BJU Press homeschool curriculum is not accredited on its own, but BJU Press offers an enrollment program called The Academy of Home Education that provides regional accreditation for students in grades 1 through 12. The distinction matters: simply purchasing BJU Press textbooks and teaching materials does not make your homeschool accredited. You need to enroll in the Academy program and meet its requirements to receive that accredited status.
How the Academy of Home Education Works
The Academy of Home Education is a separate service from the BJU Press curriculum catalog. It is designed for families already using BJU Press materials and provides two tiers of support: standard homeschool record keeping and regional accreditation. If accreditation is your goal, you would enroll in the accredited track, which means your student’s coursework, grades, and transcripts are overseen and validated through the Academy rather than maintained informally at home.
This program covers grades 1 through 12, so families can begin early and maintain a continuous accredited record through high school graduation. That continuity can simplify things when it comes time to produce transcripts for college applications or transfer to a traditional school.
Why Accreditation Matters for Homeschoolers
Accreditation is a formal review process where an independent organization evaluates a school’s academic standards, curriculum, and operations. When a homeschool program is regionally accredited, it signals to colleges, employers, and other schools that the coursework meets recognized educational benchmarks.
For many homeschool families, accreditation becomes most important during two moments: transferring credits to another school and applying to college. Some colleges and universities accept transcripts from non-accredited homeschools without issue, especially if the student has strong standardized test scores. Others prefer or require transcripts from an accredited program. Having an accredited transcript removes one potential friction point in the admissions process.
Accreditation can also matter if your family moves frequently or if your student may transition into a brick-and-mortar school at some point. Schools are generally more willing to accept transfer credits when they come from an accredited source.
BJU Press Curriculum vs. the Academy
It helps to understand what you are actually buying. BJU Press sells textbooks, video courses, and teaching materials that any homeschool family can purchase and use independently. Thousands of families use BJU Press materials without enrolling in the Academy. In that case, the parent is the sole authority on grading, record keeping, and transcript creation, and there is no accreditation attached.
The Academy of Home Education adds a layer of institutional oversight on top of that curriculum. When you enroll, the Academy tracks your student’s progress, maintains official records, and issues transcripts and diplomas that carry the weight of its accreditation. Think of it as the difference between teaching your child at home with good materials and teaching your child at home through a recognized school program.
Bob Jones Academy Diploma Tracks
Bob Jones Academy, the on-campus school affiliated with Bob Jones University, offers two high school diploma tracks that give a sense of the academic expectations within the BJU ecosystem. The college prep track is designed for students planning to pursue a four-year degree. The general track is geared toward students heading into associate degree programs or careers that do not require a bachelor’s degree. Both tracks include core requirements in areas like physical education, world language, personal finance, and electives.
Qualifying juniors and seniors at the Academy can also earn dual credit by enrolling in Bob Jones University courses, which lets students get a head start on college while still finishing high school. Whether similar dual credit options extend to Academy of Home Education students depends on the specific enrollment terms, so that is worth confirming directly with BJU Press if it interests you.
What to Consider Before Enrolling
Before signing up for the accredited track, think about whether you actually need accreditation. If your state’s homeschool laws are flexible, your student plans to attend a college that accepts homeschool portfolios, and you are comfortable maintaining your own records, you may not need to pay for the Academy’s services. Many homeschool families operate successfully without accreditation for the entire K-12 journey.
On the other hand, if you want the security of an independent transcript, plan to apply to schools that prefer accredited records, or simply want the structure of having someone else manage the paperwork, the Academy of Home Education fills that role. The accredited track does require you to follow specific guidelines for coursework and reporting, so you will trade some of the flexibility of independent homeschooling for the credibility that accreditation provides.
Enrollment costs, deadlines, and specific requirements for the accredited track can change from year to year. Contact BJU Press directly for current pricing and to confirm exactly what the accredited enrollment includes for your student’s grade level.