A number of national, international and topic-based studies have been made of Waldorf education. In 2005, British educational researchers Philip Woods, Martin Ashley and Glenys Woods evaluated Steiner-Waldorf schools for the United Kingdom's Department for Education and Skills. As part of their study, the authors evaluated the state of research as of 2005 and said

"The research studies reviewed give a cumulative sense of a positive relationship between Steiner schools and learning, achievement and pupils' development of academic, creative, social and other capabilities important in the holistic growth of the person. The research evidence has to be interpreted with caution, however. Studies are often small scale and conducted in different cultural and national contexts that may affect the confidence with which findings can be generalized to other settings. Overall, there is a lack of rigorous research on the impact of Steiner school education on learning and achievement and little research which systematically compares Steiner and mainstream schools."

2003 California State University study on science literacy of Waldorf-educated students A 2003 study conducted by David Jelinek and Li-Ling Sun, both of the College of Education at CalState - Sacramento, investigated empirically the quality of science education at a series of Waldorf schools. They also examined the curriculum of the first Waldorf school as designed by Rudolf Steiner. These curricula were evaluated in comparison to the traditional criteria of Experiential learning, Developmentalism, Spiral curriculum, Triarchic intelligence, and Multiple intelligences. The authors also used a number of cognitive and academic tests to evaluate the performance of Waldorf-educated students in comparison to age-matched public school-educated peers. Attempts were made to remove the influence of researcher bias by involving analysts with no prior Waldorf background and by using multiple methods to gather quantitative and qualitative data, which was then analyzed using a variety of different statistical measures including central tendency, variability, frequency distributions, correlations, regression, t-tests and chi-square tests.

The results of Jelinek and Sun's study are complex. For one, it became clear to the study authors early on that Waldorf schools do not match the national standards for science education well. That being said, they also described that there were some benefits of a Waldorf education in terms of open-ended thinking and inquiry. Even so, there were numerous theories and ideas prevalent throughout the curricula studied that were patently pseudoscientific and steeped in magical thinking. These ideas included the evolutionary idea that animals develop from humans, that human spirits are physically incarnated into "soul qualities that manifested themselves into various animal forms," that the current geological formations on Earth have evolved through so-called "Lemurian" and "Atlantiean" epochs, or that the 4 kingdoms of nature are "mineral, plant, animal, and man." All of these are directly contradicted by mainstream scientific knowledge and have no basis in any form of conventional science. The authors contend that these notions are distinct from any factual inaccuracies found in modern public school textbooks, as the inaccuracies in the latter are of a specific and minute nature that results from the progress of science. The latter (those inaccuracies present in Waldorf textbooks), however, are the result of a mode of thinking that has no valid basis in reason or logic.

2012 US Study A 2012 study compared the reading and math standardized test scores obtained in public Waldorf schools in the United States with scores for their districts as a whole, as well as scores in matched comparison schools. Public Waldorf school scores were lower than those of regular public schools in earlier grades (second and third), but higher in seventh and eighth grade. The authors suggested that "the Waldorf experience provided a slower academic build-up resulting in poorer test scores in the lower grades followed by higher levels of advanced performance in the 8th grade." The authors concluded that a content analysis of parents' comments about the schools supports the impression that public Waldorf schools offer a more holistic approach to education, "with greater emphasis on the arts, community and developmentally appropriate practice."

2012 German study A 2012 study of Waldorf pupils in Germany concluded that, in comparison to state school pupils, Waldorf students are significantly more enthusiastic about learning, report having more fun and being less bored in school, more often feel individually met, and learn more from school about their personal academic strengths. 85% of the Waldorf students reported that their school environment was pleasant and supportive, compared to 60% of the state school students. More than twice as many Waldorf students report having good relationships with teachers. Waldorf pupils also have significantly less physical ailments such as headaches, stomach aches, or disrupted sleep. There was no statistically significant difference between the state and Waldorf pupils’ achievement on state examinations;Fanny Jiminez, "Namen tanzen, fit in Mathe - Waldorf im Vorteil". Die Welt Sept 26, 2012, citing Barz, et al., Bildungserfahrungen an Waldorfschulen: Empirische Studie zu Schulqualität und Lernerfahrungen, 2012 this is also true when test scores are compared based on the type of high school diploma granted.Fanny Jiménez, "Wissenschaftler loben Waldorfschulen", Die Welt, 27 September 2012

2009 PISA study

A 2009 PISA study found that, compared to state school students, European Waldorf students are significantly more capable in the sciences, slightly less capable in mathematics; and comparable in reading ability."pisa belegt die naturwissenschaftliche kompetenz der waldorfschule"

