Curriculum & Method
Apologia vs BJU Press Science: Which Christian Science Curriculum?
Apologia vs BJU Press science compared: depth vs survey, notebooking vs textbooks, high school labs, cost, and Arizona ESA notes.
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Spotlighted programs in this guide
Amor Dei Academy - Tempe
Amor Dei Academy is a Christian K–12 academic and enrichment homeschool drop off program offering classes from 9:00am - 4:00pm. Families can choose from flexible à la carte classes designed to fit their homeschool needs, with engaging academic and enrichment options available for every grade level.
FeaturedFamily Focused Tutors
Family Focused Tutors is a Christian online tutoring company dedicated to providing personalized one-on-one instruction that helps students thrive academically while supporting families every step of the way. We specialize in serving homeschool families, virtual learners, and traditional school students by offering flexible, individualized educational support that fits each child's unique learning needs. Our mission is to partner with parents to cultivate confident learners who are equipped to reach their God-given potential. Unlike traditional tutoring centers, every session is conducted live online, allowing students to receive high-quality instruction from the comfort of home. Families can work with experienced Christian tutors regardless of where they live, making expert educational support both convenient and accessible. We understand that every homeschool journey is different, which is why we offer three levels of support to meet the needs of every family. Students can receive Homework Help ($35/hour) for assistance with assignments and difficult concepts, Homeschool Instruction ($40/hour) for families looking for a teacher to provide direct instruction using their curriculum, or Remediation & Intervention ($45/hour) for students who need specialized support to close learning gaps and build foundational skills. Every lesson is personalized to the student's learning style, pace, and academic goals. Our team of caring, highly qualified educators provides instruction in mathematics, reading, language arts, writing, science, history, Spanish, and many other subjects. Whether families need occasional academic support, consistent homeschool instruction, or intensive intervention, our tutors develop customized learning plans that help students gain confidence and achieve measurable progress. Family Focused Tutors proudly serves families across the United States and is an approved Education Savings Account (ESA) provider in multiple states, allowing many families to use their ESA funds to pay for eligible tutoring services. We continue to expand our scholarship and ESA partnerships so that more families have access to affordable, high-quality Christian education. As a faith-based organization, we strive to honor Christ in everything we do. While academic excellence is our primary focus, we also seek to encourage integrity, perseverance, kindness, and a lifelong love of learning. We believe education is most successful when parents and educators work together, which is why we prioritize strong communication, personalized instruction, and lasting relationships with every family we serve. At Family Focused Tutors, we are more than a tutoring company—we are a trusted educational partner committed to helping students succeed academically while supporting homeschool families with flexible, Christ-centered online learning.
If you have already decided on your math and language arts and science is the question, this is the comparison you need. Apologia and BJU Press both make excellent Christian science curriculum, but they are built on different teaching philosophies.
(Choosing a whole curriculum, not just science? Start with our broader Apologia vs BJU Press comparison instead. For the full science field, see the Christian homeschool science curriculum guide.)
The one-sentence difference
Apologia science is a conversational, Charlotte Mason-style, one-topic-per-year program written directly to the student. BJU Press science is a traditional, colorful, survey-style program with a teacher-led or video-taught format.
Head-to-head comparison
| Factor | Apologia Science | BJU Press Science |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary model | One topic in depth all year (astronomy, zoology, botany, etc.) | Survey of many topics each year |
| Writing style | Conversational, first-person, written to the student | Traditional textbook, engaging and colorful |
| Teaching | Parent reads and runs experiments (elementary); independent (high school) | Teacher-led with manual, or video course |
| Labs | Hands-on experiments with household or kit items | Experiments plus optional lab kits |
| Worldview | Young-earth creation, explicit | Young-earth creation, integrated |
| Multi-age | Excellent; K-6 courses teach the whole family together | Grade-leveled |
| Notebooking | Central (notebooking journals) | Activity manuals |
| Best fit | Deep-dive, read-aloud, multi-age families | Structured, grade-leveled, video-option families |
The elementary difference: depth vs breadth
This is the real fork in the road.
Apologia's Young Explorer Series spends an entire year on one subject, for example Zoology 1 (flying creatures) or Astronomy. Your child develops genuine expertise, keeps a notebooking journal, and does frequent hands-on activities. Because the same book works for grades K-6 (with junior journals for littles), you teach all your elementary kids science at once.
BJU Press science surveys the whole field each year at increasing depth: life science, earth science, physical science, and health rotate through the grades. The textbooks are colorful and current, the teacher editions are supportive, and the video courses let a BJU teacher run the class.
Families who want science to be the family read-aloud subject pick Apologia. Families who want a grade-leveled, school-like science course pick BJU.
High school
Both publishers offer full, lab-based high school sequences that count as lab sciences for college admissions.
Apologia high school courses (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Marine Biology, Advanced Placement tracks) are written to the student and designed for independence, with rigorous lab work and formal lab reports.
