High schools are traditionally places where students go each day, rotating through classes, speaking with friends, and having the experience that’s been immortalized on screen in many films and TV shows. This is a digital age however, and there are options for high school that aren’t in person. Online high schools are nothing new, but they are still not exactly mainstream, even as they grow in popularity.
In this article, we’re going to look at online high schools; what they are, how they work, and the kinds of students they serve. Our goal is to explore this in detail, so that you might be able to decide if one of these schools is the right fit for your needs. Not every student will benefit from one of these schools, but students always benefit from having more options, and knowing exactly what those options entail.
What Online High Schools Are
Online high schools follow several different models; the one commonality is that all of them allow students to take classes at a distance, without being physically present in a school building. How exactly that works varies; here are the most common styles of instruction and engagement:
- Synchronous: Classes are given at set times over video call or some other method, with students logging on to take the course and do work in it.
- Asynchronous: Classes are pre-recorded, and may be accessed and reviewed by students at any time. Asynchronous coursework offers much more flexibility, but also has less structure.
- Individual: Students work one-on-one with a teacher or tutor to do their work, or work alone.
- Group: A teacher instructs a whole group of students, just as in a more traditional high school.
Some schools offer only a single format, but many are a mix of synchronous and asynchronous courses, group work and individual instruction. The exact blend of offering depends on the school. We recommend figuring out which styles work best for you when you are picking an online high school to enroll in; since it’s all digital, there is a lot of freedom of choice, and you should look for one suited to your specific needs and learning style.Ìý
Accreditation
Online high schools are accredited in the same manner as regular high schools. Generally, accreditation is awarded on a state by state basis. A school may be accredited in a particular state despite not being based there. Make sure any online school you consider or enroll in is accredited in your state; a degree from a non-accredited institution isn’t worth anything.
Pros and Cons of Online High Schools
Many of these pros and cons are situational; what is an appealing feature for one student may be utterly unacceptable for another. We’ll go through a list of each, to help you understand the potential benefits and drawbacks of this style of education.
Pros
- Health: Schools do try to keep students safe, but cold and flu season hits students hard each year. It’s much easier to avoid catching a cold if you’re never in a room with people.
- Existing Issues: Students with chronic health or injury concerns are much better able to navigate schools from their own homes.
- Flexibility: While synchronous lessons are at set times, asynchronous courses allow students to learn at their own pace, and to do so at times of their choosing.
- Options: Online high schools are often able to offer far more classes than in person ones, and at a higher range of ability levels, letting students pick from many advanced subjects they otherwise couldn’t access.
- Notes: Especially for asynchronous courses, the lectures and notes can be accessed and reassessed at any time, letting students review at their own pace until they have properly mastered subjects.Ìý
Cons:
- Socialization: Even in synchronous courses, there is far less ability to bond with and learn from classmates in online courses, and it is far harder to make friends through school when all of the classes are virtual.
- Distractions: While schools have distractions of their own, students need to be incredibly self-disciplined to be able to focus solely on their lessons and work while at home.
- Some subjects require physical experiences for the full experience, especially in the hard sciences where labs must be done using specialized equipment.
- While cheating happens in all school environments, there is often a significantly lower barrier to cheating in online courses. We do trust your academic integrity, but the temptation is always there, and it is much more difficult for teachers to monitor students’ behaviour in online coursework.
- The quality of online learning options is highly variable; while some are excellent, some are substandard, and it can be difficult for those who are not education professionals already to know which is which before selecting and experiencing one.
- There are rarely any of the secondary activities a school offers. The point of a high school is not band, nor football, nor Model UN, but those things still make up a large part of the experience, and online schools are unable to offer that.
These schools are not all good or all bad; as with all educational options, they offer specific things which meet certain situations. The real trick is evaluating these programs individually, as you would any other school you seek to attend, to see if their offerings match your needs.
How to Evaluate Online High Schools
To help you understand how to evaluate these schools, we’re going to look at a number of examples, analyze their offerings, and see how well they can serve certain students. These schools may or may not be a good fit for you; our goal in this analysis is to give you some examples of good schools, and to demonstrate how to weigh the options they offer.
This is an independent online high school for students in grades 7-12 for students around the world. It is run from within Stanford University (from which its name derives). It is a separate unit from the university, and attending the Online High School (OHS) does not increase your chances of acceptance to Stanford, but it is well regarded for its academic rigor.
The school offers courses in all core academic subjects. While they used to offer AP coursework, they discontinued doing so in the 2024-25 academic year. They do offer a significant amount of university-level coursework, what used to be categorized as post-AP. They are able to do this due to their connection with Stanford, and the resources of that university.
