If you’re looking for an online virtual school for high school in 2024, you have a lot of options! Today I’ll be reviewing 10 of the most popular online schools for high school and deciding which is the best and which is the worst.
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Best Online Schools for High School – Acellus Academy
First on the list is Acellus Academy. This is the same company that is behind the popular online homeschooling program Power Homeschool. Acellus Academy is an accredited online school that offers courses for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Compared to some of the other online schools for high school, this one is pretty affordable. They offer 3 pricing options, basic, enhanced and premium.
The basic plan is $249 a month, or just $79 a month with the Roger Billings scholarship. Anyone can qualify for this reduced rate if they are willing to participate in weekly live broadcasts of lectures about the importance of education. This plan includes up to 6 courses at a time, over 300 courses to choose from and self paced lessons. They also include targeted instruction and the Acellus writing tutor.
The enhanced package is $349 per month or just $174 a month with the Roger Billings scholarship. This plan includes everything in the basic plan plus up to 8 courses at a time, career guidance counseling, high definition lessons, and the Acellus club for social development.
The premium plan is not eligible for the Roger Billings scholarship. It will cost $499 a month and includes everything in the enhanced package, plus up to 12 courses at a time, and a Goldbook computer which is locked to only run the Acellus software. You can save with all three plans by purchasing a full year up front.
The Acellus Academy platform is very similar to Power Homeschool. Most lessons consist of a video lesson, practice problems, and a review and exam at the end of each unit. The lessons are self paced, so they can be completed at any time. Parents can set weekly goals for each of the courses, and students will be able to see their progress toward these goals. Since these courses are not live, students can enroll at any time of year and start right away. There isn’t an admissions process like some of the other schools on this list.
In order to graduate and receive a high school diploma, students must earn a minimum of 24 credits, six of which must be from Acellus Academy. Students must also be at least 16 years old and be up to date on their payments. A fee of $100 is required in order to apply for graduation and receive a diploma.
Sora Schools
Next on the list is an online high school I’ve been seeing a lot of ads for lately on my social media apps called Sora Schools. This is a full time accredited program available for middle school and high school students. Sora Schools’ main focus is interest based, interdisciplinary learning, and is comprised of what they call “expeditions,” activities and individual study projects. Students design their own learning plan based on their interests,
Sora Schools does have an admissions process, and applications are due by July of each year. If you miss the deadline, you can get on their wait list. This school is not cheap, but it is probably less than you would likely pay for an in person private school. Their tuition is $12,500 a year, but they do have flexible tuition grants based on financial need, that can save you some of that cost if you qualify.
Sora Schools has plenty of opportunities for social interaction as well. The whole program is very cutting edge and exciting, and it’s honestly something I’d consider for my own kids. They have an info session you can watch on their website to learn more about their program.
Liberty University Online School for High School
Liberty University Online Academy is a Christian online private school for students in grades k through 12. They also offer dual enrollment for students to earn college credits while still in high school. Their tuition is $3568.50 a year for high school. They do offer a 10 month payment plan to spread those payments out.
Liberty University accepts students at any time of year, and offers full-year and half-year options. The courses can be accessed any time of day, and typically take 41 weeks to complete, in line with a standard academic year.
With Liberty University, students will learn the subjects you would typically expect at a high school level, such as geometry and calculus, biology and chemistry, literature, creative writing, world history, economics, and many more. Students transferring in their senior year will need to earn at least 5.5 credits with Liberty University in order to graduate. Returning students will need to be enrolled full time in their senior year to meet graduation requirements.
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Mia Prep Online High School
You may have heard of Mia Prep, the online homeschooling program for high school from the creators of Miacademy. But did you know Mia Prep has recently come out with their own accredited online high school? They are currently accepting applications for students entering grades 9, 10 and 11. 12th grade will be ready to enroll beginning in the fall of 2024.
The cost of Mia Prep online high school is normally $400 a month, but right now they are running a special and offering it for only $247 a month. They do have financial aid and sibling discounts available.
From what I can see, Mia Prep Online High School is not much different from the Mia Prep online homeschooling program. Students will work at their own pace at any time of day, watching video lessons and completing assessments. The difference here is that they will have an academic advisor to guide them through the process, and their assignments will be graded by actual teachers.
They will also receive a diploma from an accredited school, whereas with the Mia Prep online homeschool program, the parent is still in charge of creating their homeschool transcript. I know this can be confusing. Think of an accredited online school like a private school that just happens to be done online. Whereas an online homeschooling program is a homeschool curriculum that just happens to be done online. See the difference?
Ignite Christian Academy
Next on the list is Ignite Christian Academy. As the name suggests, this is a Christian school. They are fully accredited and also offer a dual enrollment program where students can earn an associates degree while still in high school!
Ignite Christian Academy has year long enrollment, so you don’t have to wait until the next school year to start. The cost for high school is $349 a month or $3367 a year. Students will have personalized lesson plans and courses in math, science, language arts, history, geography and bible study. They may also choose from over 75 elective options. Once your student is ready to graduate, they will receive a fully accredited high school diploma.
