10 Accredited 'Homeschool' Curriculum for High School [ONLINE SCHOOLS]
Are you considering homeschooling for your high schooler but feeling overwhelmed by the options? In this post, I'll reveal seven accredited curriculums considered trustworthy, recognized, and reputable programs that can set your child up for success.
But that's not all—I'll also break down the costs associated with each program, talk about dual enrollment, and highlight any potential drawbacks you should be aware of.
By the end of this article, you'll have a clear picture of which curriculum might be the best fit for your family!
FYI, I curated this list by scouring online homeschool forums and asking about favorite accredited homeschool curriculum options.
I've reviewed literally hundreds of comments to create this video for you today because so many people write to me asking what they can use for an accredited homeschool curriculum.
Affiliate links are used in this post.
Liberty Online Academy
Firstly, what do you think was the most well-loved accredited curriculum people chose on the homeschool forums?
Liberty University Online Academy (pictured above).
But why was this the most popular option? (Liberty almost got double the votes of the following curriculum I'll cover!).
Liberty offers a Christian K-12 internationally and regionally accredited curriculum.
Accreditation comes from the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).
Liberty offers core subjects through all grades and electives in middle and high school.
High school offers LIVE online classes for more interesting participation and interaction.
There's 24/7 access to coursework to finish their work.
Liberty Online Academy gives families more flexibility in their home routine.
On average, schoolwork takes 4 hours a day.
If your child gets stuck, certified teachers are available by phone, chat, and email, alleviating the stress off parents' shoulders to know everything their child is studying.
Parents can also set up an 'observer account' to monitor their homeschoolers' progress.
High schoolers can also get a head-start on their future career by earning college credits while in high school (this is called dual enrollment).
But the important question for this one is, how much does it cost?
Liberty Online will cost $3,568.50 a year (or $361.85 per month), making this program one of the more expensive ones on my list.
Abeka Academy
But what if you have several high schoolers, and there is no way you can afford that price?
Then Abeka Academy, at roughly half the price, might be more suited to you.
Abeka (pictured above) has been around for more than 50 years.
In homeschool circles, their name is synonymous with a good-quality, rigorous curriculum.
They offer accreditation through MSA CESS and FACCS.
Many parents like that the video lessons are filmed in classes of real students, so their child doesn't feel 'alone' in their online education experience.
Abeka Academy uses a traditional spiral learning approach with physical workbooks and online teacher-led video lessons.
In case you're not sure, spiral learning means you start learning a concept at a foundational level and revisit it later in more detail.
Abeka presents an excellent biblical perspective, and high schoolers will emerge with a solid grounding in scriptural basics.
Regarding flexibility, parents can adjust students' coursework to fit the family's holidays and vacations better.
The only issue with Abeka Academy is that some parents commented on the amount of coursework involved and how this can sometimes be burdensome.
So unless you wanted to get credits by dual enrollment (which means you'd earn college credits) with Pensacola Christian College, the accredited option can be unnecessarily demanding.
Many said they'd actually switched to the unaccredited version (more on this later) to reduce coursework and allow parents to skip work kids already know.
Academy of Home Education (BJU Press)
Another program similar to Abeka is the Academy of Home Education (AHE), another accredited Christian homeschool program.
BJU Press produces AHE, the accredited version of its homeschool curriculum (just like Abeka Academy is the certified version of Abeka Homeschool).
AHE offers the same blended learning approach with physical workbooks and online teacher-led video lessons.
Regarding Christian studies, AHE focuses more on a biblical worldview and critical thinking skills than Abeka, which is heavier on memorization and drill training.
Like all online schools (falsely called accredited homeschool programs because homeshcool curriculum can't be accredited - only schools can), AHE, Abeka, and Liberty all do:
record-keeping,
transcripts,
report cards,
graduation ceremonies, and
standardized testing.
While the BJU Press AHE program is robust, it's less arduous than Abeka, so it might be a better fit for some families.
This program is a little more affordable than Abeka Academy and is a good option for Christian families.
They are accredited by Cognia through Bridgeway Academy.
Veritas Scholars Academy
Now, all the accredited curricula I've mentioned have been somewhat traditional.
But what if you wanted something different?
You may want something more focused on teaching logic and rhetorical abilities.
Maybe something with LIVE, online lessons where teens can interact with teachers and other students in real-time.
If so, you should consider Veritas Scholars Academy, which is accredited by the MSA.
Veritas Scholars Academy (or VSA) teaches using classical education, which is quite robust.
This Christian curriculum is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
VSA (pictured above) offers LIVE, online interactive lessons in which homeschoolers can get help and talk with teachers.
They can also collaborate on projects and chat with other homeschooled students in an online environment.
So it's quite a social curriculum.
High school homeschoolers can also collaborate with fellow students on various projects and receive tutoring help in the program.
They can also get dual enrollment, earning college credits toward their future college degree in partnership with Cairn University.
What this means is if your student completes a duel enrollment course with a grade of over 70%, they'll receive credit from Cairn University for that course.
A year ago, I traveled to America on a plane.
During my flight, I met a very impressive young man (about 18 years old).
He was a homeschooler who had just graduated from VSA.
I can't tell you how eloquent and impressive this young fellow was.
You could tell he'd been trained to speak clearly with precision and depth.
He went to VSA and said he had an amazing education and thoroughly recommended it.
But if you're considering VSA, how much does it cost?
Unlike "bricks and mortar" Christian schools, VSA's Program has no single, flat cost.
Instead, they're flexible so that cost and schedule best fit a family's needs and budget.
So firstly you pay an enrollment fee of $580-700 for high school, and then you pay per course.
They advise around five or six programs.
