Do You Need a Degree to Homeschool in Minnesota?

The most common reason Minnesota parents hesitate to withdraw from public school is a single sentence they half-remember: "Minnesota requires a teaching license or a bachelor's degree." They assume they don't qualify, so they stay stuck in a school situation that isn't working.

That fear is understandable — Minnesota's instructor qualification rule is real, and it's stricter than most states. But it has five statutory pathways, and the baccalaureate route is only one of them. Most parents without a degree qualify through one of the alternatives. Here is what the statute actually says and what each pathway looks like in practice.

What Minnesota Law Actually Requires

Minnesota Statutes § 120A.22, Subd. 10 governs who may provide homeschool instruction in the state. The law lists five ways an instructor can qualify. Meeting any one of the five is sufficient — you do not need to meet all of them.

The five pathways are:

1. Hold a valid Minnesota teaching license in the field and for the grade level taught
2. Hold a baccalaureate (bachelor's) degree in any field
3. Be directly supervised by a person with a valid Minnesota teaching license
4. Provide instruction in a school accredited by an agency recognized under Minn. Stat. §123B.445
5. Be the parent of a child assessed under §120A.22, Subd. 11

Most online summaries only mention the baccalaureate and direct-supervision routes, which is why so many non-degreed parents believe they cannot legally homeschool. They can — the accredited-school and parent-assessment routes are additional statutory options.

Pathway 1: Valid Minnesota Teaching License

An instructor with a valid Minnesota teaching license in the field and for the grade level taught qualifies under this route. It is separate from the baccalaureate route.

Pathway 2: Bachelor's Degree

If you hold any four-year college degree — in any subject — you satisfy the instructor qualification requirement. The degree does not need to be in education. A parent with a degree in accounting, nursing, history, or anything else qualifies under this pathway.

This is the most straightforward pathway for parents who attended college. When you file the Initial Report with your resident superintendent, you provide the instructor information and evidence of one qualification. No particular field of study is required for the baccalaureate route.

If both parents hold degrees, either parent can serve as the primary instructor. The law does not require the instruction to come from a single person.

Pathway 3: Licensed Teacher Supervision

If neither parent holds a bachelor's degree, a common alternative is to arrange for a person holding a valid Minnesota teaching license to directly supervise the instruction. The statute requires direct supervision but does not set a weekly contact interval.

This is less onerous than it sounds. Many Minnesota homeschool co-ops and umbrella programs employ or contract with a licensed teacher to provide supervision for member families. The licensed teacher does not need to be present in your home every day or teach every subject; the required element is direct supervision.

Some families hire a retired teacher or a current public school teacher who does private consulting. Others join a co-op where the licensed supervisor covers all member families collectively. The cost varies widely depending on the arrangement, but this pathway is accessible to families in most parts of the state.

One important detail: the licensed supervisor's involvement should be documented in your records. Keep the supervisor's identity and records showing the direct-supervision arrangement; the Initial Report still must include evidence of the qualification.

Pathway 4: Accredited School

This is the pathway most parents without degrees do not know about, and it is often the cleanest solution.

If instruction is provided in a school accredited by an agency recognized under Minn. Stat. §123B.445, the instructor qualification route is satisfied through that accredited school rather than through the parent's personal degree.

The Home-Based Educators' Accrediting Association (HBEAA) is identified in the research as an accreditation option. Its annual fee is approximately $450 as of 2025. An accredited-school arrangement can:

• Satisfies the instructor qualification requirement under Subd. 10
• An exemption from Minnesota's annual standardized testing requirement when the school or person is accredited by a recognized agency
• Access to HBEAA's support resources and documentation templates

The testing exemption alone is significant. Minnesota requires non-accredited homeschoolers in the statutory age range to use a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement examination each year. A recognized accreditation route eliminates that annual testing requirement.

For non-degreed parents who also prefer not to navigate the annual testing process, an accredited-school route can address both issues at once.

Pathway 5: Parent-Assessment Route

Minnesota law also recognizes the parent of a child assessed under §120A.22, Subd. 11, as an instructor qualification route. This is distinct from the baccalaureate, license, direct-supervision, and accredited-school routes.

This route connects the instructor qualification to the statutory assessment provisions. Keep the assessment and supporting records required for your situation.

What "Instructor" Means Under the Statute

There is a legitimate question about who the qualification requirement applies to. The statute uses the word "instructor," which has led to some debate.

The practical interpretation followed by most Minnesota homeschool families and broadly accepted by districts: the qualification requirement applies to whoever is serving as the primary instructor. If a parent with a bachelor's degree is the primary instructor, that parent satisfies the requirement. If a non-degreed parent is the primary instructor, they need to meet one of the other pathways.

The statute was not written to disqualify parents from teaching their own children. The alternative pathways — a valid license, direct supervision, an accredited school, and the parent-assessment route — exist because not all parents hold degrees or licenses. A non-degreed parent who uses one of those routes and keeps the required records can comply with the law.

Filing the Initial Report and Continuing Letter of Intent

Whichever pathway you use, the Initial Report to the resident superintendent must include the instructor information and evidence of one qualification route. A continuing Letter of Intent is due October 1 each school year and reports changes to the previously submitted information.

The Initial Report includes:

• The child's name, birth date, and address
• The intended annual test, if required
• Each instructor's name and evidence of one qualification
• Immunization records under Minn. Stat. §121A.15 or a notarized conscientious exemption

The superintendent may collect the required information electronically but cannot require electronic submission. Keep supporting qualification, testing, and educational records at home.

Getting the Withdrawal Right First

Before the qualification question becomes relevant, you need to formally withdraw your child from public school. Minnesota does not require advance permission to withdraw. Give the school written notice as a record, then file the Initial Report with the resident superintendent within 15 days of a qualifying withdrawal. The Initial Report is the statutory filing.

The Minnesota Legal Withdrawal Blueprint at /us/minnesota/withdrawal/ covers the withdrawal process step by step — what to submit, when to submit it, how to handle a district that pushes back, and how to structure your records from day one regardless of which instructor qualification pathway you use. If you are still deciding whether to withdraw or figuring out the sequence of steps, that is the right place to start.

The Short Answer

No, you do not need a degree to homeschool in Minnesota. A bachelor's degree is one pathway under § 120A.22 Subd. 10, but there are four others. The most practical options for non-degreed parents are direct supervision by a valid Minnesota licensed teacher, instruction in an accredited school such as an HBEAA arrangement, or the parent-assessment route. These pathways are legal and compatible with a range of curriculum or teaching approaches.

See more Minnesota guides →