How does your state rank in education freedom?

In honor of National School Choice Week 2025, one policy group has revealed which states are providing the most education freedom to students.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has…

In honor of National School Choice Week 2025, one policy group has revealed which states are providing the most education freedom to students.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has released its 2025 Index of State Education Freedom, providing a detailed analysis of a variety of school choice options in all 50 states.

“We are in the midst of an educational renaissance in America,” wrote Andrew Handel, report author and director of the education and workforce development task force at ALEC. “This publication conducts a deep-dive analysis of each state’s charter school, home school, virtual school, and open enrollment laws to determine how accessible these learning environments are to families.” 

Handel also noted the surge of states implementing universal school choice programs.

“These states recognize the unique needs of each student and that parents, not government bureaucrats, are best positioned to determine those needs and choose a school that best fits their student,” he said. 

ALEC ranked a variety of education freedom programs ranging from education savings accounts (ESAs) to tax credits. 

According to ALEC’s methodology, programs were awarded points if they had no funding or enrollment cap, if eligibility was broader, and if the participation rate was higher.  

Bonus points were also given if the program was an ESA.  

In order, the eight states given top scores were Arizona, Florida, Iowa, West Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama and Louisiana.

Next, charter school policies were ranked by four metrics:  

  • Whether states had multiple, independent authorizing entities;  
  • Whether charter school growth was capped;  
  • How much flexibility and autonomy charters have to innovate;  
  • And whether funding is equitably distributed between charters and traditional public schools.  

Only two states – Arizona and Florida – were given A’s for their charter schools.  

When it came to homeschooling, states were ranked from most to least restrictive. Those with the least regulations were awarded more points.

Eleven states scored highest for homeschooling freedom, including several that are often antagonistic to school choice. Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Texas all received A’s.

In the virtual schooling category, states won points by offering statewide virtual schools as well as fully virtual multi-district schools. ALEC also noted whether states had approval processes for other online providers or courses.

Arkansas and Florida both scored perfectly for virtual schooling.

Finally, ALEC observed several factors to robust open enrollment policies.

To qualify, the open enrollment policies had to be both intra-district and inter-district, not charge tuition to transferring students, and require state and local entities to report data regarding open enrollment requests.

Five states had such policies: Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Oklahoma and Utah.

Taking all five categories together, Florida was the only state to receive an A+ with seven others receiving A’s (Arizona, Utah, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana and West Virginia).  

“Lawmakers now have a proven blueprint to prioritize students while delivering universal education freedom for every family,” said Lisa Nelson, CEO of ALEC, in a press release. “This analysis underscores the transformative policies that empower families, reflecting the vital role of states as laboratories of democracy in shaping education policy.” 

Patricia Rucker, State Senator for West Virginia and ALEC’s national chair, hopes to see the number of states with universal school choice double by the end of the year.   

“ALEC remains steadfast in supporting policymakers who work to deliver meaningful results for students and families, ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive in an educational environment tailored to their unique needs,” Rucker said.  

“With each passing day, we move closer to achieving our ambitious goal of 25 states embracing universal education freedom by 2025. This year’s report offers both a clear vision of the benefits and a practical blueprint for states to make it a reality.”