment of students’ parents; compares the characteristics of homeschoolers to those of public 

and private schooled students; examines how homeschooling rates have changed between 1999 

and 2003 for different segments of the student population; and describes parents’ primary reasons 

for homeschooling their children, as well as the resources and curricular tools homeschooled 

students use in their education. Children were considered to be homeschooled if their parents 

reported them being schooled at home instead of at a public or private school, if their enrollment 

in public or private schools did not exceed 25 hours a week, and if they were not being 

homeschooled solely because of a temporary illness. 

Interviews were conducted with the parents of 11,994 students ages 5 through 17 with a 

grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade. Of these students, 239 were homeschooled. 

The NHES is designed to collect data on a wide range of educational indicators and types of 

students, including, but not limited to, homeschooling. Therefore, readers should note that the 

number of questions asked of homeschoolers and the number of homeschoolers represent only a 

small portion of the NHES collection. The overall response rates for the survey were 54 percent 

in 2003 and 65 percent in 1999. When the sample is weighted, it represents the approximately 50 

million students ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade in 

the United States in 2003. 

The results of the 2003 NHES survey reveal that the weighted estimate of the number of 

students being homeschooled in the United States in the spring of 2003 was 1,096,000, a figure 

which represents a 29 percent increase from the estimated 850,000 students who were being 

homeschooled in the spring of 1999 (table 1). In addition, the estimated homeschooling rate—the 

percentage of the student population being homeschooled—rose from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.2 

percent in 2003. In this latest survey, parents were asked whether any of a set of reasons for 
iv 

homeschooling applied to them. Parents were then asked which one of the applicable reasons 

they considered to be their most important reason for homeschooling—31 percent of 

homeschooled children had parents who cited concern about the environment of other schools, 

such as safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure, as the most important reason for homeschooling 

and 30 percent had parents who said the most important reason was to provide religious or moral 

instruction (table 4). While these were the two most common responses, another 16 percent of 

homeschooled students had parents who said dissatisfaction with the academic instruction 

available at other schools was their most important reason for homeschooling. 

 Many of the 2003 survey findings concerning homeschooling rates by student and family 

characteristics paralleled those found in 1999. In 2003, as in 1999, the homeschooling rate for 

White students (2.7 percent) was higher than for Black students (1.3 percent) or Hispanic students 

(0.7 percent) (table 2). The homeschooling rate was also higher for students in families with 

three or more children in the household than for students in families with fewer children, higher 

for students in two-parent households than for students in one-parent households, and higher for 

students in two-parent households with only one parent participating in the labor force than for 

students with other parent labor force participation patterns. A multivariate analysis was 

conducted to determine whether these relationships held when controlling for all other 

demographic factors investigated in this report. In the multivariate analysis, most of the 

relationships held, but differences were not detectable between White and Black students and 

between students in two-parent households and students in one-parent households. 

Between 1999 and 2003, homeschooling rates increased for a number of groups. 

Homeschooling rates increased from 0.9 to 1.7 percent among students with parents who have a 

high school diploma or less, from 2.0 to 2.7 percent among White students, from 1.6 to 2.4 

percent among students in grades 6–8; and from 0.7 to 1.4 percent among students in singleparent households where the parent was in the labor force. 

 

Finally, the 2003 report also investigates the sources homeschoolers used to obtain 

curricula or books for home education. A majority of homeschooled students had parents who 

used one or more of the following sources of curricula or books for their children’s home 

education: a public library (78 percent); a homeschooling catalog, publisher, or individual 

specialist (77 percent); a retail bookstore or other store (69 percent); and an education publisher 

that was not affiliated with homeschooling (60 percent) (table 5). Some students also used 
v 

distance learning media. Forty-one percent of students who were being homeschooled in 2003 

had engaged in some sort of distance learning (figure 3 and table 6). 

As with results from any sample survey, the numbers and percentages discussed in this 

report are estimates of the actual numbers and percentages of homeschooled students in the 

population. NHES data, like all survey data, are subject to sampling error. Comparisons in the 

text are tested for statistical significance to ensure that the differences are larger than might be 

expected due to sampling error. All differences described are significant at the .05 level. 

Typically, NHES reports focus on statistically significant differences of at least 5 percentage 

points. However, this report presents estimates of a low-frequency event, the homeschooling 

rate. Because the homeschooling rate is less than 5 percent for almost all subpopulations, it is not 

possible to have a difference of greater than 5 percentage points, therefore, all statistically 

significant differences in the homeschooling rate between subpopulations are discussed. 
vi 

Acknowledgments 

Many people contributed to the completion of this report. At NCES, Val Plisko reviewed 

the report and provided thoughtful feedback on the content and technical aspects of the report. 

The authors also wish to thank Alexa Van Brunt and Sandy Eyster of ESSI for their contributions 

to the report. 

Several other reviewers helped shape the final report. These reviewers include: Kathryn 

Chandler, Patrick Rooney, and Shelley Burns of the National Center for Education Statistics; Jack 

Klenk of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Non-Public Education; and Kevin 

Bromer, Nina Emerson, and Aparna Sundaram of the Education Statistics Services Institute. 

Westat Incorporated collected and documented the NHES data and helped design the data 

collection. We would also like to thank the parents who completed the interviews upon which 

this report is based. 
vii 

Contents

 Page 

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. iii 

Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................. vi 

Background .............................................................................................................................. 1 

Estimated Number of Homeschooled Students in the United States ........................................ 1 

Homeschooling Rates by Student and Family Characteristics ................................................. 4 

The Characteristics of Homeschooled and Nonhomeschooled Students ................................. 8 

Parents’ Reasons for Homeschooling ....................................................................................... 13 

Sources of Curriculum or Books .............................................................................................. 16

Use of Distance Learning ......................................................................................................... 17 

A Multivariate Analysis of Homeschooling ............................................................................. 19 

Summary and Future Research.................................................................................................. 22

References ................................................................................................................................ 23 

Appendix A: Standard Error Tables ......................................................................................... 24 

Appendix B: Methodology and Technical Notes ..................................................................... 35 
viii 

List of Tables 

Table Page 

1. Number and percentage distribution of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 

with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, by school enrollment 

status: 1999 and 2003 ..................................................................................................... 3

2. Number and percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a 

grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, by various characteristics: 

1999 and 2003 ................................................................................................................ 5

3. Percentage distribution of all students, homeschooled students, and 

nonhomeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of 

kindergarten through 12th grade, by various characteristics: 1999 and 2003 ................ 9

4. Number and percentage of homeschooled students whose parents reported 

particular reasons for homeschooling as being applicable to their situation and as 

being their most important reason for homeschooling: 2003 ........................................ 13

5. Number and percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a 

grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, whose parents reported 

using various sources of curriculum or books: 2003 .................................................... 16 

6. Number and percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a 

grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, who engaged in distance 

learning using various media: 2003 .............................................................................. 18

7. Odds ratios for logistic regression analysis of homeschooling on various 

characteristics, students ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of 

kindergarten through 12th grade: 2003 ......................................................................... 20

 
ix 

List of Figures 

Figure Page 

1. Estimated number and 95 percent confidence interval for number of 

homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of 

kindergarten through 12th grade: 1999 and 2003.......................................................... 2

2. Percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent 

of kindergarten through 12th grade, whose parents reported various reasons as 

their most important reason for homeschooling: 2003 .................................................. 14

3. Percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent 

of kindergarten through 12th grade, who engaged in distance learning using 

various media: 2003................................................................................................... 17 
1 

Background 

The nationwide household sampling approach undertaken by the National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES) was initiated partly in response to the need for consistent empirical 

information on the prevalence of homeschooling in the United States and the characteristics of 

these homeschoolers. The household sampling frame utilized by the National Household 

Education Surveys Program (NHES), although subject to coverage error, avoids many of the 

problems inherent in the use of incomplete sample frames, such as customers of curricular 

providers, membership lists, and administrative records of homeschoolers. The NHES is 

designed to collect data on a wide range of educational indicators and types of students, 

including, but not limited to homeschooling. Therefore, readers should note that the number of 

questions asked of homeschoolers and the number of homeschoolers represent only a small 

portion of the NHES collection. The report based on NCES’s first comprehensive survey of 

homeschoolers nationwide, Homeschooling in the United States: 1999, showed approximately 

850,000 students nationwide were being homeschooled, representing 1.7 percent of U.S. students 

ages 5 to 17 in grades K–12. Among other findings the survey showed that the racial 

composition of homeschoolers differed from that of nonhomeschoolers—75 percent of 

homeschooled students were White, non-Hispanic, compared with 65 percent of 

nonhomeschooled students. 

