Over 25 Famous Homeschoolers

Stories of homeschoolers from the past can be a great way to show your child how homeschooling has grown. Here are 25 Famous homeschoolers!

Depending on the age of your kids or where you live, they may not know a lot of other homeschoolers. Regardless of your location or child’s age your homeschooler probably doesn’t realize how popular homeschooling has become.

Sharing tales and stories of homeschoolers from the past can be a great way to show your child how homeschooling has grown, what a wide variety of people actually homeschool, and how homeschooling in no way holds a person back!

Here are over 25 famous people you probably didn’t know were homeschooled!

1. Taylor Swift- Swift’s music career took off when she was 14, so she was homeschooled her last few years of high school.
2. Ryan Gosling-After struggling in school with ADHD, Gosling’s parents began homeschooling him at age 10.
3. Chris Colfer-The Glee actor was homeschooled in jr. high due to bullying.
4. Spencer and Abigail Breslin-These celebrity siblings have starred in Kit, American Girl, The Santa Claus and more. They are also homeschooled!
5. Venus and Serena Williams-Due to a strict tennis practice schedule these pro sisters were homeschooled.
6. Michelle Kwan-This famous ice skater began homeschooling in 8^th grade and went on to win two Olympic medals.
7. Sandra Day O Conner-The first woman to serve in the U.S. Supreme Court began her education at home.
8. Irving Berlin-Known as one the greatest song writers of all time, Mr. Berlin was also homeschooled.
9. Franklin Delano Roosevelt-Homeschooled due to his asthma and illnesses, Mr. Roosevelt went on to become President of the United States.
10. Agatha Christie-One of the bestselling authors of all time, she was homeschooled due to her extreme shyness.
11. Clara Barton-Founder of the American Red Cross, this famous nurse was also homeschooled.
12. Jon Warren-The co-director of the popular movie Mom’s Night Out, was homeschooled and claims it is the reason for his success.
13. Laura Ingalls Wilder-Laura was educated at home off and on through her school years, and later chose to homeschool her daughter Rose after she found school to not be challenging enough.
14. Willow and Jaden Smith- These celebrity siblings have been homeschooled for years due to their mother wanting them to “learn, not memorize”.
15. Darell Waltrip-The NASCAR driver was not only homeschooled himself but his children are also homeschooled!
16. Abraham Lincoln: Sixteenth President of the United States Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president and pulled the country through the Civil War, ending slavery. . Lincoln mostly taught himself under the guidance of his stepmother Sarah Bush Johnston and the local library
17. C.S. Lewis: Writer, critic and theologian C.S. Lewis is considered of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. He was homeschooled by tutors until he was sent away to a boarding school after his mother’s death.
18. Albert Einstein-One of the most famous and influential thinkers of all time, Albert Einstein, is credited with discovering many scientific theories and laws. He was tutroed at home by a Jewish medical student named Talmud in math, science and philosophy.
19. Tim Tebow-He and his siblings were all homeschooled by their parents, who instilled the family’s Christian beliefs. He began playing football, first at a Christian academy and then at a public high school, where, despite controversy about his status as a home-schooled student, he led the team to a state championship and became nationally known.
20. Emma Watson-The English actress and model was home-schooled during her Harry Potter years.
21. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart–Famed composer and child prodigy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was homeschooled by his father as he toured around Europe playing the piano at the tender age of 6!
22. Jennifer Love Hewitt- The actress was homeschooled until high school, which was necessary since she was already acting as a child.
23. Demi Lovato-The actress and singer chose the homeschooling path because she was bullied.
24. Justin Timberlake- The Backstreet Boys singer started out at a regular elementary school in Tennessee and then became homeschooled in the sixth grade onward.
25. Blake Griffin-The LA Clippers basketball player was homeschooled until his college days at the University of Oklahoma.
26. Condoleezza Rice-The former United States Secretary of State was homeschooled until the age of ten and graduated from the University of Denver.
27. Jordin Sparks-Jordin attended Sandra Day O’Connor High School until 2006, and then she began homeschool so that she could spend more time on her music career.
28. Florence Nightingale–The mother of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale was educated at home by her father. She famously went on to found the Nightingale Training School for Nurses as well as St. Thomas’s Hospital.

For more famous homeschoolers check out these sites:

• 10 Celebrities you didn’t know were homeschooled
• Famous Homeschoolers
• 10 Celebrities who give homeschooling a good name
• Celebrity Parents Who Homeschool Their Children
• Famous Homeschoolers 
• 10 Most Famous and Successful People Who Were Homeschooled
• 12 Celebrities Who Were Homeschooled

Misty Bailey is the voice behind the Southeast Homeschool Expo’s Facebook page, as well as one of the convention planners here at the Southeast Homeschool Expo. She has worked in the homeschool market for nearly a decade with a multitude of curriculum companies, and as a former blogger and podcaster. She brings to the table 17 years of homeschooling experience working with her own three children, as well as founding her local homeschool group.  Her goal is to encourage and inspire you on your homeschool journey by providing practical tips for real-life (not cookie-cutter perfection) homeschooling.