An Accredited Texas Online High School for College-Bound Students
Laurel Springs is a private online school serving Texas students in grades K-12, with dual accreditation from Cognia and WASC. This accredited online high school pairs a college-prep online curriculum with certified teachers, one-on-one counseling, and flexible scheduling. Online learning here is built around the student rather than around a bell schedule, and every student who finishes with us earns a high school diploma and an official transcript.
Proudly accredited by:
Why Texas Families Choose Laurel Springs
Families across Texas turn to online learning for different reasons: a training or competition calendar that collides with a traditional school day, coursework a local campus does not offer, or a move that interrupts a school year. Personalized learning at Laurel Springs is built to absorb all three.
- Asynchronous coursework available anytime, anywhere
- One-on-one support from certified teachers and counselors
- Over 300 courses spanning core subjects, electives, Honors, AP courses, and dual enrollment
- NCAA approved curriculum with dedicated Athletic Counseling
- The Academy hybrid program for grades 6-12
- Over 90 virtual clubs, honor societies, events and leadership opportunities
- Rolling admissions with start dates almost every Wednesday
We measure our online school by where our graduates land, not by how many students we enroll. Every graduate leaves with the same diploma, whether they joined in ninth grade or in twelfth.
Academic Outcomes
84%
of students were admitted to at least one of their top three schools
71%
of students were admitted to their top choice school
$195K+
average scholarship dollars awarded to the past three years of graduates
28%
of graduates were admitted to colleges and universities with acceptance rates below 25%
5
students received an AP Capstone certificate or diploma
Hear From Our Students
“One thing that I really love about being at Laurel Springs is being able to set my own pace and make my own schedule. When I’m traveling, I don’t really do that much online work for Laurel Springs because I just need to be in the zone, especially if I’m at a competition or something. It’s very rigorous and I need to make an effort to become better and put all my knowledge into my craft.”
Julia Jones
Class of 2022
“Stanford University was my ultimate goal in terms of academics and the game of golf. I’m excited to meet my teammates on the golf team and other ambitious students at Stanford.”
Ethan Gao
The Academy at Laurel Springs, Class of 2023
“Laurel Springs has really given me the freedom and opportunity to dance much more while still maintaining the education I’ve always wanted. The teachers, counselors, and staff have always been supportive in helping me navigate and manage my academic life.”
Madison Yueng
Class of 2021
Laurel Springs Welcomes Students From the Following Texas Districts
Texas Graduation Requirements and the Laurel Springs Diploma
The Texas Education Agency sets graduation rules for Texas public schools through the Foundation High School Program, the default plan for students who entered ninth grade in 2014-2015 and after. Those rules are periodically revised, so families comparing programs should confirm current requirements with the Texas Department of Education or with their local district.
Those rules govern public campuses. As a private school, Laurel Springs sets its own diploma requirements, and we build them to meet or exceed the foundation plan so our graduates are not at a disadvantage applying in state. Students arriving from another campus bring transfer credits with them, and our counselors evaluate that prior work individually so nothing completed is lost. Students who are behind can use credit recovery here, with rolling admissions and a five-month semester or ten-month year-long completion window.
An Accredited Diploma Compared to a GED
Texas issues a high school equivalency credential through the Texas Education Agency, known nationally as the GED and formally as the Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency. It exists for people who have left school and need a credential quickly, and for that purpose it does its job.
It’s not the same document as a high school diploma. A GED certifies that someone passed a set of subject tests. A diploma certifies four years of coursework reviewed by an outside accrediting body, with a transcript showing which courses were taken and how the student performed. Selective colleges, scholarship committees, and the NCAA read those two documents very differently, and a GED might close doors that a transcript keeps open.
Laurel Springs does not offer a GED. We grant accredited diplomas, and for a student who is behind but still college-bound, finishing a high school program is almost always the better path than testing out. If a student is two years behind at sixteen, the honest question is not diploma against equivalency. It’s whether a flexible high school program can reach a diploma on a workable timeline, and usually it can
Comparing Online Schools in Texas: Public and Private
Texas families weighing online high schools in Texas generally choose between two models. Tuition-free online public schools operate as public campuses or charters, funded by the state and open to residents. They are staffed by Texas-certified teachers, they follow the state testing calendar and enrollment windows, they serve students under IEPs, and many assign each family a success coach to monitor progress. For a family whose deciding factor is cost, a tuition-free program is the natural starting point, and that form of online education reaches a great many Texas students well.
Laurel Springs is a private online school, and tuition buys a different structure. Instead of class sizes set by a funding formula, teachers and counselors work with one student at a time on academic support, course selection, transcripts, and college preparation. There is no state testing calendar to build the year around and no enrollment window to wait for; a Laurel Springs student can begin their personal academic year on almost any Wednesday. Our deep course catalog includes Honors and over 24 AP courses; it is built for students aiming at selective colleges rather than for a statewide average.
The useful question is not which of these online schools costs less, since that answers itself. The better questions are how much individual attention does a student need and how much flexibility and choice should they have to aim high for college and career.
Tuition
As a private school, the full-time program at Laurel Springs is tuition-based. Current rates for full-time enrollment and for individual courses are listed on our tuition page. Laurel Springs is not currently eligible to accept funds through the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program.
Student-Athletes and Athletic Counseling
In Texas, a rigorous training or competition calendar for college-bound or pre-professional student athletes is one of the most common reasons families move to virtual learning. More than 40% of Laurel Springs students are student-athletes. Our courses are approved by the NCAA and we provided dedicated Athletic Counselors to support our student-athletes with course scheduling and NCAA eligibility requirements.
Flexible scheduling is what makes this workable. A student-athlete training mornings, traveling to meets, or rehabbing an injury can complete coursework around that schedule rather than against it. Students can transfer into Laurel Springs at any time of the year and flex their academic years and daily/weekly schedules to align with their athletic schedules.
Dual Enrollment and College Preparation
Dual enrollment allows a student to earn college credit by taking college courses while still enrolled in high school, and it is widely used across Texas. Laurel Springs partners with two universities to provide dual enrollment courses as part of Laurel Springs tuition. Students can begin taking dual enrollment courses through our partner universities as early as ninth grade if they are enrolled in The Academy, or in grades 11 and 12 if enrolled in our main full-time program.
Dual enrollment differs from AP courses. Both paths serve the same goal, and they serve it differently. AP courses are scored by a single exam and recognized nationally. Dual enrollment produces college credit on a college transcript. Our counselors help each family decide which mix fits the colleges a student is actually targeting.
Additional Online Programs at Laurel Springs
Online Elementary School in Texas:
Our elementary school serves K-5 with individualized instruction and dedicated teacher support.
Explore Online Elementary School
Online Middle School in Texas:
Asynchronous coursework preparing students for high school. Laurel Springs runs as a single K-12 online school, so a middle school student moves up without reapplying.
Explore Online Middle SchoolFrequently Asked Questions
Start Your Journey Today
Our Admissions team is here to guide your family through every step of enrolling at Laurel Springs online school.
