Want to know more about school choice? EdChoice has the ABCs

Ever wanted to understand the ins and outs of school choice in America? EdChoice is here to help.

Its 2025 edition of The ABC’s of School Choice explains everything you need to know about the…

Ever wanted to understand the ins and outs of school choice in America? EdChoice is here to help.

Its 2025 edition of The ABC’s of School Choice explains everything you need to know about the different types of school choice and what each individual state offers.

Founded in 1996, EdChoice’s mission is that “every child would have access to the educational environment of their family’s choosing.”

Since its advocacy began, education freedom has grown exponentially – both in the number of programs being offered and the number of students taking advantage of those programs. 

EdChoice’s data shows a meteoric rise in participating students following the pandemic – doubling from 600,000 to 1.2 million. A large portion of the growth came from education savings account (ESA) programs.  

While school choice isn’t a new concept – the oldest programs date back to the 1870’s – it has been newly invigorated.

In the 2000’s, only a dozen programs were operating nationwide. Now, it’s over 80, with more states continuing to pass new and expand existing programs every year.  

“Universal school choice” has also become a major talking point for lawmakers and education reformers, but EdChoice has a stricter definition of universal choice than most.

Usually, a program is called universal because it is open to all students, regardless of income, learning needs, or other characteristics.

However, EdChoice argues true universality requires not just universal eligibility, but also universal usage (what types of goods and services funding can be spent on) and universal funding (how much money families receive and from what revenue sources).

Currently, only four states have programs which meet this high standard: Arkansas, Arizona, Florida and West Virginia.

EdChoice also provides detailed explanations of the different types of school choice, which range from ESAs to open enrollment policies to homeschooling.

In most states, school choice takes up a relatively small portion of the overall K-12 budget.

Florida spends the most on choice – still only 10% of its education budget – but it also boasts over 500,000 students in its programs.

But the small investment doesn’t mean the programs aren’t life-changing.

Nationwide, around 600,000 students receive an ESA, with the average value being $7,500. Vouchers are usually worth around $8,500, while tax credits average around $4,000.

While that money can make a huge difference to families, it’s a drop in the bucket of national education spending.

According to the Education Data Initiative, the United States spends an average of $17,280 annually on every single student. 

EdChoice and the growing number of school choice supporters think that money would be better spent by parents than public schools.

And given the strong interest in such programs, it would seem most parents agree.