Estimated Number of Homeschooled Students in the United States 

Both the number and the proportion of students in the United States who were being 

homeschooled increased between 1999 and 2003. Approximately 1.1 million students (1,096,000) 

were being homeschooled in the United States in the spring of 2003, an increase from the 

estimated 850,000 students who were being homeschooled in the spring of 1999 (Bielick, 

Chandler, and Broughman 2001) (figure 1 and table 1). In addition, the percentage of the entire 

student population who were being homeschooled increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.2 

percent in 2003 (table 2). 

Estimates in this report are based on interviews conducted with the parents of 11,994 

students ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade. Of these 
2 

students, 239 were homeschooled. All estimates are weighted to approximate population totals. 

When the sample is weighted, it represents the approximately 50 million students ages 5 through 

17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade in the United States in 2003, 1.1 

million of whom are estimated to have been homeschooled. 

Figure 1. Estimated number and 95 percent confidence interval for number of homeschooled 

students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th 

grade: 1999 and 2003 

NOTE: Excludes students enrolled in public or private school for more than 25 hours a week and 

students who were homeschooled only because of temporary illness. The numbers in bold are the 

estimated number of homeschooled students in the United States. The numbers above and below the 

bolded numbers are the upper and lower boundaries of the 95 percent confidence interval around the 

estimates.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent Survey of

the 1999 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES); Parent and Family Involvement 

in Education Survey of the 2003 NHES.

992,000

1,277,000

709,000

915,000 850,000

1,096,000

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

Year

 

As with results from any sample survey, the numbers and percentages discussed in this 

report are estimates of the actual numbers and percentages of homeschooled students in the 

population. Although 1,096,000 is the best estimate available from the 2003 NHES, another 

similar sample survey might produce a different estimate. A 95 percent confidence interval 

defines a range of values around an estimate, within which 95 percent of the estimates from all 

possible similar sample surveys are expected to fall. The 95 percent confidence interval for the 

1999 2003

Number of homeschooled students
3 

number of students who were homeschooled in spring 2003 is 915,000 to 1,277,000. The best 

estimate provided here, 1,096,000, is the midpoint of that interval. Typically, NHES reports 

focus on statistically significant differences of at least 5 percentage points. However, this report 

presents estimates of a low-frequency event, the homeschooling rate, which is the percentage of 

the student population being homeschooled. Because the homeschooling rate is less than 5 

percent for almost all subpopulations, it is not possible to have a difference of greater than 5 

percentage points, therefore, all statistically significant differences in the homeschooling rate 

between subpopulations are discussed. 

In this report, homeschoolers include students whose parents reported them as being 

schooled at home instead of at a public or private school for at least part of their education and if 

their part-time enrollment in public or private schools did not exceed 25 hours a week. Students 

who were schooled at home only because of a temporary illness were not included as 

homeschoolers.1

 As shown in table 1, in both 1999 and 2003, about four out of five 

homeschoolers (82 percent) were homeschooled only, while about one out of five homeschoolers 

(18 percent) were enrolled in public or private schools part time. 

Table 1. 

Number Percent Number Percent

850,000 100.0 1,096,000 100.0

697,000 82.0 898,000 82.0

153,000 18.0 198,000 18.0

107,000 12.6 137,000 12.5

46,000 5.4 61,000 5.6

Number and percentage distribution of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent 

of kindergarten through 12th grade, by school enrollment status: 1999 and 2003

1999 2003

Homeschooled students

School enrollment status

 Enrolled in school for 9 to 25 hours a week

NOTE: Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and students who were 

homeschooled only because of temporary illness. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent Survey of the 1999 

National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES); Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of 

the 2003 NHES.

 Total

 Enrolled in school for less than 9 hours a week

Homeschooled only

Enrolled in school part-time

 

1

 An illness is no longer considered temporary if it lasts 6 months or more. 
4 

Homeschooling Rates by Student and Family Characteristics 

One way to examine homeschooling in the United States is to look at homeschooling 

rates—percentages of student populations being homeschooled. As discussed above, the overall 

homeschooling rate in the United States in 2003 was 2.2 percent, which represents an increase 

from the 1.7 percent homeschooling rate in 1999. In 1999, the percentage of students who were 

homeschooled varied for different student subpopulations: White students were more likely to be 

homeschooled than were Black or Hispanic students; students in households with three or more 

children were more likely to be homeschooled than were students in households with fewer 

children; students in two-parent households were more likely to be homeschooled than were 

students in households with one parent or guardian, especially if only one parent in two-parent 

households was in the labor force; and students who had at least one parent with postsecondary 

education were more likely to be homeschooled compared to students whose parents’ highest 

educational attainment was a high school diploma or less (Bielick, Chandler, & Broughman 

2001). 

As shown in table 2, many findings regarding homeschooling rates in 2003 were similar 

to those found in 1999. In 2003, the homeschooling rate for White students (2.7 percent) was 

higher than for Black students (1.3 percent) or Hispanic students (0.7 percent). The 

homeschooling rate for students in households with three or more children in the household (3.1 

percent) was higher than for students in households with two children (1.5 percent) or one child 

(1.4 percent). Students in two-parent households were more likely to be homeschooled than were 

students in one-parent households (2.5 percent compared to 1.5 percent). In 2003, the 

homeschooling rate was 5.6 percent for students in two-parent households where only one parent 

was participating in the labor force. In contrast, the homeschooling rate was 1.1 percent for 

students in two-parent households where both parents were in the labor force. 
Table 2.

Number of

students1

Number 

homeschooled

Percent 

homeschooled Number of students1

Numb

hom

school

 Total 50,188,000 850,000 1.7 50,707,000 1,096,00

24,428,000 428,000 1.8 24,269,000 472,00

3,790,000 92,000 2.4 3,643,000 98,00

12,692,000 199,000 1.6 12,098,000 214,00

7,946,000 136,000 1.7 8,528,000 160,00

11,788,000 186,000 1.6 12,472,000 302,0013,954,000 235,000 1.7 13,958,000 315,0032,474,000 640,000 2.0 31,584,000 843,00

8,047,000 84,000 1.0 7,985,000 103,007,043,000 77,000 1.1 8,075,000 59,002,623,000 49,000 1.9 3,063,000 91,00

24,673,000 434,000 1.8 24,888,000 527,0025,515,000 417,000 1.6 25,819,000 569,00

8,226,000 120,000 1.5 8,033,000 110,00

19,883,000 207,000 1.0 20,530,000 306,0022,078,000 523,000 2.4 22,144,000 679,0033,007,000 683,000 2.1 35,936,000 886,0015,454,000 142,000 0.9 13,260,000 196,00

1,727,000 25,000 1.4 1,511,000 14,00

22,880,000 237,000 1.0 25,108,000 274,00

9,628,000 444,000 4.6 10,545,000 594,00

13,907,000 98,000 0.7 12,045,000 174,00

3,773,000 71,000 1.9 3,008,000 54,00

See notes at end of table.Grade equivalent2

 K– 5  Kindergarten  Grades 4–5 Grades 1–3 Grades 6–8 Grades 9–12 Race/ethnicity White, non-Hispanic

Number and percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten througrade, by various characteristics: 1999 and 2003

1999 2003

Characteristic Black, non-Hispanic Hispanic Other

Sex Female MaleNumber of children in the household One child Two children Three or more childrenNumber of parents in the household Two parents One parent Nonparental guardiansParents' participation in the labor force Two parents–both in labor force Two parents–one in labor force One parent in labor force No parent in labor force

5 
Table 2.

Number of

students1

Number 

homeschooled

Percent 

homeschooled Number of students1

Number 

homeschooled

16,776,000 262,000 1.6 12,375,000 283,000 15,220,000 278,000 1.8 13,220,000 311,000 

8,576,000 162,000 1.9 10,961,000 264,000 9,615,000 148,000 1.5 14,150,000 238,000 

18,334,000 160,000 0.9 16,106,000 269,000 15,177,000 287,000 1.9 16,068,000 338,000 

8,269,000 213,000 2.6 9,798,000 274,000 8,407,000 190,000 2.3 8,734,000 215,000 

37,415,000 575,000 1.5 40,180,000 794,000 12,773,000 275,000 2.2 10,527,000 302,000 

10,220,000 114,000 1.1 9,220,000 168,000 17,366,000 355,000 2.0 17,232,000 445,000 12,040,000 166,000 1.4 11,949,000 238,000 10,560,000 215,000 2.0 12,305,000 245,000 

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Number and percent of homeschoolers excludes students who were e

school for more than 25 hours a week and students who were homeschooled due to a temporary illness.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent Survey of the 1999 National HousehEducation Surveys Program (NHES); Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 NHES.

