Oak Meadow vs Laurel Springs School
Quick answer: Oak Meadow (waldorf-inspired, nature-based) and Laurel Springs School (online school) differ in the fields below. The table uses only facts from each official page, checked October 17, 2026. Unknown means we could not verify it.
| Oak Meadow | Laurel Springs School | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Online Schools | Online Schools |
| Independent average | No numeric independent rating | No numeric independent rating |
| Price as shown | Oak Meadow School full-year enrollment: Kindergarten $3,509 ($2,870 tuition + $639 materials); 1st grade $3,577 | Full-year: Elementary $7,200; Middle $8,300; High $11,700; Academy MS $12,650; Academy HS $17,250 |
| Starting figure | $3,509.00 | $7,200.00 |
| Grades | PreK-12 | K-12 |
| Accreditation | Accredited distance school (per site) | Accredited private online school (per site) |
| Faith | Secular | Secular |
| Styles | waldorf-inspired, nature-based | online school |
| Parent time (estimate) | low | low |
Oak Meadow listing · Laurel Springs School listing · Open in the compare tool
How they differ in approach
- Shared: no listed styles in common.
- Only Oak Meadow: waldorf-inspired, nature-based.
- Only Laurel Springs School: online school.
- waldorf-inspired: Waldorf-inspired days lean on story, art, movement, and a gentler early pace.
- nature-based: Nature-based programs treat the outdoors as part of the lesson, not a reward after the workbook.
- online school: An online school enrolls a child as a student. Teachers or the school usually keep grades. Families give up some control of the clock in exchange for a lighter teaching load.
How to decide
- Pick the style first. The shape of Tuesday matters more than the brand.
- Check the total for your children, including books and shipping, on each official site.
- Use samples or placement tests before you buy a year.
- Make sure records match your state's official source.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Oak Meadow or Laurel Springs School?
Prices as shown on October 17, 2026: Oak Meadow: Oak Meadow School full-year enrollment: Kindergarten $3,509 ($2,870 tuition + $639 materials); 1st grade $3,577 Laurel Springs School: Full-year: Elementary $7,200; Middle $8,300; High $11,700; Academy MS $12,650; Academy HS $17,250 Where a price is unknown, or where one figure is a kit and the other is a year, compare current quotes directly. We do not invent a winner.
Is Oak Meadow or Laurel Springs School accredited?
Oak Meadow: Accredited distance school (per site) Laurel Springs School: Accredited private online school (per site)
Are Oak Meadow and Laurel Springs School religious or secular?
Oak Meadow: Secular. Laurel Springs School: Secular.
Can I switch from one to the other mid-year?
Usually yes. Homeschool materials are not a school calendar. Use each provider's placement test, if one is offered. Math programs in particular sequence topics differently, so a grade number in one series is not a grade number in the other.
What each listing says
Oak Meadow is a secular, Waldorf-inspired, nature-based distance school for PreK–12. The school’s tuition page lists full-year kindergarten enrollment at $3,509, made of $2,870 tuition plus $639 materials, and 1st grade at $3,577. The starting figure is the kindergarten total. Older grades are not that price. The site calls it an accredited distance school. Delivery in our notes is parent-directed even though it is filed as an online school: the family still carries a gentle, hands-on day. Our involvement estimate is low relative to a parent-written curriculum, and you should still read the daily rhythm before you assume the school teaches every hour. Ask what the accreditation covers for the grade you need.
Laurel Springs School is a secular accredited private online school for K–12, per its site. Full-year tuition on the page we checked is $7,200 for elementary, $8,300 for middle, $11,700 for high school, $12,650 for Academy middle school, and $17,250 for Academy high school. The starting figure is the elementary full-year price. High school and Academy are different numbers. Delivery is tagged parent-directed in our notes even though teachers are part of an online school; read the daily schedule so you know who grades the work. Our involvement estimate is low. Compare elementary tuition with elementary tuition at Oak Meadow or Seton, not with a single math workbook.
This page does not score a winner. Paid placement, if either listing has it, is labeled Sponsored and does not change the cells. The independent average is a separate number from third-party ratings. It is not a CurriculumQuiz score. Read the methodology for how that average is calculated, then open each official site before you buy. A kit, a monthly plan, and a school tuition are different purchases. Where either program has an alternatives page, it is linked from that program's listing.