The school currently enrolls just under a thousand students. The courses they offer are synchronous and discussion-based, led by an instructor. This can be challenging for overseas students depending on time zone, but they do enroll a significant number of international students. All students are placed in courses based on their individual capacity in that subject; each student’s schedule is unique, to ensure they are adequately challenged by all of the courses they are taking.
OHS is competitive for admissions, and has a similar application process to many other independent high schools. You must apply (as you might expect for an online school). The application requires transcripts, two essays, five short answer questions, two letters of recommendation, a writing sample, and a parent questionnaire. Standardized test scores are accepted, but are optional.
for OHS is $31,900 annually at the time of writing. Tuition is consistent across all grade levels. For many online programs tuition is cheaper; in this case, due to the fully synchronous coursework and the level of instructor support, the tuition is commensurate to what you would find at many other independent high schools.
OHS is an excellent choice for students who want to pursue the most advanced courses possible in high school, and who will benefit from a very rigorous personalized curriculum. The cost is steep, but commensurate to what you will find for most independent high schools. It isn’t the most flexible option, but they are one of the strongest academically.
Most commonly abbreviated FLVS, this is a public online school for students in grades K-12 run by the state of Florida. This was the first ever public online high school in the US, and currently exists as its own school district within Florida, serving Floridian students in every district in the state. Each state offers their own virtual school options, and like regular public schools, they only serve students in the state. You may only attend FLVS for free if you are a resident of Florida, as it is funded by state taxes. Students outside the state may enroll and pay tuition.
Students may enroll in FLVS full-time, or use the courses to supplement the education they are pursuing as homeschooled students. The FLEX program allows students to enroll in courses on a rolling basis through the school year, to supplement the other coursework they are pursuing. Note that if you enroll in the school part-time, then it does not grant a diploma or allow you to graduate from the program, though courses can be added to your high school or homeschool diploma.
If you enroll full-time, then the school functions like a traditional school, following the Florida school year calendar. Students in any grade K-12 can do this, and graduates are awarded a diploma like any other graduate of a Florida high school.
Most of the courses they offer, with students allowed to complete work at their own pace. There are still set deadlines for work, as the school follows the same schedule as the school year, but students may read the textbooks and review lessons at their own pace. There are some synchronous resources available, but almost all of the course offerings from FLVS are asynchronous.
FLVS offers a of courses, both standard level and honors. They offer a full suite of AP courses; students taking AP courses through the program may sign up for and take AP exams at their local high school if they wish. There are limited advanced courses which go beyond what the AP classes offer, and career and technical courses are limited to those without significant physical components. That said, the courses they offer are the equivalent of any other public school you have access to in Florida.
Is an Online High School Right for You?
This is a personal choice, but we’re going to go through some groups of students who tend to benefit most from what online high schools offer. Your own educational journey should be tailored to your needs, to best support your strengths and interests.
Homeschooled Students
The obvious use case, and indeed the most common users of online coursework are homeschooled students. These students often choose a range of schools, rather than simply enrolling in one, but programs like FLVS Flex specifically support that approach, allowing you to enroll in only a few classes.
This is best to supplement subjects where you want to go in more depth, or if you want to take traditional AP courses. Many students are homeschooled in order to gain access to specific curriculums and subjects, and so you may not like what the public schools in your area offer, but online schools let you draw on curriculums from other states, or from private providers.
Artists and Athletes
The other primary group who benefits from online schools are those students who are already fully devoted to an extracurricular. This is most common for gymnasts and figure skaters in athletics, and actors and dancers on the artistic side. These students have long hours of training each day; while this can be done while enrolled in a standard school, in some cases you need far more flexibility in scheduling than a standard high school affords.
These students are most likely to benefit from asynchronous enrollment, since they place a premium on the flexibility this affords. While these students tend to be most dedicated to their primary pursuit, they still benefit from, and need, academic rigor to prepare them for college, and the later stages of their careers. Students in major metropolitan areas may have access to specialized high schools devoted to arts or athletics, but those who aren’t can benefit highly from the flexibility of these schools.
Students With Health Concerns
High schools are governed by the ADA, and must make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. That said, students with certain health concerns may find it prohibitively difficult to attend or participate in in-person schools. While you may have online offerings from your own district, you can also look into other online high schools to find the one which offers you exactly what you’re looking for from a school curriculum.
Final Thoughts
Online high schools are much like their in person counterparts, in that they can vary a lot in terms of what they can offer, and how good those offerings are. There are unique positives and drawbacks, but for some students, the flexibility offered by online courses is exactly what they need to prosper. We hope that this article has let you understand how online high schools work, and where one might fit into your educational journey.
If you are looking for advice on your high school journey, and help evaluating which schools and programs are the best fit for your needs, then ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø can help. Our mentors are adept at understanding a student’s needs, and determining how best they can position themselves for academic success, now and in the future. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more, we’re always happy to hear from you.