2 Students whose grade-equivalent was "ungraded" were excluded from the grade analysis. The percent of students with an "ung

grade equivalent was 0.02 percent in 2003 and 0.03 percent in 1999.

Household Income $25,000 or less 25,001–50,000 50,001–75,000 75,001 or moreParents' highest educational attainment High school diploma or less Voc/tech degree or some college Bachelor's degree

1 Number of students refers to all students in public and private schools and homeschooled students.

 Urban  RuralRegion Northeast

3 Urbanicity is based on a U.S. Census classification of places. Urban is a place with at least 50,000 people. Rural is a place not 

as urban.

Number and percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through grade, by various characteristics: 1999 and 2003—continued

1999 2003

Characteristic South Midwest West Graduate/professional schoolUrbanicity3

6 
7 

Only a handful of subpopulations demonstrated a change in homeschooling rate between 

1999 and 2003 that were measurably different. The homeschooling rate for students with parents 

whose highest educational attainment was a high school diploma or less increased from 0.9 

percent in 1999 to 1.7 percent in 2003. Other subpopulations that demonstrated an increase in 

homeschooling between 1999 and 2003 were White, non-Hispanic students (an increase from 2.0 

percent to 2.7 percent), students in grades 6 through 8 (an increase from 1.6 percent to 2.4 

percent), and students in single-parent households where the parent was in the labor force (an 

increase from 0.7 percent to 1.4 percent). 
8 

The Characteristics of Homeschooled and Nonhomeschooled Students 

Another way to examine how student, family, and household characteristics are related to 

homeschooling is to compare the characteristics of homeschooled students to different 

populations of students. Data from the Parent Survey of the 1999 NHES showed that 

characteristics of the homeschooled population differed from those of the non-homeschooled 

population. In 1999, compared to nonhomeschooled students, homeschooled students were more 

likely to be White, to have families with three or more children in the household, to have two 

parents (especially when only one parent was in the labor force), and to have parents whose 

highest level of educational attainment was a bachelor’s degree or higher. In 1999, compared to 

nonhomeschooled students, homeschooled students were less likely to be Black, to be Hispanic, 

to be in a three-or-more-child family, and to have parents whose highest level of educational 

attainment was a high school diploma or less (Bielick, Chandler, and Broughman 2001). 

Table 3 provides a comparison of homeschoolers to non-homeschoolers, both public 

schooled students and private schooled students, by student, family, and household 

characteristics. Most of the percentage distributions of homeschooled students among the 

characteristics listed in table 3 are not detectably different between 1999 and 2003; therefore the 

following discussion focuses on 2003 data. Homeschooled students are a unique subset of the 

entire student population, and there are a number of ways that the characteristics of 

homeschooled students differed from both public and private schooled students in 2003. 

Students’ grade or grade equivalent 

No differences were detected between the percentage distributions of homeschooled 

students and public schooled students across grade; however private schooled students were more 

likely than homeschooled students and public schooled students to be in kindergarten through 

grade 5. 

Students’ race/ethnicity and sex 

In 2003, homeschooled students were more likely to be White (77 percent) and less likely 

to be Black (9 percent) than were public schooled students (61 and 16 percent, respectively). 

Homeschooled students were less likely to be Hispanic (5 percent) than either public or private 

schooled students (17 and 10 percent, respectively).
Table 3. 

All 

students

Homeschooled1 Public schooled Private schooled All students Home- schooled1 P

Scho

 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1

48.7 50.4 47.8 56.6 47.9 43.3 

7.6 10.8 7.0 12.1 7.2 9.0 

25.3 23.5 25.1 27.5 23.9 19.7 15.8 16.0 15.7 17.0 16.8 14.7 23.5 21.9 23.7 22.4 24.6 27.8 27.8 27.7 28.6 20.9 27.5 28.9 64.7 75.3 63.1 76.8 62.3 77.0 16.0 9.9 16.8 10.0 15.7 9.4 14.0 9.1 14.9 7.3 15.9 5.3 

5.2 5.8 5.2 5.8 6.0 8.3 

49.2 51.0 48.9 50.7 49.1 48.1 50.8 49.0 51.1 49.3 50.9 51.9 16.4 14.1 16.3 17.8 15.8 10.1 39.6 24.4 39.9 39.6 40.5 28.0 44.0 61.6 43.8 42.6 43.7 62.0 65.8 80.4 64.4 75.6 70.9 80.8 30.8 16.7 32.0 22.7 26.2 17.9 

3.4 2.9 3.6 1.7 3.0 1.3 

45.6 27.9 45.5 49.5 49.5 25.0 19.2 52.2 17.9 25.2 20.8 54.2 27.7 11.6 28.8 20.4 23.8 15.9 

7.5 8.3 7.8 4.9 5.9 4.9 

See notes at end of table.

Percentage distribution of all students, homeschooled students, and nonhomeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 wequivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, by various characteristics: 1999 and 2003

1999 2003

CharacteristicGrade equivalent2

 K– 5  Kindergarten  Grades 1–3 Grades 4–5 Grades 6–8 Grades 9–12 Race/ethnicity White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Hispanic OtherSex Female MaleNumber of children in the household One child Two children Three or more childrenNumber of parents in the household Two parents One parent Nonparental guardiansParents' participation in the labor force Two parents–both in labor force Two parents–one in labor force One parent in labor force No parent in labor force

9 
Table 3. 

All 

students

Homeschooled1 Public schooled Private schooled All students Home- schooled1 P

Scho

33.4 30.9 35.6 14.8 24.4 25.8 30.3 32.7 30.6 27.5 26.1 28.4 17.1 19.1 16.8 19.4 21.6 24.1 19.2 17.4 17.0 38.3 27.9 21.7 36.5 18.9 39.0 17.8 31.8 24.5 30.2 33.7 31.0 23.2 31.7 30.8 16.5 25.1 15.2 26.6 19.3 25.0 16.8 22.3 14.9 32.4 17.2 19.6 74.5 67.6 73.2 87.2 79.2 72.4 25.5 32.4 26.8 12.8 20.8 27.6 20.4 13.4 19.9 25.8 18.2 15.3 34.6 41.8 34.7 32.2 34.0 40.6 24.0 19.5 23.8 26.2 23.6 21.8 21.0 25.3 21.5 15.8 24.3 22.3 

3 Urbanicity is based on a U.S. Census classification of places. Urban is a place with at least 50,000 people. Rural is a place no

urban.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent Survey of the 1999 National House

Surveys Program (NHES); Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 NHES.Household Income $25,000 or less 25,001–50,000 50,001–75,000 75,001 or moreParents' highest educational attainment High school diploma or less RuralRegion Northeast Voc/tech degree or some college Bachelor's degree Graduate/professional schoolUrbanicity3

2 Students whose grade-equivalent was "ungraded" were excluded from the grade analysis. The percent of students with an "un

equivalent was 0.02 percent in 2003 and 0.03 percent in 1999.

Percentage distribution of all students, homeschooled students, and nonhomeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 wequivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, by various characteristics: 1999 and 2003—continued

Characteristic

1999 2003

 South Midwest West

1 Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and students who were homeschooled due to a 

illness.

 Urban 

10 
11 

Female and male students were equally represented among the homeschool, public 

schooled, and private schooled populations. 

Number of children living in the household 

In 2003, homeschooled students were more likely than public or private schooled 

students to be living in families with three or more children (62 percent compared to 44 and 41 

percent, respectively). Compared to public or private schooled students, homeschooled students 

were less likely to be an only child in the household or to be in a household with two children. 