These cost anywhere from $200 to $780, which would bring your total fees for one VSA school year to around $3,000-3,500.
However, they strongly recommend that you do a FREE consultation (click here to sign up for the free consultation), as they find that many parents buy too many courses and overspend.
Christian Light Education
Another accredited Christian curriculum that is popular with homeschool parents is Christian Light Education’s Homeschool Plus course.
They offer Grades 1 to 12 and are accredited by the National Association of Private Schools (NAPS).
Christian Light's accredited Homeschool Plus program costs $310 for a family with two students, making it incredibly affordable.
Students must complete most of their credits through Christian Light, but they can accommodate dual enrollment if families can provide them with their student's transcripts.
They will then transfer credits and course names but not grades or GPA.
It's important to know that Homeschool Plus enrollment is a separate cost from the curriculum.
And a 9th and 12th grader's curriculum from Christian Light would cost $400-$500 per student.
Of course, like the programs above, these are ballpark figures because a student's curriculum costs for the year vary according to their course choices.
Acellus Academy (Secular)
So far, all the programs we've discussed have been Christian, but I wanted to mention a couple of secular options in case you've made it this far into the video.
A popular accredited secular homeschool curriculum option is Acellus Academy, which is accredited with WASC.
It uses Acellus technology, which pinpoints student weaknesses and helps them work on them self-paced.
This way, your students can skip work they know and focus on tackling concepts they struggle with.
The idea is to make learning more efficient and enjoyable for students.
Acellus has a special needs program, a special STEM program, and an Honors program to help homeschoolers get scholarships.
This accredited program includes an extensive range of electives, which you can really take advantage of with the premium package.
Studying with Acellus costs between $2,000 and $4,000 per year, depending on whether you choose the basic or premium package.
Ignite Christian Academy
But I'm a big fan of Christian curriculum.
That's because I see education as a way to teach my children about the depths and riches of Jesus' love for all men.
And so I love that Christian programs offer so much hope (in sometimes what feels like a rather hopeless world) to homeschoolers.
And so I'm going to tell you about another popular accredited high school homeschool curriculum that teaches the gospel.
This is Ignite Christian Academy, which is made by Alpha Omega Publishing.
This program is fairly traditional but is loved as it takes the pressure off parents' shoulders by offering flexibility and full tutoring support.
Like many of the previous programs, you can earn a full associate degree through dual enrollment in high school if you study with them full-time.
They are partnered with Oklahoma Christian University and accredited by the NCA CASI and SACS CASI of Cognia and internationally by ACSI.
Ignite offers an accredited high school curriculum for $349 per month or $3,367 for the year, which is pretty middle of the range.
Study.com
Another option mentioned on the Christian homeschool forum I looked at was Study.com.
This is actually a secular homeschool curriculum program, but you can earn credits through dual enrollment to enter many other universities, including Christian ones.
To be clear, this is not an accredited program, but if you’re seeking accreditation for dual enrollment, it does offer dual enrollment.
For some universities like Christian Liberty, the partnership between these two organizations guarantees that the courses you take on Study.com transfer seamlessly and fulfill your requirements for your degree at LU.
Study.com is a really affordable option.
It's an excellent choice for children with special needs because they can work at their own pace.
Short 5-7-minute video lessons also mean your teens won't get bored with information and can learn lessons in bite-sized chunks.
They also let homeschoolers skip what they already know with Adaptive Learning (an AI tool).
This means they get credit for what they know already and only study the material they don't know.
Like Acellus, they use an AI study tool to diagnose students' strengths and weaknesses, helping them target problem areas.
Homeschoolers can also get 24/7 access to homework help with lots of tutors and online help resources and tools.
I like that they offer a vast range of courses.
Many people say Study.com is a good way to fast-track high school and feel they can complete their studies in a fraction of the time compared to other accredited programs.
Study.com costs $29.99/month for their Basic plan, $59.99/month for their Homeschool Plan, and $235/month for their College Saver plan.
That makes this one of the most affordable curriculum options on this list.
Automatically get 25% off your first month by signing up through this link.
More Accredited Homeschool Curriculum Picks
Now, some other options people mentioned that were accredited were the ones below.
But they were less popular than the ones detailed above.
Bridgeway Academy
James Madison
Memoria Press Online Academy
Www.sycamoreacademy.com
Enlightium
Wilson Hill Academy and
Prestonwood Plus.
With all that said, you might be wondering if I will use an accredited homeschool program for high school.
The answer is yes and no.
If my children decide to pursue a college degree in the future, we will definitely get an accredited curriculum.
This is because we won't have to pay double the college fees, and we can do dual enrollment when the children are as young as 13 years old (if they want to)!
But if my kids want to become entrepreneurs, tradespeople, or want a simple 9 to 5 job that doesn't require a college education, we won't get an accredited program.
In my experience, accredited programs are more rigorous and time-consuming than non-accredited.
That's because they need to prove they've done the work for accreditation and college credits.
Non-accredited programs offer a lot more flexibility.
Parents and students are free of the need to complete all the coursework to earn approval.
So, using an unaccredited program can make the learning process more engaging and less monotonous.
Non-accredited programs can offer the same quality of education at a significantly more affordable price, akin to finding a high-quality product at a discount store.
It's reassuring to know that colleges readily accept a homemade homeschool transcript you create as a parent.
Yes, they do, and they won't even ask what curriculum you used.
With that said, you should be ready to decide whether you want an accredited or unaccredited program.
If you're comfortable using an unaccredited program, explore these significantly cheaper high school options in this post.
The curricula mentioned in the post are many of the same as those used in accredited programs, but they're available at a fraction of the cost.
