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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Do homeschooled kids have poorer learning outcomes?

By Brian A. Gross
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NO

Homeschooled students appear to have superior learning and life outcomes vis-à-vis publicly schooled students across numerous metrics.

According to educational research company ThinkImpact, homeschooled students perform above average on their SATs and ACTs, scoring "between 15% and 30% more points than students attending public schools." They also graduate college at higher rates: 67% compared with 59% of publicly schooled students.

A review of 16 studies on the achievement of homeschooled students versus conventionally schooled students found that 11 showed superior outcomes for homeschooled students, one showed superior outcomes for conventionally schooled students, and four found no significant difference. Among the studies, homeschooled students were observed to have higher GPAs, test scores, civic involvement, mental health and life satisfaction. Additionally, one of the studies noted that homeschooled students had a greater degree of receptivity to ideas, being "more agreeable, conscientious and open" than their conventional counterparts.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
ThinkImpact 50+ Homeschooling Statistics 2021
Taylor & Francis Online A systematic review of the empirical research on selected aspects of homeschooling as a school choice
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.