Number of parents living in the household 

Homeschooled students and private schooled students were more likely than public 

schooled students to live in two-parent households (81 percent and 80 percent, compared with 69 

percent, respectively) and less likely to live in single-parent households (18 percent for both 

homeschooled and private schooled students, compared with 27 percent for public schooled 

students). 

Parents’ labor force participation 

Homeschooled students were more likely than public and private schooled students to 

have only one of two parents in the labor force. Fifty-four percent of homeschooled students 

lived in two-parent families where one parent was not in the labor force, compared to 23 percent 

of private schooled students and 20 percent of public schooled students. Conversely, about 25 

percent of homeschooled students lived in two-parent families where both parents were in the 

labor force, compared to 56 percent of private schooled students and 49 percent of public 

schooled students. Homeschooled and private schooled students were less likely than public 

schooled students to live in one-parent homes where the parent was in the labor force (16 and 17 

percent compared to 25 percent). 

Household income 

Both homeschooled students and public schooled students were less likely than private 

schooled students to be part of households with annual incomes above $75,000 and more likely to 
12 

be part of households with annual incomes of $25,000 or less. Twenty-two percent of 

homeschooled students and 25 percent of public schooled students lived in households with 

annual incomes above $75,000, compared with 50 percent of private schooled students. Twentysix percent of both homeschooled and public schooled students lived in households with annual 

incomes of $25,000 or less, compared with 9 percent of private schooled students. 

Parents’ highest educational attainment

Twenty-five percent of homeschooled students had parents whose highest educational 

attainment was a high school diploma or less; this figure is lower than that for public schooled 

students (34 percent) but higher than that for private schooled students (13 percent). 

Homeschooled students were also less likely than private schooled students to have parents 

whose highest educational attainment was graduate or professional coursework beyond a 

bachelor’s degree (20 percent compared to 31 percent). 

Urbanicity 

Urbanicity refers to the classification of households as urban or rural. Urban is a place 

with at least 50,000 people. Rural is a place not classified as urban.2

 In 2003, about 72 percent of 

homeschooled students lived in urban places and 28 percent lived in rural places. Compared to 

private schooled students, homeschooled students were less likely to live in urban places, and 

more likely to live in rural places. There were no differences detected in the urbanicity of 

homeschooled and public schooled students. 

U.S. region 

In 2003, homeschooled students were distributed across the Northeast, South, Midwest, 

and West much like public schooled students were. The apparent gap between the percentage of 

homeschooled students who were in the South and the percentage of public schooled students 

who were in the South was not detectably different. 

 

2

 More information on the urbanicity variable is included in the methodology and technical notes section. 
13 

Parents’ Reasons for Homeschooling 

 In the earlier Parent survey conducted as part of the 1999 NHES, parents were posed an 

open-ended question asking them to list their reasons for homeschooling. Parents provided a 

broad range of reasons for homeschooling their children, which were coded into 16 different 

categories. In 1999, three reasons for homeschooling were the most frequently cited: 49 percent 

of homeschooled students had parents who cited the ability to give their child a better education, 

38 percent had parents who cited religious reasons, and 26 percent had parents who cited a poor 

learning environment at school (Bielick, Chandler, & Broughman 2001). 

While the 1999 survey was able to provide a context for why parents were 

homeschooling their children, it had two main limitations. First, when faced with an open-ended 

question, parents may not have recalled or responded with all of the reasons for homeschooling 

that were applicable to their situation. Second, parents were not specifically asked to report their 

primary reason for homeschooling. Questionnaire items in the 2003 collection were designed to 

address these limitations. The 2003 survey presented parents with a series of questions asking 

them whether particular reasons for homeschooling applied to them (table 4). Parents were then 

asked which of those applicable reasons was their most important reason for homeschooling. 

Table 4. 

Number Percent Number Percent

935,000 85.4 341,000 31.2

748,000 68.2 180,000 16.5

793,000 72.3 327,000 29.8

174,000 15.9 71,000 6.5

316,000 28.9 79,000 7.2

221,000 20.1 97,000 8.8

To provide religious or moral instruction

Child has a physical or mental health problem

Child has other special needs

Number and percentage of homeschooled students whose parents reported particular reasons for 

homeschooling as being applicable to their situation and as being their most important reason for 

homeschooling: 2003

Reasons for homeschooling

Concern about environment of other schools2

Dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools

Applicable1 Most important

NOTE: Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and students who were 

homeschooled only because of a temporary illness.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family 

Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES).

1

Percentages do not sum to 100 percent because respondents could choose more than one reason.

Other reasons3

2

These include safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure.

3

Parents homeschool their children for many reasons that are often unique to their family situation. “Other 

reasons” parents gave for home schooling include: It was the child’s choice; to allow parents more control over 

what child was learning; and flexibility.

 
14 

The reason for homeschooling that was most frequently cited as being applicable was 

concern about the environment of other schools including safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure. 

Eighty-five percent of homeschooled students were being homeschooled, in part, because of their 

parents’ concern about the environment of other schools. The next two reasons for 

homeschooling most frequently cited as applicable were to provide religious or moral instruction 

(72 percent) and dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools (68 percent). 

 

Figure 2. Percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of 

kindergarten through 12th grade, whose parents reported various reasons as their 

most important reason for homeschooling: 2003 

1

These include safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure.

2

Parents homeschool their children for many reasons that are often unique to their family situation. 

“Other reasons” parents gave for homeschooling in the PFI-NHES:2003 include: It was the child’s 

choice; to allow parents more control over what child was learning; and flexibility.

NOTE: Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and students 

who were homeschooled only because of a temporary illness.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family 

Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program 

(NHES). 

7

7

9

16

30

31

0 20 40 60 80 100

Child has other special needs

Child has a physical or mental health problem

Other reasons

Dissatisfaction with academic instruction at

other schools

To provide religious or moral instruction

Concern about environment of other schools

Percent

 

Parents were asked which of the reasons they homeschooled was the most important 

reason. Figure 2 and table 4 show the most important reasons students were being homeschooled 

in 2003, as reported by parents of homeschooled students. Concern about the environment of 

other schools and to provide religious or moral instruction were the top two most important 

1

2

Reasons for homeschooling 
15 

reasons cited. About a third of students had parents who cited concern about the environment of 

other schools as their most important reason for homeschooling (31 percent). Approximately 

another third of homeschooled students had parents who were homeschooling primarily to 

provide religious or moral instruction (30 percent). Sixteen percent of homeschooled students had 

parents whose primary reason for homeschooling was dissatisfaction with the academic 

instruction available at other schools, making this the third most common primary reason for 

homeschooling. 
16 

Sources of Curriculum or Books 

Parents of homeschooled students obtain curriculum or books from a wide variety of 

sources. Table 5 shows that a majority of homeschooled students had parents who used one or 

more of the following sources of curriculum or books for their children’s home education: a 

public library (78 percent); a homeschooling catalog, publisher, or individual specialist (77 

percent); a retail bookstore or other store (69 percent); and an education publisher that was not 

affiliated with homeschooling (60 percent). Approximately half of homeschooled students used 

curriculum or books from homeschooling organizations. Thirty-seven percent of homeschooled 

students used curriculum or books from a church, synagogue or other religious institution and 23 

percent used a curriculum or books from their local public school or district. 

Table 5.

Number Percent

854,000 77.9

843,000 76.9

753,000 68.7

653,000 59.6

539,000 49.2

400,000 36.5

284,000 26.0

248,000 22.6

184,000 16.8

Retail bookstore or other store

Number and percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade 

equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, whose parents reported using various 

sources of curriculum or books: 2003

Sources of curriculum or books

Public library

Homeschooling catalog, publisher, or individual specialist

Education publisher not affiliated with homeschooling

Homeschooling organization

Church, synagogue, or other religious organization

Other sources

Local public school or district

Private school

NOTE: Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and 

students who were homeschooled due to a temporary illness. Percentages do not sum to 100 

percent because respondents could choose more than one source of curriculum or books.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and 

Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys 

Program (NHES). 
17 

Use of Distance Learning 

 As discussed in the previous section, parents of homeschooled students use a variety of 

sources for curricula and books. Another resource for parents is distance learning media. 

Distance learning is defined in the NHES as a course where some or all of the instruction for the 

course is provided using some kind of technology, while the person taking the course is at a 

different place from the instructor. Figure 3 and table 6 show various distance learning media 

asked about in the survey and the number and percentage of homeschooled students whose home 

education involved using each type of media. 

