What is School Choice?
School choice means giving parents the power to select the best educational environments for their children. National School Choice Week celebrates all of the K-12 education options that parents can choose – or want to be able to choose – for their kids. These options include: traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, homeschooling, and microschooling and mix-and-match learning.
National School Choice Week does not prefer one type of choice above another. Instead, we believe that parents themselves are best qualified to make decisions for their children. This page provides an up-to-date overview of what’s happening across the seven main school choices in America.
What’s New this School Year?
The school choice movement has been growing for over 30 years, and in 2023, it is more pronounced than ever before. Currently, nontraditional environments are gaining popularity, underlining parents’ strong desire to find the school that best meets the needs of their children.
In 2023, a record 20 states said “yes” to expanding school choice. These states have implemented or are getting ready to implement new or expanded programs that will likely enroll millions of students.
This year’s school choice expansions span all sectors, from more flexible open enrollment in traditional public schools… to expanded options for homeschoolers… to new private school scholarships available to all or almost all students in some states.
As school choices expand, families are responding. Reports show strong take-up rates of these new options as parents actively engage in comparing and choosing between learning choices. In a January 2024 parent survey, 72% of all parents considered a new school for their children in 2023–a 35% increase over 2022.
Traditional Public Schools and Open Enrollment:
Open enrollment and traditional public schools are established by school districts and are available for children in all 50 states. These schools do not charge tuition. Open enrollment policies make it possible for parents to choose traditional public schools that are outside of their zone or district.
Trend alert: States are renewing their focus on open enrollment and true accessibility, which involves eliminating tuition fees for families who transfer between traditional public schools. For example, Montana recently passed a bill to standardize open enrollment in public schools across the state by 2024, making it easier (and guaranteeing it is free) for families to choose the best public school fit for their child. As another example, the 2023 Arkansas LEARNS Act has made it easier for students to make a public school transfer by lifting the cap on the number of transfers each school district allows (unless a desegregation order is in place). West Virginia, Nebraska, Idaho, and North Dakota also improved their open enrollment policies for families in 2023.
There are currently about more than 98,000 traditional public schools nationwide serving over 49.4 million children. That’s about 74.6% students attending public schools nationwide.
In 12 states parents may be able to select any traditional public school for their child, in any school district.
In 21 states, there are at least some situations where schools are required to participate in open enrollment. For example, some states guarantee open enrollment to families who wish to transfer out of a low-performing school, or families who live too far from their assigned school. In these states, parents meeting certain requirements are guaranteed choice. Open enrollment may be optional in other cases.
An additional 16 states have allowed districts and schools to decide whether to participate in open enrollment. In these cases, families must request and receive school district approval to use open enrollment. Access to public school transfers in these states vary widely – in some, transfers are readily available while in others, transfers are rarely permitted.
In 1 state, North Carolina, open enrollment is generally not permitted, but there are still select cases where families have access to “choice zones” or transfers.
⬤ Parents of students meeting certain criteria may choose
⬤ Parents are free to choose any public school they wish
⬤ Parents must receive school district approval to choose
⬤ The state does not permit intradistrict open enrollment, but families can choose in rare exceptions
⬤ Parents can choose any public school, but some receiving districts charge fees
⬤ Parents can apply to any school via a lottery
Source: Education Commission of the States, 2023; Independent research by NSCW
Public Charter Schools
Charter schools are public schools that are created by school districts, colleges, nonprofit organizations, or other entities. These schools are allowed to determine many of their own policies and practices; the goal is to innovate within the public school system. Charter schools are always public schools and they are not allowed to charge tuition.
Trend alert: In 2023, Montana became the 46th state with official charter school laws on the books, making it one of several states that recently strengthened its charter school options for families. Here are some other notable examples: New York loosened a charter school cap in 2023, allowing more charter schools to operate; Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin notably increased charter school funding for the upcoming school year; and Alabama recently revised state governance of charter schools to promote growth.
There are currently about 7,800 charter schools in the U.S. serving about 3.7 million children. That’s about 6.6% students attending a public charter school nationwide. As shown on this map, 45 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws allowing for the creation of public charter schools. The number of students in charter schools has more than doubled in the last 10 years.
⬤ Permitted ⬤ Not permitted ⬤ Permitted, but none available yet
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, 2023; Independent research by NSCW
Magnet Schools
Magnet schools are public schools operated by school districts (or groups of school districts) that allow kids to focus on a specific learning track, such as STEM, medical science, or performing arts. At a magnet school, all subjects are taught through the lenses of the school’s specific track.
Trend alert: Magnet schools continue to offer unique tracks to students, and many districts around the country are opening expanded magnet options this school year.
Magnet schools are free to attend and there are more than 4,000 magnet schools across the country serving about 3.5 million children. That’s about 4.9% students attending magnet schools nationwide. In addition, there are thousands of magnet programs within traditional public schools nationwide. Magnet schools, theme-based schools, or magnet programs are permitted in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In some states, as indicated on the map below, there are no freestanding magnet schools, but there are magnet programs available in traditional public schools.
