Homeschooling in Illinois: what the state requires
A home school is treated as a private school; it must teach the branches of education taught in public schools, in English. No registration, testing or reporting is required.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official Illinois sources. State page: Illinois State Board of Education — Illinois Homeschooling. Compulsory school age: 6 (on or before September 1) to 17, unless already graduated from high school (105 ILCS 5/26-1).
Home school as a private school (105 ILCS 5/26-1(1))
A home school is treated as a private school; it must teach the branches of education taught in public schools, in English. No registration, testing or reporting is required.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Not required. ISBE: registration is voluntary ('Registration of home-schooled students is not required'); an optional ISBE Home Schooling Registration Form exists. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | language arts, mathematics, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, fine arts, physical development and health — Statute: 'the branches of education taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public schools,' with instruction 'in the English language.' Subject list is ISBE's statement of those branches. |
| Days | ISBE: no minimum days per year specified; education must be equivalent to public school standards. |
| Hours | ISBE: no minimum hours per day specified. |
| Testing or evaluation | Not required. ISBE: no requirement to test students or submit results to school officials. |
| Records | No record-keeping requirement stated by ISBE. |
| Teacher | Teacher must be 'competent' (People v. Levisen, 1950, as described by ISBE); no specific credential. |
| Other | Basis: People v. Levisen (Ill. 1950) — legal if teacher is competent, required subjects are taught, and education is at least equivalent to public schooling (per ISBE). |
By grade
Subjects by grade: Statute: 'the branches of education taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public schools,' with instruction 'in the English language.' Subject list is ISBE's statement of those branches.
High school and graduation
ISBE: home schools issue their own diplomas; public schools may award a high school diploma only if credits meet state requirements.
Official sources:
- 105 ILCS 5/26-1 Compulsory school age; exemptions
- ISBE — Illinois Homeschooling
- ISBE — Questions you may have on Illinois Home Schooling (rev. Oct 2017)
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: Status of 2025 HB 2827 ('Homeschool Act') could not be checked on ilga.gov (bill-status page not fetchable); the current 105 ILCS 5/26-1 text (latest P.A. 103-721, eff. 1-1-25) contains no homeschool provisions, so it does not appear to have been enacted into that section.
High school: the public-school diploma as a guide
Optional for homeschools in most states, but the credit plan most colleges and employers recognize, and a sound default for a homeschool transcript. Shown in the subject areas this site uses.
| English Language Arts 4 | 4.0 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
| Science | 2.0 |
| Social Studies | 2.0 |
| Electives Art, music, CTE, third year of world languages, or forensic speech 1; remaining 4 | 5.0 |
| Total | 16.0 |
|---|
Units (years) for students entering grade 9 in 2024-25 through 2027-28; at least 16 units total in grades 9-12, remainder set locally. Language arts includes a writing-intensive English course (2 writing-intensive courses total); math includes Algebra I and geometry content; science = 2 years of laboratory science; social studies includes 1 year U.S. History (or U.S. History and American government) and 1 semester of civics; 1 year with intensive computer literacy (may be within another subject); pass the U.S. and Illinois Constitution exam; file FAFSA or waiver. Students entering grade 9 in 2028-29 or later also need 2 years of world languages. PE, health and consumer education are separate mandated units of study.
Source: ISBE — Illinois graduation requirements (105 ILCS 5/27-22, 27-22.05, 27-22.10), Jan 2022
After graduation: what to plan for
Suggestions from Homeschool Corral, not state rules. Most families keep the college path open through 10th grade, then narrow.
- 4 English, 4 math (through Algebra II, pre-calculus if they can), 3–4 science with 2 labs, 3–4 social studies, 2–3 years of one foreign language, 1 fine arts
- A one-paragraph description for every high-school course; the parent signs the transcript and diploma
- PSAT in 10th and 11th; SAT or ACT by spring of 11th; dual credit, AP or CLEP where it fits
- A log of activities, service and work from 9th grade; two adults who can recommend them
- A Scholarship Finder profile by 11th grade; FAFSA when it opens in the fall of 12th
- A diploma and transcript with 4 English, 3 math, 3 science, 3 social studies; applied math every year
- Dual-credit career and technical courses in 11th–12th; OSHA 10 and first aid/CPR; a driver’s license
- Real projects and a part-time job logged as credits, with references; visit the union hall about pre-apprenticeships in 11th
- A parent-issued diploma and full transcript, signed and dated; recruiters ask for both
- Strong reading and arithmetic for the entrance test; a practice ASVAB in 11th
- Physical fitness as a logged course; service and leadership; for an academy or ROTC, the college list plus the SAT/ACT early
- The diploma and transcript anyway; personal finance and business basics as credits
- Work experience logged with hours and a reference from 10th grade; typing, spreadsheets, a clear email
- Keep the college path open: a foreign language and Algebra II cost little now
My Homeschool turns these into a checklist for each child, with the credits recorded in Transcripts counted against the plan.
This is a plain-English summary of the state’s official sources, checked on the date shown. It is not legal advice, and laws change. Read the linked official pages, and check with the state or your local school district if anything is unclear.
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