2009 study of later introduction of reading A 2009 study comparing Waldorf and public school students in New Zealand found that the Waldorf students, who had no formal instruction in reading in pre-school or kindergarten, caught up in reading ability by around age 10, at which point there was "no difference in reading achievement between children who had been given early instruction in reading and those who had not".Sebastian P. Suggate, Elizabeth A. Schaughency, Elaine Reese (2013). "Children learning to read later catch up to children reading earlier", Early Childhood Research Quarterly, v. 28, Nr. 1, pp. 33–48

A 2008 report by the Cambridge-based Primary Review, found that "educational alternatives, including Steiner-Waldorf schools and home schooling, produce better academic results.""Primary schools exert unnecessary pressure on students"

2006 Austrian study A 2006 PISA study of Austrian students found that Austrian Waldorf students are above average in science. The Waldorf students did best in understanding the questions raised by science and the ability to solve scientific problems and were also above the OECD average for their joy and interest in science. The authors concluded "The relatively high expertise in science among Waldorf students, in combination with their very high motivation and interest in these subjects, as well as the various pedagogical principles, suggest that regular schools can learn from the Waldorf schools, particularly with regard to concrete application to the sciences." "Auf Grund der relativ hohen Naturwissenschafts-Kompetenz der Waldorfschüler/innen in Kombination mit äußerst hohen motivationalen Merkmalen und selbstbezogenen Kognitionen in diesen Fächern sowie den unterschiedlichen didaktischen Prinzipien liegt der Schluss nahe, dass die Regelschule von der Waldorfschule lernen kann, insbesondere was den konkreten Anwendungsbezug in der Naturwissenschaft betrifft."

2006 Health study Studies have found Waldorf pupils to have a lower incidence of allergies and allergic-like symptoms, an effect which correlated with the extent to which they lived an "anthroposophic lifestyle" generally - in particular with reduced use of antibiotics, and antipyretics.

2005 UK comparison with mainstream education A UK Department for Education and Skills report noted significant differences in curriculum and pedagogical approach between Waldorf/Steiner and mainstream schools and suggested that each type of school could learn from the other type's strengths: in particular, that state schools could benefit from Waldorf education's early introduction and approach to modern foreign languages; combination of block (class) and subject teaching for younger children; development of speaking and listening through an emphasis on oral work; good pacing of lessons through an emphasis on rhythm; emphasis on child development guiding the curriculum and examinations; approach to art and creativity; attention given to teachers’ reflective activity and heightened awareness (in collective child study for example); and collegial structure of leadership and management, including collegial study.

1998–2008 Australian studies A major quantitative and qualitative study of senior secondary students in the three largest Steiner schools in Australia was undertaken by Jennifer Gidley in the mid-1990s.Gidley, J. (1998). "Prospective Youth Visions through Imaginative Education." Futures: The journal of policy, planning and futures studies 30(5): 395–408.Gidley, J. (2002). Holistic Education and Visions of Rehumanized Futures. Youth Futures: Comparative Research and Transformative Visions. J. Gidley and S. Inayatullah. Westport, Connecticut, Praeger: 155-168. It investigated the Steiner-educated students’ views and visions of the future, replicating a major study with a large cross-section of mainstream and other private school students undertaken a few years prior.Hutchinson, F. (1992). Futures consciousness and the school: Explorations of broad and narrow literacies for the 21st-century with particular reference to Australian young people. Armidale NSW, University of New England: 410. The findings as summarised below contrasted markedly in some areas with the research from mainstream students at the time.Gidley, J. and G. Hampson (2005). "The Evolution of Futures in School Education." Futures: The journal of policy, planning and futures studies 37: 255–271.

Steiner-educated students were able to develop richer, more detailed images of their 'preferred futures' than mainstream students. About three-quarters were able to envision positive changes in both the environment and human development; almost two-thirds were able to imagine positive changes in the socio-economic area; They tended to focus on ‘social’ rather than ‘technological’ ways of solving problems; In envisioning futures without war, their visions primarily related to improvements in human relationships and communication through dialogue and conflict resolution rather than a 'passive peace' image; 75% had many ideas on what aspects of human development (including their own) needed to be changed to enable the fulfilment of their aspirations. These included more activism, value changes, spirituality, future care and better education; In spite of identifying many of the same concerns as other students – global-scale environmental destruction, social injustice and threats of war – most of the Steiner students seemed undaunted in terms of their own will to do something to create their 'preferred future'; There were no gender differences found in the students’ preferred futures visions or in the richness and fluidity of their creative images.