Do You Need a Teaching Degree to Homeschool?

No state requires every homeschooling parent to hold a teaching degree or license. 8 states require a high school diploma or equivalent, including Georgia and New Mexico, while 3 states offer several ways to qualify.

In some states, your qualifications depend on the legal option you choose. A private-tutor or licensed-teacher route can require credentials even when another homeschool option in the same state does not.

No teaching credential required

Not specified in state law

High school diploma or equivalent

Depends on the legal option

Several ways to qualify

50 states · Bars show the number of states in each group.

Key Takeaways

• A teaching degree is not a nationwide requirement for homeschooling.
• Eight states require a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Five states tie credential rules to the legal option you choose.

The Short Answer

A high school diploma requirement does not mean you need a teaching degree or teaching license. State rules set different qualifications for parents, tutors, and other instructors, and some do not specify a credential at all.

Check the rule for the legal option you plan to use in your state. The distinction matters in states where a parent-taught program follows one rule and a private-tutor option follows another.

States That Require a High School Diploma

Eight states require the teaching parent or instructor to have a high school diploma or equivalent. These states are Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

The rule can include added conditions. In North Dakota, a parent without a diploma or GED can still home educate under monitoring by a state-licensed or approved teacher for the first two years. In South Carolina, the teaching parent needs at least a high school diploma or GED in every option; Option One also mentions passing a state basic skills exam or having a bachelor's degree.

States With Several Ways to Qualify

Minnesota, Virginia, and Washington each let a parent meet one of several qualification options. The available paths include credentials, education, supervision, or other conditions set by state law.

• Minnesota: Each instructor must meet one of five options: hold a Minnesota teaching license for the field and grade; work under the direct supervision of a licensed teacher; teach in an accredited or state-recognized school; have a bachelor's degree; or be the parent of a child assessed under the state's annual testing rule.
• Virginia: The parent must meet one of four options: hold a high school diploma or higher; meet Board of Education teacher qualifications; provide a program of study or curriculum; or provide evidence of being able to give the child an adequate education.
• Washington: A parent teaching only their own child must meet one of four options: supervision by a certificated person; 45 college-level quarter credit hours or the semester equivalent; completion of a home-based instruction course at a college or vocational-technical school; or a district superintendent's finding that the parent is sufficiently qualified.

States That Say No Credential Is Needed

Eighteen states say a teaching certificate or credential is not required for homeschooling. Some still set a basic standard for instruction or define who can teach.

• Arkansas: The state education division says there are no educational requirements for parents who homeschool.
• Colorado: The teaching parent or designated adult relative is exempt from teacher licensing rules.
• Florida: The parent does not need a Florida teaching certificate.
• Hawaii: A parent teaching their own child at home is considered a qualified instructor; no other qualifications are set.
• Idaho: Homeschooling parents do not need a teaching license.
• Illinois: The state sets no formal qualifications; the teacher must be competent.
• Kansas: Courses must be taught by a competent instructor; a state teaching license is not required.
• Kentucky: The state education department says it may not require teacher certification for homeschools.
• Massachusetts: Public school educator licensing rules do not apply to home education.
• Michigan: Under exemption (f), there are no minimum teacher qualifications; the teacher must be the child's parent or legal guardian.
• Nebraska: No teaching certificate is required. The parent affirms they are satisfied that the people monitoring instruction are qualified in basic skills, and no one who teaches or monitors instruction may have a felony conviction for certain sex, child abuse and related offenses.
• New Jersey: Parents and other instructors do not need New Jersey teacher certification.
• New York: Instruction must be given by a competent teacher, but state law sets no credential for parents or tutors, and a district may not demand one.
• Oklahoma: The state education department says parents do not need a teaching certificate.
• Rhode Island: No teaching certificate or minimum education is required; instruction must be thorough and efficient.
• South Dakota: The instructor does not need to be certified. No one may instruct more than 22 children.
• Texas: The Texas Education Agency does not regulate home schools, and no parent qualification is set.
• Utah: School boards may not require credentials for anyone teaching a home school.

When Does a Teaching License Matter?

A teaching license matters when the legal homeschool option you choose requires one or includes it as a way to qualify. The rules differ between parent-taught education, private tutoring, and other approved routes.

• Alabama: Church school and private school rules do not specify teacher qualifications in state law. A private tutor must hold a certificate issued by the State Superintendent of Education.
• Alaska: State law does not specify a qualification for parent-taught home education. The tutor option requires a tutor certificated under AS 14.20.020.
• California: A home-based private school must be taught by people capable of teaching and keep faculty names, addresses, and educational qualifications on record. A private tutor must hold a valid California teaching credential for the grade taught.
• Iowa: competent private instruction (CPI) Option 1 requires a teacher with a valid Iowa license appropriate to the child's ages and grades. For CPI Option 2 and independent private instruction (IPI), state law does not specify a qualification; the state education department says the parent does not need a current Iowa teaching license for Option 2.
• Louisiana: State law does not specify teacher qualifications for approved home study. For a nonpublic school that takes no public funds, teachers must meet whatever rules the school or church sets.

A license can also be one route among several. Minnesota and Washington include licensed-teacher supervision in their qualification options, while North Dakota requires monitoring by a state-licensed or approved teacher for a parent without a diploma or GED.

States Where the Law Is Silent

In 16 states, state law does not specify parent qualifications. That means the state rule summarized here does not name a required teaching credential for the parent.

Those states are Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Maine's rule has one qualification detail: certification applies only to some assessment reviewers.

Full State-by-State Table

The table gives each state's parent qualification group and the teacher qualification rule. For state-specific requirements, use the linked state page for the legal option you plan to follow.