Figure 3. Percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a 

grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, who engaged 

in distance learning using various media: 2003 

NOTE: Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more 

than 25 hours a week and students who were homeschooled due to 

a temporary illness.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for 

Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education 

Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys 

Program (NHES). 

1 Includes mail, internet, email, or web and TV, video or radio 

categories. Detail does not sum to total because students could 

use more than one form of distance learning.

59

41

15 19 20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Did not

use

distance

learning

Used

distance

learning

Mail Internet,

e-mail, or

web

TV,

video, or

radio

Percent

1

Distance learning media 
18 

Table 6. 

Number Percent

451,000 41.2

167,000 15.2

212,000 19.4

220,000 20.1

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education 

Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 

National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). 

Number and percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 

17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, 

who engaged in distance learning using various media: 2003

Distance Learning Media

 Total

Mail

Internet, e-mail, or web

TV, video, or radio

NOTE: Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 

hours a week and students who were homeschooled due to a temporary 

illness. Detail does not sum to total because students could use more than 

one form of distance learning.

Forty-one percent of students who were homeschooled in 2003 engaged in some sort of 

distance learning measured in the survey. Approximately 20 percent of homeschooled students 

took a course or received instruction provided by television, video or radio. About 19 percent of 

homeschooled students had taken a course or received instruction provided over the Internet, email, or the World Wide Web. An estimated 15 percent of homeschooled students took a 

correspondence course by mail designed specifically for homeschoolers. The apparent 

differences between the percentage of students engaging in a correspondence course by mail and 

the percentages of students engaged in distance learning via the other two media categories were 

not detectably different. This may be due to large standard errors resulting from a relatively 

small sample size. 
19 

A Multivariate Analysis of Homeschooling 

The previous discussion of homeschooling rates in 2003 (see table 2) demonstrated a 

number of bivariate relationships between homeschooling and student, family, or household 

characteristics. For example, White students were more likely to be homeschooled than Black or 

Hispanic students, and students in households with three or more children were more likely to be 

homeschooled than were students with fewer siblings. Bivariate relationships are important 

because they describe homeschooling rates among different segments of the population. 

It is also worthwhile, however, to use multivariate analysis to test relationships among 

several variables simultaneously. Multivariate analysis can provide answers to questions about 

homeschooling, like, “How is a child’s race/ethnicity associated with homeschooling, holding 

other factors, such as income, constant?” Table 7 presents results from a multivariate logistic 

regression analysis in the form of odds ratios (beta coefficients and standard errors are available 

in table A7). Reference categories, which are listed first for each variable in table 7, have an odds 

ratio of one. For each variable, if a category has an odds ratio greater than one, then students in 

that category are more likely to be homeschooled than students in the reference category. For 

example, a category with an odds ratio of 2 means that the odds of a student in that category 

being homeschooled are twice that of the student in the reference category. If a category has an 

odds ratio that is less than one, then students in that category have lower odds of being 

homeschooled than students in the reference category. Asterisks (*) are used to denote findings 

that are statistically significant at the level of 0.05. 

 A number of the bivariate findings discussed previously persisted when using 

multivariate analysis. After controlling for the student, family, and household characteristics 

listed in table 7, the following relationships were evident: White students were about 4 times 

more likely to be homeschooled than were Hispanic students; students in households with three or 

more children were about 2 times more likely to be homeschooled than were students with no 

siblings; and students in two-parent households where one parent was in the labor force were 

about 5 times more likely to be homeschooled than were students in two-parent households where 

both parents were in the labor force. 

 
20 

Table 7.

0.006 *

1.000

1.374 *

1.395

1.000

0.538

0.230 *

1.165

1.000

1.059

1.000

1.043

1.952 *

1.000

0.425

0.326

1.000

5.324 *

3.563

3.663

1.000

0.838

0.731

0.400 *

See notes at end of table.

Grade equivalent2

(Grades K– 5 )

Grades 6–8

Grades 9–12 

 50,001–75,000

 75,001 or more

No parent in labor force

Household Income

($25,000 or less)

 25,001–50,000

Parents' participation in the labor force

(Two parents–both in labor force)

Two parents–one in labor force

One parent in labor force

Number of parents in the household

(Two parents)

One parent

Nonparental guardians

Number of children in the household

(One child)

Two children

Three or more children

Other

Sex

(Female)

Male

Race/ethnicity

(White, non-Hispanic)

Black, non-Hispanic

Hispanic

Odds ratios for logistic regression analysis of homeschooling on various characteristics, students 

ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade: 2003

Characteristics and intercept

Intercept

Odds ratio1
21 

Table 7.

Characteristics and intercept Odds ratio1

1.000

1.345

1.895

1.741

1.000

1.186

1.000

1.439

1.007

1.095

South

NOTE: This analysis excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and 

students who were homeschooled only because of temporary illness. For each variable, if a category has an 

odds ratio greater than one, then students in that category are more likely to be homeschooled than students in 

the reference category. If a category has an odds ratio that is less than one, then students in that category have 

lower odds of being homeschooled than students in the reference category. The odds ratio for the intercept 

shows the odds of being homeschooled relative to the odds of not being homeschooled.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family 

Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). 

* p<0.05

1

 By design, the reference category, shown in (parentheses), odds ratio is 1.

2

 Students whose grade-equivalent was "ungraded" were excluded from the analysis. The percent of students 

with an "ungraded" grade equivalent was 0.02 percent in 2003 and 0.03 percent in 1999.

3 Urbanicity is based on a U.S. Census classification of places. Urban is a place with at least 50,000 people. 

Rural is a place not classifed as urban.

(Urban) 

Midwest

West

Rural

Region

(Northeast)

Voc/tech degree or some college

Bachelor's degree

Graduate/professional school

Urbanicity

3

Parents' highest educational attainment

(High school diploma or less)

Odds ratios for logistic regression analysis of homeschooling on various characteristics, students 

ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade: 2003—continued

Three bivariate associations discussed earlier were not detected after controlling for the 

other factors listed in table 7. Differences between White and Black students, students in two 

parent households and students in one-parent households, and parent educational attainment 

found in the bivariate tests, were not detected in the multivariate analysis. 
22 

Summary and Future Research 

The report based on NCES’s first comprehensive survey of homeschoolers nationwide, 

Homeschooling in the United States: 1999, showed approximately 850,000 students nationwide 

were being homeschooled, representing 1.7 percent of U.S. students ages 5 to 17 in grades K–12. 

Among other findings the survey showed that the racial and ethnic composition of homeschoolers 

differed from that of nonhomeschoolers—75 percent of homeschooled students were White, nonHispanic, compared with 65 percent of nonhomeschooled students. 

This report provides the latest information from the National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES) on the state of homeschooling in the United States. The report shows an 

increase in the number and percentage of homeschooled students between 1999 and 2003, from 

850,000 or 1.7 percent of the school-age population in 1999 to 1.1 million or 2.2 percent in 2003. 

Although there was an increase in the number and percentage of homeschoolers, the individual, 

family and household characteristics of homeschoolers, including race and ethnicity, remained 

fairly consistent between 1999 and 2003. Parents’ most important reasons for homeschooling 

were concern about the environment of other schools and to provide religious or moral 

instruction. New data on homeschoolers’ use of distance learning showed that 41 percent of 

homeschoolers had engaged in some form of distance learning asked about in the 2003 survey. 

NCES plans to collect and report data about homeschooled students with future Parent 

and Family Involvement in Education Surveys (PFI), scheduled to occur on a four-year cycle. 

The next PFI is scheduled for 2007 as part of the National Household Education Surveys Program 

(NHES). The PFI surveys continue to provide a comprehensive set of information that may be 

used to estimate the number and characteristics of homeschoolers in the United States. 
23 

References 

Bielick, S., Chandler, K., and Broughman, S.P. (2001). Homeschooling in the United States: 1999

(NCES 2001–033). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 

Chinn, S. (2000). A Simple Method for Converting an Odds Ratio to Effect Size for Use in Metaanalysis. Statistics in Medicine, 19: 3127-3131. 

Kalton, G. and Kasprzyk, D. (1986). The Treatment of Missing Data. Survey Methodology, 

12: 1–16. 