Oak Meadow Online Virtual School
Oak Meadow is a popular curriculum used in many homeschools, but did you know they also have an accredited distance learning school? Oak Meadow offers an online virtual school for all ages. For high school, the cost is broken down by course. Since a typical student will take 4 to 5 courses a year, the tuition will be around $10,000 a year. They do have some discount and payment plan options that you can look into.
Oak Meadow is a secular school, which can be harder to find as far as online virtual schools and even homeschool curriculums go. The Oak Meadow virtual school will use the same curriculum that would be used if you were teaching it yourself, but students will communicate with teachers and receive feedback on their assignments. Oak Meadow will maintain records and issue a diploma once students meet their graduation requirements. You can start Oak Meadow at any time, as the course work is done independently and you can create your own schedule that fits your needs.
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Enlightium Academy
Another popular Christian online virtual high school is Enlightium Academy. You can enroll at any time, and there are several pricing options, from their most basic package, the bronze package, to their most all inclusive, the diamond package. Prices range from just over $1000 to almost $7000 a year depending on the package you select. So be sure to understand all of the options that are included before selecting one! Of course, each option has a 12 month payment plan to help spread out the cost. Or you can save by purchasing a full year up front.
Some of the more basic packages are designed to be parent led and are more of a homeschooling program than a virtual school. As you go up in pricing levels, you will have access to more teacher involvement as well as virtual instruction. They also have the option for dual enrollment for students to earn college credits will still in school.
Pearson Online Academy
Pearson Online Academy is a fully accredited online private school offering part time or full time enrollment. While they do follow an academic school year, students can enroll at any time during the year. High school tuition is $7,700 a year, or you can save 10% by paying in full up front. There is also a one time non-refundable application fee of $200.
While most of the courses are designed to be done independently, they do have some live online classes as well. Pearson also offers honors and advanced placement courses. Students will have a personalized learning plan, and access to real teachers and guidance counselors. All work is graded by their teacher. In order to graduate, students will need a minimum of 21 credits in courses such as language arts, math, science, social studies, history, and several electives.
Laurel Springs School
Another online private school to consider is Laurel Springs School. Laurel Springs offers rolling enrollment, so students can apply at any time of year, and a flexible schedule so they can pursue outside interests. They also offer a variety of extracurricular opportunities, such as Model UN, the National Honors Society, virtual field trips and in person events around the world.
The cost for full time enrollment for high school at Laurel Springs is $9,900 per year. If you want their college preparatory program, that costs $15,700 per year, and includes their AP Capstone diploma program and the opportunity for dual enrollment to earn college credits. They also offer some discounts and payment plan options.
Students are allowed to set their own schedule and work at their own pace. They will receive a personalized learning plan, guidance from counselors, and access to clubs and activities. There are also international travel opportunities available.
Keystone School Virtual High School
Last on our list of the 10 best online schools for high school is The Keystone School. The Keystone School is an online virtual private school for students from k through 12th grade. The lessons consist of video instruction, written instruction (with a read aloud option) guided and independent practice, and reviews.
The Keystone School charges tuition per course. A high school student will typically take about 5 to 6 courses per year, so this will run somewhere between $1800 and $2800 a year. If you happen to live in Arizona, you can get this for free!
The courses consist of the basics such as language arts, math, science and social studies, plus one elective per year. They also offer advanced placement and dual enrollment options.
Best Online School for High School
So there’s my overview of 10 of the best online schools for high school. So which is the best of the best, and which is the worst? Let’s start with the best.
For me personally, if I were going to enroll my kids in an online virtual school, and I could afford to, I’d choose Sora Schools. I just like how student focused it is. In my family we do child led learning, meaning my kids get to pick what they want to study and learn about. I think Sora Schools would be an amazing opportunity for any child who really wants to take charge of their education and follow their passions and interests while preparing for their future.
If your child needs more of a structured environment, then I’d go with Liberty University or Laurel Springs School.
Worst Online High Schools
And now for the worst on the list. And you may disagree, but for me, the worst has to be Acellus Academy. It’s not that their curriculum is bad or anything, but you’re basically getting the same thing as Power Homeschool, and just paying a premium for them to issue a diploma. This is probably fine if you want to save some money and don’t know a lot about homeschooling. But if you’re a seasoned homeschooler, then you know that you don’t need this in order for your child to go to college. You can issue your own homeschool transcript and have your child take whatever standardized tests the college requires.
So if you’re looking for a real online virtual school, this isn’t really it. And while it’s brand new, I’d say the same goes for Mia Prep. I have a feeling their online high school is going to be very similar to the Mia Prep online homeschooling program. You’ll just be paying more for the credits to earn a diploma from an accredited school.
What online virtual high schools did I miss? Should I make a part 2? Let me know in the comments.
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