BJU Press high school science offers the same core subjects with textbook, teacher-led, or accredited video delivery. If you want an accredited transcript line or you do not want to supervise chemistry labs alone, the BJU video option is a genuine advantage.
Cost
Apologia: textbook plus notebooking journal per child, plus optional lab kits. Textbooks are non-consumable and reusable across siblings.
BJU: textbook and activity manual per child; video courses are per-subject subscriptions. Print materials have a healthy used market.
Arizona ESA notes
Apologia is a registered ClassWallet vendor and one of the most commonly reimbursed Christian science curricula in Arizona. BJU Press academic courses are widely used with ESA as well. Confirm the specific items in ClassWallet before ordering. See which Christian curriculum is ESA approved.
Arizona programs that use these curricula
Programs using Apologia
- Amor Dei Academy - Anthem
- Amor Dei Academy - Tempe
- Ignite Homeschool Ministries
- Redeemer Christian School - Homeschool Program
- Family Focused Tutors
Programs using BJU Press
Who should choose Apologia Science
Choose Apologia if you want deep, one-topic-per-year elementary science; you have multiple children to teach together; you love notebooking and read-aloud-style learning; or your co-op already uses it (many Arizona co-ops do).
Who should choose BJU Press Science
Choose BJU if you want a grade-leveled survey approach, colorful modern textbooks, supportive teacher materials, or an accredited video course for high school lab sciences.
Related guides
More programs in this guide
Amor Dei Academy - Anthem
Amor Dei Academy is a Christian K–12 academic and enrichment homeschool drop off program offering classes from 9:00am - 4:00pm. Families can choose from flexible à la carte classes designed to fit their homeschool needs, with engaging academic and enrichment options available for every grade level.
Ignite Homeschool Ministries
Ignite Homeschool Ministries is a non-profit organization in Phoenix, Arizona designed to support and partner with homeschooling families on their journeys…but this is not your average co-op. We offer group tutoring classes with highly qualified, Jesus-loving tutors in every subject, and community events for the whole family including our Embers Youth Group and high school dances. We are also passionate about developing young leaders through our FireStarters student leadership team.
Redeemer Christian School - Homeschool Program
Redeemer Christian School is an accredited classical and Christian K-12 school in Mesa, established in 1980, serving Christian families. The school offers a homeschool enrichment drop-in program. Homeschooling families can enroll in select RCS classes (Latin, Music, P.E., History-Bible-Literature core, Logic, HS Spanish, electives, etc.) taught by school faculty from a Christian worldview using classical techniques. Homeschool students may also participate in field trips, music, drama, sports, and standardized testing alongside full-time students.
Phoenix Christian School PreK-8
Serving PreK through 8th grade students and families in the Valley since 1959. They offer faith-based early-childhood education as the entry point into an established Christian day-school program. The mission of Phoenix Christian School PreK-8 is to partner with Christian homes and Christian churches to educate children for lives of loving and obedient service to God, His kingdom, and all humankind.
Dawn Treader Academy
A Classical, Christ-Centered K-12 School for the West Valley. OUR VISION Dawn Treader Academy exists to honor Christ by forming students who carry His mission into the world as competent and faithful ambassadors of His Kingdom. OUR MISSION We partner with families to build a community where every student belongs – educating them in the Great Books and the Western Christian tradition, forming Biblical character alongside academic rigor, so our graduates leave informed of the past, conversant with the present, and equipped for whatever lies ahead. WHAT TO EXPECT A classical curriculum built on the Great Books and the Western Christian tradition, drawing on respected providers such as Memoria Press. Every subject taught from a Biblical worldview Grades K-12, organized in grade bands, with mixed-grade instruction A covenantal admission model for families actively living out the Christian faith. Opening Monday, August 10, 2026 Dawn Treader Academy is an approved ESA vendor through ClassWallet
Ms Gaona LLC
At Ms Gaona LLC, our mission is to provide authentic, immersive Spanish education through structured group classes and premium mobile instruction. A typical week includes vibrant, interactive lessons at our learning center, coupled with tailored on-location sessions. We proudly serve dedicated families seeking high-quality language fluency and cultural enrichment. Our biggest goal is to break the language barrier, share our culture, and expand our community through immersive Spanish and language classes. We focus on practical conversation tailored to every need—serving all ages, goals, and travel or family levels. Our standout feature is our popular 32-week course, offered via premium mobile, online and center-based programs.
Curriculums covered in this guide
Tap any publisher for its full profile, teaching philosophy, and Arizona ESA notes.
Apologia
Apologia Educational Ministries
Christian science and worldview curriculum for elementary through high school. The Exploring Creation series is a homeschool standard for biology, chemistry, and physics.
BJU Press
BJU Press
Christian K-12 textbook and video curriculum from Bob Jones University. Strong academics, biblical worldview integration, and well-known science and history programs.
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This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm current rules with the Arizona Department of Education before acting.