Schenker, N., and Gentleman, J.F. (2001). On Judging the Significance of Differences by 

Examining the Overlap Between Confidence Intervals. The American Statistician, 55(3): 

182–186. 

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (forthcoming). Unit 

Nonresponse in the National Household Education Surveys Program, 2003. Washington, DC. 
24 

Appendix A: 

Standard Error Tables 
Table A1. 

Number Percent Number Perc

71,000 † 92,000 64,000 2.94 87,000 327,000 2.94 41,000 325,000 2.81 37,000 313,000 1.50 20,000 1

† Not applicable. Enrolled in school for less than 9 hours a week Enrolled in school for 9 to 25 hours a weekNOTE: Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and students who were homeschooled only because of temporary illness. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent Survey of the 1999 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES); Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey the 2003 NHES. TotalHomeschooled onlyEnrolled in school part-time

Standard errors for table 1, number and percentage distribution of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, by school enrollment status: 1999 and 2003

1999 2003

Homeschooled students

School enrollment status

25 
Table A2.

Number of

students

Number 

homeschooled

Percent 

homeschooled Number of students

Numb

hom

schoole

 Total 73,000 71,000 0.142 89,000 92,00

20,000 48,000 0.197 25,000 55,0020,000 20,000 0.518 25,000 24,00

6,000 37,000 0.290 # 33,001,000 22,000 0.283 # 30,003,000 28,000 0.237 6,000 45,00

70,000 33,000 0.238 82,000 47,00

168,000 62,000 0.191 187,000 77,00102,000 25,000 0.309 46,000 34,00

86,000 18,000 0.250 35,000 21,00

114,000 17,000 0.652 161,000 31,00239,000 46,000 0.186 278,000 58,00234,000 44,000 0.172 287,000 62,00154,000 20,000 0.244 218,000 22,00211,000 27,000 0.135 319,000 45,00241,000 65,000 0.295 363,000 80,00204,000 68,000 0.207 315,000 83,00209,000 25,000 0.163 319,000 43,00

86,000 14,000 0.823 100,000 11,00

241,000 40,000 0.174 373,000 44,00194,000 54,000 0.552 297,000 74,00220,000 22,000 0.157 268,000 40,00162,000 19,000 0.480 171,000 24,00

See notes at end of table.

Standard errors for table 2, number and percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade kindergarten through 12th grade, by various characteristics: 1999 and 2003

1999 2003

Race/ethnicity White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Hispanic Other

SexGrade equivalent1 K– 5  Kindergarten  Grades 1–3 Grades 4–5 Grades 6–8 Grades 9–12  Female MaleNumber of children in the household Nonparental guardiansParents' participation in the labor force One child Two children Three or more childrenNumber of parents in the householdCharacteristic Two parents–both in labor force Two parents–one in labor force One parent in labor force No parent in labor force Two parents One parent

26 
Table A2.

Number of

students

Number 

homeschooled

Percent 

homeschooled Number of students

Number 

homeschooled

117,000 45,000 0.267 54,000 56,000 233,000 37,000 0.236 270,000 50,000 189,000 26,000 0.298 282,000 51,000 211,000 27,000 0.276 262,000 46,000 217,000 27,000 0.146 272,000 52,000 215,000 37,000 0.245 323,000 58,000 182,000 36,000 0.420 277,000 47,000 207,000 40,000 0.460 238,000 44,000 185,000 51,000 0.154 187,000 77,000 113,000 40,000 0.310 56,000 58,000 

104,000 30,000 0.296 43,000 53,000 122,000 48,000 0.276 55,000 67,000 114,000 29,000 0.240 61,000 44,000 

97,000 36,000 0.338 40,000 42,000 

# Rounds to zero

Standard errors for table 2, number and percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade eqkindergarten through 12th grade, by various characteristics: 1999 and 2003—continued

1999 2003

CharacteristicHousehold Income $25,000 or less 25,001–50,000 50,001–75,000 75,001 or moreParents' highest educational attainment High school diploma or less Voc/tech degree or some college Bachelor's degree Graduate/professional schoolUrbanicity2

 Urban  RuralRegion Northeast

2 Urbanicity is based on a U.S. Census classification of places. Urban is a place with at least 50,000 people. Rural is a place n

as urban.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Number and percent of homeschoolers excludes students who wer

school for more than 25 hours a week and students who were homeschooled due to a temporary illness.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent Survey of the 1999 National HouEducation Surveys Program (NHES); Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 NHES. South Midwest West

1 Students whose grade-equivalent was "ungraded" were excluded from the grade analysis.

27 
Table A3. 

All 

students

Homeschooled1 Public schooled Private schooled All students Home- schooled1 Pub

Schoo

 Total †††† ††

0.07 3.75 0.16 1.26 0.08 3.06 00.04 2.31 0.12 0.94 0.04 2.06 00.04 3.61 0.15 1.16 0.04 2.50 00.02 2.34 0.13 1.08 0.03 2.30 00.04 2.83 0.13 0.97 0.04 3.43 00.10 3.21 0.16 1.06 0.12 3.83 00.32 3.36 0.36 1.06 0.34 3.88 00.20 2.80 0.24 0.76 0.08 2.87 00.17 2.06 0.19 0.57 0.07 1.92 00.23 2.01 0.25 0.68 0.32 2.80 00.47 3.27 0.51 1.32 0.55 3.52 00.47 3.27 0.51 1.32 0.55 3.52 00.30 2.53 0.33 0.91 0.43 1.97 00.42 3.06 0.45 1.41 0.63 3.74 00.48 3.97 0.53 1.56 0.72 4.35 00.41 3.26 0.45 1.36 0.59 3.55 00.41 2.91 0.45 1.33 0.63 3.61 00.17 1.70 0.19 0.27 0.20 1.01 00.48 3.92 0.54 1.56 0.72 3.72 00.39 4.27 0.40 1.40 0.59 4.73 00.44 2.53 0.47 1.23 0.53 3.30 00.32 2.21 0.34 0.74 0.34 2.16 0

See notes at end of table.

Standard errors for table 3, percentage distribution of all students, homeschooled students, and nonhomeschooled stuthrough 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, by various characteristics: 1999 and 2003

1999 2003

CharacteristicGrade equivalent2

 K– 5  Kindergarten  Grades 1–3 Grades 4–5 Grades 6–8 Grades 9–12 Race/ethnicity White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Hispanic OtherSex Female MaleNumber of children in the household One child Two children Three or more childrenNumber of parents in the household Two parents One parent Nonparental guardiansParents' participation in the labor force Two parents–both in labor force Two parents–one in labor force One parent in labor force No parent in labor force

28 
Table A3. 

All 

students

Homeschooled1 Public schooled Private schooled All students Home- schooled1 Pu

Schoo

0.22 4.31 0.25 1.20 0.09 4.32 00.47 4.00 0.47 1.39 0.53 4.06 00.38 2.62 0.39 1.21 0.55 4.46 00.42 2.65 0.42 1.40 0.52 3.79 00.43 2.88 0.46 1.15 0.54 4.24 00.43 3.85 0.48 1.19 0.62 4.60 00.36 3.49 0.33 1.28 0.55 3.92 00.41 4.17 0.40 1.20 0.47 3.67 00.22 3.81 0.28 1.03 0.10 4.91 00.22 3.81 0.28 1.03 0.10 4.91 00.21 3.35 0.26 1.10 0.08 4.51 00.23 4.36 0.27 1.18 0.10 4.96 00.23 3.13 0.28 1.27 0.10 3.81 00.20 3.77 0.25 0.95 0.08 3.77 0

† Not applicable.

1 Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and students who were homeschooled due to a t

illness.

2 Students whose grade-equivalent was "ungraded" were excluded from the grade analysis.3 Urbanicity is based on a U.S. Census classification of places. Urban is a place with at least 50,000 people. Rural is a place not 

urban.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent Survey of the 1999 National HousehSurveys Program (NHES); Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 NHES.