⬤ Magnet schools are available
⬤ Magnet programs are available, but no freestanding magnet schools exist
Source: Magnet Schools of America, 2023; Independent research by NSCW
Private School Choice
Private schools are available in all 50 states. Private schools charge tuition and may be faith-based or independent. Many private schools and nonprofit organizations offer scholarships for students. There are about 34,576 private schools nationwide serving about 5.7 million children. That’s about 6.8% students attending private schools nationwide. In addition, 33 states offer official state-run programs that provide either a scholarship to private school (such as a tax-credit scholarship or an education savings account program) or private school tuition assistance (such as a tax deduction) for families. Of these states, 23 states offer official scholarship programs, 9 states offer both scholarship and deduction programs, and 1 state offers only a deduction program. Currently, 1.9% students are utilizing a form of private school choice nationwide. More programs are on the horizon; for example, Nebraska is launching a new tax-credit scholarship in 2024!
Trend alert: More than 80 education savings accounts bills were introduced in the 2023 legislative session across the United States. States that recently passed new ESA programs for students include Utah, South Carolina, Iowa, Arkansas, and Montana. States that recently expanded ESAs or converted existing programs to ESAs include Florida, Indiana, New Hampshire, and Tennessee. According to EdChoice, “The number of students actually using ESAs has nearly tripled, jumping from 33,000 in 2022 to 93,000 in 2023.” Besides creating ESAs, some states (like Alabama and Kansas) have recently expanded tax-credit scholarship options for families.
Find jargon-free explanations of education savings accounts and tax-credit scholarships in our Education Glossary. For full details of your state’s private school scholarship and deduction availability, you may wish to directly contact a local or state-based school choice organization.
⬤ Tuition assistance may be available from privately funded scholarships
⬤ Tuition assistance available from an official state scholarship and deduction program
⬤ Tuition assistance available from an official state scholarship program
⬤ Tuition assistance available from an official state deduction program
Source: EdChoice, 2023; Independent research by NSCW
Online Learning and Course Access
Virtual academies instruct students through online or digital curricula. In the U.S., approximately 375,000 K-12 students attended a free, statewide online school full-time in 2019-2020, a number that jumped to 560,000 for the 2022-2023 school year.
Trend alert: Online learning, provided by permanent schools that in many cases predate the pandemic, remains an important piece of the K-12 landscape, with several states recently codifying statewide access to district-run online programs.
In 35 states and D.C., online public schools have been established by state authorities, by school districts, or charter schools, meaning students can attend these schools full-time, tuition-free for all grades K-12. In Vermont, free, full-time online public school is available for grades K-8. In Kentucky, free, full-time online public school is available for grades K-11. In addition, more than 30 states offer part-time online public schooling through course access, which allows students to use online coursework to supplement their education with specific classes. In many states, this is accessible, and sometimes even free, for private school or homeschooled students.
⬤ Free, full-time online school is available statewide for all grades
⬤ Free, full-time online school is not available statewide, but localized or paid options may be available
⬤ Free, full-time online school is available for grades K-8
Source: Digital Learning Collaborative, 2023; Independent research by NSCW
Homeschooling
Homeschooling is the process of parents educating children in the home, and many families choose to collaborate via tutorials, co-operatives, and extracurricular leagues to enhance the home education experience. Enrollment in homeschool programs nearly doubled from 1999 (0.9 million) to 2016 (1.7 million). In 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic, more than 2 million children (more than 3% of the American student population) were educated in their home. As of 2023, there are an estimated 3.1 million homeschool students (about 4.7% of the American student population) in the U.S.
Trend alert: Homeschooling has become America’s fastest-growing form of education and is undergoing major changes, particularly in how families can combine it with other forms of school choice. Many parents are participating in education savings account programs, part time public schooling options, and online learning. New programs in states like Oklahoma and Utah offer homeschoolers funding to support customization in their learning. And, in 2023, Wyoming expanded its definition of homeschooling to cover multiple families, making it easier for homeschoolers to participate in co-ops without losing homeschool privileges.
The 2021 Household Pulse Surveys by the U.S. Census Bureau show that homeschooling has grown among all race and income categories over the past five years.
As shown on this map, all states permit parents to educate their children in the home.
⬤ State allows homeschooling
Source: National Home Education Research Institute, 2023; Independent research by NSCW
Microschooling and Mix-and-Match Learning
Today, many families are finding the flexibility, customization, and community they desire in learning arrangements at least partially outside their traditional public school or parochial school. Today, more than 1 million families participate in “microschooling,” localized learning groups they’ve discovered or designed. While families who microschool may legally be homeschoolers or private schoolers, they share an entrepreneurial mindset that sets them apart.
Trend alert: Microschooling wasn’t just a pandemic fad. It’s a unique, innovative education arrangement that families of all incomes and backgrounds are continuing to use to customize learning. Beyond microschooling, many families are simply mixing and matching different education types; for example, enrolling part-time in public school classes, online classes, or apprenticeship programs while homeschooling.
Read more at the complete guide to microschooling and mix-and-match learning.