The Best Colleges For Homeschoolers

The homeschool websites that you've seen listing "homeschool friendly colleges" are, for the most part, extremely outdated and irrelevant. Websites that list colleges that have accepted homeschoolers are completely useless in the practical sense because colleges are no longer allowed to discriminate during admissions based on high school diplomas.

In almost all scenarios, homeschoolers do not need to worry about colleges and universities discriminating against them because of their homeschool background. Almost all universities have applications that are homeschool friendly. Many universities seek out homeschoolers. For instance, the dean of admissions at Amherst College said that homeschoolers tend to have "thicker folders, in a good way." She also claimed they are "innovative thinkers with a lot to bring to the table," - NBC.

Nevertheless, some universities might try to claim that students need 'official' diplomas in order to attend. A homeschool diploma is an 'official' diploma as long as it complied with the local county school district's records and regulations. Legally, no university or college can discriminate against homeschoolers. So, the only time a homeschooler will have difficulties in college is if they did not comply with the legal regulations. Each state has unique regulations in addition to each school district. If you need help or have questions about college prep or diplomas see this guide - The Homeschooler's Guide to Getting Accepted to College.

Some colleges and universities are known to be especially welcoming of homeschoolers. Of course, just like all students, some home educated students will enjoy the university life at some schools more than others.

Because 1) a homeschool education legally qualifies as a high school diploma and 2) every student has their own unique preferences, there is no way to objectively declare some schools as 'better' for homeschoolers than others. The best colleges for homeschoolers are the colleges that:

• Best represent their values
• Provide their desired majors
• Have campus life the student enjoys

Last modified: November 23, 2016