Standard errors for table 3, percentage distribution of all students, homeschooled students, and nonhomeschooled st

through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, by various characteristics: 1999 and 2003—

Characteristic

1999 2003

Household Income $25,000 or less 25,001–50,000 50,001–75,000 75,001 or moreParents' highest educational attainment High school diploma or less Voc/tech degree or some college Bachelor's degree Graduate/professional schoolUrbanicity3

 Urban  Midwest West RuralRegion Northeast South

29 
Table A4. 

Number Percent Number 

86,000 2.410 55,000 74,000 4.537 36,000 87,000 4.005 54,000 40,000 3.317 19,000 57,000 4.324 25,000 48,000 4.008 22,000 

Standard errors for table 4, number and percentage of homeschooled students whose parents reported partireasons for homeschooling as being applicable to their situation and as being their most important reason fhomeschooling: 2003

1These include safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure.2Parents homeschool their children for many reasons that are often unique to their family situation. “Other reasons” par

for home schooling include: It was the child’s choice; to allow parents more control over what child was learning; and flexibility.

Reasons for homeschoolingConcern about environment of other schools1

Dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schoolsTo provide religious or moral instructionChild has a physical or mental health problemChild has other special needs

Applicable Most imp

NOTE: Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and students who were homeschonly because of a temporary illness.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES).Other reasons2

30 
Table A5.

Number Percent

82,000 3.32180,000 3.89581,000 4.05472,000 4.49268,000 4.76562,000 4.70841,000 3.00939,000 3.35139,000 3.397

Local public school or districtPrivate schoolNOTE: Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and students who were homeschooled due to a temporary illness.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). Another education publisherHomeschooling organizationChurch, synagogue, or other religious organizationOther sourcesRetail bookstore or other store

Standard errors for table 5, number and percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, whose parents reported using various sources of curriculum or books: 2003

Sources of curriculum or booksPublic libraryHomeschooling catalog, publisher, or individual specialist

31 
Table A6.

Standard 

error

5.002.913.763.29

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). 

Standard errors for table 6, percentage of homeschooled students, ages 5 through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12th grade, who engaged in distance learning using various media: 2003

Distance Learning Media TotalMailInternet, e-mail, or webTV, video, or radioNOTE: Excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and students who were homeschooled due to a temporary illness.

32 
Table A7.

Beta

Standard 

error

-5.08 * 0.491 

† †

0.32 * 0.161 0.33 0.193 

† †

-0.62 0.367 -1.47 * 0.439 

0.15 0.422 

† †

0.06 0.158 

† †

0.04 0.257 0.67 * 0.263 

† †

-0.86 1.187 -1.12 1.448 

† †

1.67 * 0.233 1.27 1.144 1.30 0.998 

See notes at end of table.

Beta coefficients and standard errors for table 7, logistic regression analysis of homeschooling on vario

characteristics: 2003

One parent in labor forceNo parent in labor force

Characteristics and intercept

Nonparental guardians

Parents' participation in the labor force

(Two parents–both in labor force)Two parents–one in labor forceThree or more children

Number of parents in the household

(Two parents)One parentMale

Number of children in the household

(One child)Two childrenHispanicOther

Sex

(Female)Grades 9–12 

Race/ethnicity

(White, non-Hispanic)Black, non-Hispanic

InterceptGrade equivalent1

(Grades K– 5) Grades 6–8

33 
Table A7.

Beta

Standard 

error

† †

-0.18 0.284 -0.31 0.334 -0.92 * 0.333 

† †

0.30 0.319 0.64 0.336 0.55 0.334 

† †

0.17 0.300 

† †

0.36 0.416 

-0.07 0.418 

0.09 0.420 

† Not applicable.* p<0.05 

West

Characteristics and interceptRegion

(Northeast)SouthMidwestBachelor's degree($25,000 or less)(Urban) Rural

Parents' highest educational attainment

(High school diploma or less)Voc/tech degree or some college

Beta coefficients and standard errors for table 7, logistic regression analysis of homeschooling on variocharacteristics: 2003—continued

Graduate/professional school

Urbanicity2

 25,001–50,000 50,001–75,000 75,001 or more

Household Income

1 Students whose grade-equivalent was "ungraded" were excluded from the analysis.2 Urbanicity is based on a U.S. Census classification of places. Urban is a place with at least 50,000 people. Rural is 

place not classifed as urban.

NOTE: This analysis excludes students who were enrolled in school for more than 25 hours a week and students whwere homeschooled only because of temporary illness. Effect size is calculated by dividing the log odds beta coefficby 1.81.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). 

34 
35 

Appendix B: Methodology and Technical Notes 

The National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) is a telephone survey data 

collection program conducted by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES). Data collections have taken place from January through early May 

in 1991 and January through April in 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, and 2003. When 

appropriately weighted, each sample is nationally representative of all persons in the target 

population in the 50 states and District of Columbia. The samples were selected using randomdigit-dialing (RDD) methods, and the data were collected using computer-assisted telephone 

interviewing (CATI) technology. 

Data from the 1999 and 2003 administrations of the NHES were used in this report. A 

screening interview administered to a member of the household age 18 or older was used to 

determine whether any children of the appropriate age lived in the household, to collect 

information on each child, and to identify the appropriate parent or guardian to respond for the 

sampled child. If one or two eligible children resided in the household, a parent interview was 

conducted about each child. If more than two eligible children resided in the household, 

generally two were sampled for extended interviews. Each interview was conducted with the 

parent or guardian most knowledgeable about the care and education of each sampled child, that 

parent or guardian being the child’s mother or female guardian in about 80 percent of the cases in 

both years. This report is based on a subset of the total sample, specifically children ages 5 to 17 

with a grade equivalent of kindergarten to grade 12. The unweighted number of homeschooled 

students used in this analysis is 275 for 1999 and 239 for 2003. The unweighted number of 

nonhomeschooled students was 16,833 in 1999 and 11,755 in 2003. 

Response Rates 

Screening interviews were administered to all households and were completed with 

57,278 households in 1999 and 32,049 households in 2003, yielding screener response rates of 74 

percent and 65 percent, respectively. During the screener, children were identified and sampled 

for the parent interview. Parent interviews were completed for 88 percent of the sampled children 

in 1999 and 83 percent of sampled children in 2003. The response rate for the entire sample is 

calculated by taking the product of the proportion of completed screeners and the proportion of 

completed parent interviews for sampled children—65 percent in 1999 (.74*.88=.65) and 54 

percent in 2003 (.65*.83=.54). 
36 

The estimated response rate for homeschooled students in 1999 was 63 percent compared 

to 65 percent for nonhomeschooled students. In 2003, the estimated response rate for 

homeschooled students was 51 percent, compared to 54 percent for nonhomeschooled students. 

A response bias analysis comparing weights adjusted for nonresponse to those not adjusted for 

nonresponse showed no evidence of bias among key NHES estimates and subgroups (U.S. 

Department of Education, forthcoming). 

Item nonresponse (the failure to complete some items in an otherwise completed 

interview) was very low. The item nonresponse rates for most variables in this report were less 

than 2 percent, except for household income, which was about 10 percent in both survey years. 

All items with missing responses (i.e., don’t know, refused, or not ascertained) were imputed 

using an imputation method called a hot-deck procedure (Kalton and Kasprzyk 1986). As a 

result, no missing values remain in the data. 

Data Reliability

NHES estimates are subject to two types of errors, sampling and nonsampling errors. 

Nonsampling errors are errors made in the collection and processing of data. Sampling errors 

occur because the data are collected from a sample rather than a census of the population. 

Nonsampling Errors 

Nonsampling error is the term used to describe variations in the estimates that may be 

caused by population coverage limitations and data collection, processing, and reporting 

procedures. The sources of nonsampling errors are typically problems like unit and item 

nonresponse, the differences in respondents’ interpretations of the meaning of the questions, 

response differences related to the particular time the survey was conducted, the tendency for 

respondents to give socially desirable responses, and mistakes in data preparation. 

In general, it is difficult to identify and estimate either the amount of nonsampling error 

or the bias caused by this error. For each NHES survey, efforts were made to prevent such errors 

from occurring and to compensate for them where possible. For instance, during the survey 

design phase, cognitive interviews were conducted to assess respondents’ knowledge of the 

topics, comprehension of questions and terms, and the sensitivity of items. The design phase also 

entailed extensive staff testing of the CATI instrument and a pretest in which several hundred 

interviews were conducted. 

