Top Homeschool-Friendly Colleges

Indeed, college is something that looms large in the minds of homeschooling parents and students alike. How does one move from the homeschool environment to a college or university environment? Is it harder for a homeschool students to gain admission to the college of their choice? Will a homeschool student be eligible for scholarships and grants?

Here, we will answer these questions and more. We also completed a poll of homeschool parents about their experiences with homeschool-friendly colleges, and will list the results in this article. So, if you have college questions, grab a coffee, and let’s dive in!

FAQ For Homeschool to College Transition

Can Homeschoolers Go To College?

Short answer: yes! Absolutely, homeschool students can attend college! In fact, gone is the old notion that homeschooling means a subpar education. Undoubtedly, you as a parent work hard to give your child the best possible education. Therefore your child can hold their head high as they apply to the college of their choice.

Do Colleges Accept Homeschool Diplomas?

Yes, of course, colleges and universities will accept a homeschool diploma. Certainly, there may be very few exceptions but for the most part, centers for higher learning are happy to include those with a homeschool education in their student body. The focus will be less on the diploma and more on SAT or ACT scores, and the student’s transcript. Similar to how it is with students from public or private schools.

Are Homeschoolers Required to Take the SAT/ACT/CLT?

As homeschool student, SAT tests are not a requirement, however, if he or shePreparing for Homeschool-Friendly College plans to attend college, it’s definitely a good idea. Additionally, most universities require SAT/ACT/CLT scores along with the application and transcript. As your child nears the time to begin applying to colleges, their best bet will be to see what those specific schools require and proceed accordingly. It is important to note though that the majority of scholarships DO require SAT/ACT/CLT scores.

Unique College Requirements for Homeschoolers?

In fact, almost every college has a page on its website with admission information for homeschool students, especially if they have special requirements. Simply use the search bar to search for that page, find the information, and follow the steps for admission for homeschoolers.

Can You Homeschool College?

Yes! Actually, you can! In this case, there are a few different ways to accomplish this:

  • The first is by using dual enrollment at a local college doing online courses. Bonus: most are free! If this interests you, simply contact your local college to see if this option is available.
  • The second process is through CLEP homeschool. If you’re unfamiliar with this term, CLEP stands for “College-Level Examination Program.” Using CLEP tests, one can take almost all of their college course requirements. Instead of a degree taking 4 or more years to complete, it can take as little as one year using CLEP exams, thereby saving time and money! For more information about CLEP and which colleges do or don’t accept it, visit the College Board website here.
  • Finally, another method is to use “credit laundering” with programs such as Outlier. What this simply means is if your child earn college credit through an outside source and they want it to count on a transcript to a college that may not otherwise accept that type of credit, they can attempt to “wash” it by filtering it through a method their college will accept. For example, using Outlier, courses transfer to an official transcript from The University of Pittsburgh. Visit their website for more information.

Great Homeschool-Friendly Colleges

Certainly, most colleges in today’s culture are friendly toward homeschoolers. In fact, they have come to realize that homeschoolers make great students and many colleges are actively recruiting homeschoolers. This is great news for today’s homeschool teens since that broadens the options available to them as they search for education and training for their future.

The following colleges and comments were the nominations and submissions by you in our homeschool-friendly college survey. Hopefully, this will help some of you learn about some potential colleges that weren’t previously on your radar. Thanks to all who took the time to participate!

Top 3 Colleges that Allow You To Earn Credit Elsewhere

While, these colleges don’t make sense to enroll as regular students, however, they have a high credit transfer cap which means that you can earn between 90 to all of your credits through CLEP, Dual, DSST, or other means. These top three are great for those wanting to actually “homeschool their college education.”

Top 15 Conservative Homeschool-Friendly Colleges

  • Ambassador Baptist College – Shelby, NC: “They are a great school for homeschoolers interested in ministry. The teachers and staff have a heart for ministry, and everyone is on a first-name basis.”
  • Cedarville University – Cedarville, OH: “22% of students were homeschool students”
  • College of the Ozarks – Point Lookout, MO: “They stand by their beliefs in the face of adversity. They stick to biblical teaching and encourage their staff and students to do the same. Many homeschool students have gone there.”
  • Commonwealth Baptist College – Lexington, KY: “A college that supports the families.”
  • Dallas Baptist University – Dallas, TX: “They have been extremely easy to work with, offer scholarships not based on class rank and accept the CLT as an alternative to the SAT and ACT.”
  • Geneva College – Beaver Falls, PA: “Just being a Christian college and there at the time I went there there were homeschool students. The time I went there was the late 1980’s and 2007-2009.”
  • Hillsdale College – Hillsdale, MI: “Unrelenting truth curriculum with regards to the constitution and our countries history. Free courses for adults who may not have had the luxury to go to college when they were young. Also, a great printed lecture series publication called Imprimis is sent every month to keep our hearts and hearts on the right track.”
  • New College Franklin – Franklin, TN: “New College Franklin’s student body largely consists of home school graduates and is about the work on guiding students toward orthodox and orthopraxy through the liberal arts. They are one of a very few colleges who actually mean the 7 liberal arts (grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, and cosmology) when they say liberal arts and this builds extremely well off of the growing classical Christian homeschool movement.”
  • University of Dallas – Irving, TX: “Easy to merge”
  • Grove City College – Grove City, PA: “‘Highly ranked’ and ‘nationally recognized.’ You’ll run across such accolades often as you explore what they have to offer.”
  • York College – York, NE: “Homeschool students find a welcome smooth transition here along with scholarship opportunities that allow their education to continue seamlessly.”
  • Abilene Christian University – Abilene, TX: “Two of my grandsons attended there and both graduated with high grades. And they were homeschooled.”
  • Maranatha Baptist University – Watertown, WI: “In Watertown, WI, this school has great financial funding options for entrants. They offer helpful online educational options and have equipping opportunities for displaying Christ in secular and ministry occupations.”
  • Pensacola Christian College – Pensacola, FL: “I have two young acquaintances who exemplify the caliber of Christian education at PCC-one a teacher (English major with an education minor) soon to be librarian who spoke highly of the literature class and atmosphere there, and the other a nurse with a skill in nursing instruction. Both evidence a wonderful heart for ministering to others and are very clear in their Christian testimonies. Dual enrollment options for homeschoolers would be something to explore at the college.”
  • Liberty University – Lynchburg, VA: “They are a great school and very homeschool friendly.”
  • Honorable Mention: Veritas Bible College – Online

Top Secular Homeschool-Friendly Colleges

  • Catawba College – Salisbury, NC: “Our homeschooled daughter is finishing her fourth year at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina with two bachelor’s degrees to minors and a counseling certificate. Catawba was very welcoming to her as a home-schooled student. Catawba is a very diverse family of students and teachers.”
  • The Pennsylvania State University – State College, PA: “I was an online student and attended the World Campus of Penn State. The instructors were great and they understood what it took to do school/college at home.”
  • Unity College Hybrid Learning – Unity, ME: “The Professors are very easy to work with and very friendly. Even though it is not religious, most of the Professors that I have worked with are Christian or have religious beliefs. It’s a great college for Environmental Professionals.”
  • Seminole State College – Altamonte Springs Campus – Altamonte Springs, FL: “Homeschool students can do dual enrollment with no problem and have no problem gaining entrance into their programs.”
  • University of Maryland – College Park, MD: “Everything can be completed at home. They offer great resources for assistance if needed. Materials for classes are included in the class price. They offer in-person and virtual opportunities for social and career events.”
  • Alabama A&M University – Huntsville, AL: “They’ve always been the best.”

Additional Homeschool College Resources