New research finds private schools accessible to most Mississippi students, showing viability of school choice

Private schools are accessible to most Mississippi students, even in rural areas, according to new research from EdChoice, a leading school choice advocacy group.

Although Mississippi is one of the poorest and most rural states, an analysis found nearly 96% of its students live within a 30-minute drive of a private school. This contrasts sharply with claims that most rural students can’t access school choice options.

“The Mississippi private school drive-time map helps put concerns about school availability into perspective, especially in rural areas of the state,” Nathan Sanders, one of the report’s authors, told The Lion in an email. 

“It’s a straightforward, data-based look at where private schools are located and shows that most students already have at least one private school within a reasonable drive.” 

The numbers are encouraging: Nearly 56% of students live within a 10-minute drive of a private school, 84% are within a 20-minute drive, and 95.8% are within a half-hour or less. Just 4% of students would require 30 minutes to one hour to reach a private school. 

While the poorest families – those with a median income of $45,234 – had the longest median drive time, the rest of the commute times were spread evenly across income levels. 

Sanders, EdChoice policy and advocacy director, said the report highlights both strengths and areas where there is room to grow, such as adding more private schools.

“That growth doesn’t have to be limited to traditional brick-and-mortar schools but can (and should) include innovative education options as well,” such as microschools, hybrid schools and online options. 

Those options, which have rapidly expanded nationwide in the past five years, may already exist in some areas but be difficult to find since they may be unaccredited or operate with a low profile. More private schools typically open or expand once school choice becomes widely available.

“A universal ESA would encourage that kind of growth and help expand high-quality educational opportunities for families across Mississippi,” Sanders said. 

The Magnolia State is currently debating school choice, with Republicans – who control the three branches of government – declaring it a priority issue for 2026. A proposal failed this year after division within the Republican caucus kept it from reaching the House floor. 

Mississippi neighbors Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana are red states that have broad school choice, and Texas approved a $1 billion program this year after overcoming opposition from rural Republicans. 

Nationally, 35 states have at least one school choice program, and 18 have broad or universal access. In 2025, 1.3 million students participated in school choice, a number expected to quickly grow as Texas and other states launch and expand programs.