An important nonsampling error for a telephone survey is failure to include persons who 
37 

do not live in households with home telephones. The NHES only samples households with home 

telephones (i.e. fixed, or land-line, telephones for home use). As of 2000, approximately 5 percent 

of households in the United States did not have a home telephone.3

 Weighting adjustments using 

characteristics related to telephone coverage were used to reduce the bias in the estimates 

associated with children who do not live in households with telephones. Weighting adjustments 

were also used to adjust for nonresponse and for the oversampling of households with Blacks and 

Hispanics. Finally, the person-level weights are developed using a cross between race/ethnicity 

of the child and household income categories; a cross between Census region and urbanicity; and, 

a cross between home tenure (own or rent) and age or grade of child. 

Sampling Errors 

The sample of households with home telephones selected for each NHES survey is just 

one of many possible samples that could have been selected from all households with telephones. 

Therefore, estimates produced from each NHES survey may differ from estimates that would 

have been produced from other samples. This type of variability is called sampling error because 

it arises from using a sample of households with telephones rather than all households with 

telephones. 

The standard error is a measure of the variability due to sampling when estimating a 

statistic; standard errors for estimates presented in this report were computed using a jackknife 

replication method. Standard errors can be used as a measure of the precision expected from a 

particular sample. The probability that the sample estimate would differ from a complete census 

count by less than 1 standard error is about 68 percent. The chance that the difference would be 

less than 1.65 standard errors is about 90 percent; and that the difference would be less than 1.96 

standard errors, about 95 percent. 

Standard errors for all of the estimates presented in this report are available in tabular 

form in appendix A. These standard errors can be used to produce confidence intervals. For 

example, an estimated 1.7 percent of students were homeschooled in 1999. This percentage has 

an estimated standard error of 0.14 percent. Therefore, the estimated 95 percent confidence 

interval for this statistic is 1.42 to 1.97 percent (1.7 +/- 1.96*0.14). That is, in 95 out of 100 

samples using the same sample design, the estimated participation rate rounded to the nearest 

tenth, should fall between 1.4 and 2.0 percent. 

 

3

 Special tabulations from the Current Population Survey, 2000. 
38 

Statistical Tests 

The tests of significance used in this analysis are based on two-tailed Student’s t

statistics. All differences cited in this report are significant at the 0.05 level of significance. In 

addition, tests for effect size were used for most distributions. Except for the comparison of 

homeschooling rates, which are used to describe a unique subset of the population and are central 

to the analysis, differences of less than 5 percent are not reported. For the logistic regression, 

effect size was calculated by dividing the log odds beta coefficient by 1.81 (Chinn 2000). 

Logistic regression findings that are significant at the 0.05 level of significance with an effect size 

of 0.2 and greater are reported. 

Glossary 

Many of the variables used in the analysis for this report were derived from other 

variables in the public-use data files. In most cases, variables that had more than four response 

categories were collapsed into four or fewer categories to accommodate the small number of 

sampled homeschoolers. This procedure of collapsing response categories ensured that the 

number of sampled homeschoolers was appropriate for statistical analysis. 

Homeschooling 

In this report, students are defined as being homeschooled if: 1) their parents reported 

them being schooled at home instead of a public or private school, 2) their enrollment in a public 

or private school did not exceed 25 hours a week if they were being homeschooled part-time, and 

3) they were not being homeschooled solely because of a temporary illness.4

 The construction of 

this measure combines answers from the questions listed below with answers to questions about 

reasons for homeschooling. The definition of homeschooling used in this report was intended to 

include rather than exclude students based on the data available to identify homeschooled 

students. Researchers wishing to apply different criteria to define homeschooled students may 

produce different results. 

 

4

 The 25-hour cut-off translates to about 80 percent of the average school week, according to the 1999–

2000 Schools and Staffing Survey. In 1999, about 1 percent of students who were homeschooled part time 

were excluded from the homeschooled student category because of the 25-hour cut-off. In 2003, no 

sampled students who were homeschooled part time were excluded from the homeschooled student 

category because of the 25-hour cut-off. 
39 

PB2. Some parents decide to educate their children at home rather than send them to 

school. Is (CHILD) being schooled at home? 

Yes (GO TO PB3) 

No 

PB3. So (CHILD) is being schooled at home instead of at school for at least some 

classes or subjects? 

 Yes (Go to PB4) 

 No 

PB4. Is (CHILD) getting all of (his/her) instruction at home, or is (he/she) getting 

some at school and some at home? 

All at home 

Some at school & some at home (GO TO PB5) 

PB5. How many hours each week does (CHILD) usually go to a school for 

instruction? Please do not include time spent in extracurricular activities. 

Hours: ____ 

Grade equivalent 

If students were enrolled in school for 9 or more hours per week, parents were asked to 

identify what grade or year their child was attending. If students were homeschooled and not 

attending school for 9 or more hours per week, or if parents responded that students were 

ungraded or in special education, then parents were asked to identify their child’s grade 

equivalent. In this report, a student’s grade equivalent is either the actual grade the student was 

enrolled in or the student’s grade equivalent. One measure of grade equivalent used in the report 

had three categories: kindergarten to grade 5, grades 6 to 8, and grades 9 to 12. Another measure 

had five categories to show more detail in the kindergarten to grade 5 category: kindergarten, 

grades 1 to 3, grades 4 to 5, grades 6 to 8, and grades 9 to 12. In 2003, 0.02 percent of students 

had a grade equivalent of “ungraded.” This statistic was 0.03 percent in 1999. 

Race and ethnicity 

Parents were asked to identify the race and ethnicity of sampled children. In 1999 and 

2003, race was a mutually exclusive variable. Hispanic ethnicity was determined separately. The 

categories of race and ethnicity used in this report are Black, non-Hispanic, meaning the child 

was identified as Black but not Hispanic; White, non-Hispanic, meaning the child was identified 

as White but not Hispanic; Hispanic, meaning the child was identified as Hispanic and of any 

race; and Other, meaning the child was not identified as Hispanic and not identified as Black or 

White. 
40 

Number of children in the household 

The number of children in the household was derived by adding the sampled child (one) 

to the total number of other children in the household. This report collapsed the number of 

children into three categories: One child, meaning the sampled child was the only child in the 

household; two children, meaning the household contained the sampled child and another child; 

and three or more children, meaning the household contained the sampled child plus two or more 

other children. 

Number of parents in the household 

Parents include birth, adoptive, step or foster parents in the household. If two such 

parents were in the household, the number of parents living in the household was two. If one 

such parent was in the household, the number of parents living in the household was one. If no 

such parents were in the household, the number of parents was none and any adult responsible for 

the sampled child was referred to as a nonparent guardian. 

Parents’ participation in the labor force 

Parents include birth, adoptive, step or foster parents in the household or nonparent 

guardians in the household. Parents were considered to be in the labor force if they were working 

full-time (35 hours or more per week) or part-time (less than 35 hours per week) or if they were 

actively looking for work during the time of the interview. If parents did not meet these criteria, 

they were classified as not in the labor force. 

Household income 

Household income is reported as a range. These ranges were collapsed into the following 

four categories for this report. 

$25,000 or less 

$25,001 to 50,000 

$50,001 to 75,000 

$75,001 or more 

Parents’ highest educational attainment

Parents’ highest educational attainment is a composite variable that indicates the highest 

level of education for the students’ parents (birth, adoptive, or step) or nonparent guardians who 

reside in the household. The variable used in this report has four attainment categories: High 

school diploma or less, which includes high school equivalency degrees; Voc/tech degree or some 
41 

college which includes associates degrees; Bachelor’s degree; and Graduate/professional school 

which includes some graduate coursework in addition to degree completion. 

Urbanicity 

 This variable categorizes the household ZIP Code as urban or rural. The definitions for 

these categories are taken from the 1990 and 2000 Census of Population. An urban place 

comprises densely settled territory that has a minimum population of 50,000 people. The specific 

density and distance requirements are defined in the Federal Register, Vol. 67, No. 84. Areas not 

classified as urban are classified as rural. Since a ZIP Code can cut across geographic areas, the 

urbanicity variable is classified into the category that has the largest number of persons. For 

example, if a ZIP Code has 5,000 persons in the category “urban”, and 1,200 persons in the 

category “rural”, it is classified as “urban.” 

Region 

 This variable identifies the Census region in which the subject child lives. The variable 

was created by linking states and telephone area codes of sampled numbers and then grouping the 

states into regions. The following states and the District of Columbia are in each Census region: 

Northeast: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont 

South: Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, 

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, 

South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia 

Midwest: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North 

Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin 

West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, 

Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming 

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