What Homeschooling a Teen Actually Costs
Cost estimates for homeschooling a teen swing wildly depending on what's being compared — a stack of individually purchased textbooks and workbooks is a different number than private school tuition, and a curriculum-based app is different from both.
Why Cost Comparisons for Homeschooling Are All Over the Map
Homeschool cost estimates vary enormously because "homeschooling" covers wildly different approaches — assembling a curriculum from individually purchased textbooks, workbooks, and supplemental materials for each subject; enrolling in an accredited online private school with tuition closer to a traditional private school; or subscribing to an all-in-one curriculum app that covers every subject for one flat monthly cost. Comparing homeschooling's cost to anything requires being specific about which of these a family is actually pricing out.
Where Lumi High Sits on That Spectrum
Lumi High costs $29.99 per month for one student, covering every core subject across grades 9 through 12 — English, math, science, social studies, SAT Prep, and the optional AP®-exam prep courses — plus the parent dashboard with GPA tracking and printable transcripts. A family with multiple children gets Lumi High included FREE with any Lumi Academy plan (starting at $9.99/month), which covers Lumi Academy's K-8 curriculum for unlimited kids on one combined dashboard. New accounts get a 48-hour free trial with full access before any payment is required.
How That Compares to a Traditional Private School
Private high school tuition commonly runs into the tens of thousands of dollars annually per student — a completely different order of magnitude than a monthly subscription covering a full curriculum. That comparison isn't meant to claim homeschooling replaces every aspect of a private school experience, but on the specific dimension of academic curriculum cost, the gap is large enough that it changes the calculation for families weighing whether private school is financially realistic versus a structured homeschool alternative.
The Costs That Aren't in the Subscription Price
A monthly curriculum subscription doesn't cover everything a family might want for a full teen experience — extracurricular activity fees, a graphing calculator or other subject-specific supplies, standardized test registration fees, or a homeschool co-op membership if a family joins one for socialization. Those costs exist regardless of which curriculum a family uses, and they're worth budgeting separately rather than assuming a curriculum subscription is the entire cost of homeschooling a teen.
Start a free 48-hour trial of Lumi High — full access to every subject, no credit card required.
Start Free Trial →Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Lumi High cost per student?
Lumi High is $29.99 per month for one student, covering all core subjects across grades 9-12, SAT Prep, and the parent dashboard with transcript tracking.
Is there a discount for multiple children?
Yes — Lumi High is included FREE with any Lumi Academy plan (starting at $9.99/month), covering unlimited kids by combining Lumi High with Lumi Academy's K-8 curriculum on one dashboard, rather than paying per-student for multiple accounts.
How does this compare to private high school tuition?
Private high school tuition typically runs into the tens of thousands of dollars per year, which is a substantially larger cost than a monthly curriculum subscription, though a subscription doesn't replicate every aspect of a private school experience.
How much does Lumi High cost?
Lumi High is $29.99/month for a single student with full access to every subject, SAT prep, and the parent dashboard. It's also included FREE with any Lumi Academy plan (starting at $9.99/month) for unlimited kids on one combined dashboard.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — every new account gets a 48-hour free trial with full access to every subject and feature, no credit card required to start.
What does the parent dashboard actually show?
The parent dashboard shows a student's cumulative GPA, credits earned per subject, a subject-by-subject progress report, recent lesson activity, streak, and earned badges — plus a printable transcript that pulls from all of it, so a parent can check real progress without sitting through every lesson.