Ben DeGrow is a Senior Policy Director of Education Choice for ExcelinEd.
When families have access to a variety of quality education options, students and families win. In order to create a diverse choice landscape, state policymakers need to know what’s available, how the policies work and what’s happening in their state and other states across the nation.
That’s why we launched School Choice Matters, ExcelinEd’s digital tool that allows policymakers and other stakeholders to explore and compare school choice policies across all 50 states. They can use School Choice Matters two ways: to gain a national perspective on a particular policy or to dive deep into one state and find out how many school choice policies they have put in place. Each state can earn a green, yellow or red rating on each policy depending on what they have adopted.
Since its debut in 2024, School Choice Matters has become a go-to resource for understanding where states stand on school choice policies including private school choice programs, open enrollment, charter schools, homeschooling, part-time enrollment and student transportation.
ExcelinEd is excited to announce that the tool has been updated for 2025—bringing a fresh look at the progress states have made to expand educational opportunity for students.
Over the past year, ExcelinEd tracked and recorded school choice policy changes in 22 states. These updates are reflected in 48 new or improved ratings across 12 states.
The numbers tell a powerful story:
Breakdown of rating changes at the state level:
(Several states also revised part-time enrollment policies, though not enough to result in any new ratings.)
The largest area of improvement for states this year came in private school choice programs, due to new programs in Texas, Idaho, and Tennessee, as well as bills to expand eligibility in Indiana and New Hampshire and to make other improvements in South Carolina.
Private school choice offers state funding or tax incentives to help families pay for tuition at a private school where they choose to enroll their children and possibly pay for other education expenses as well.
Most states offer one or more programs that fund tuition payments or help cover other important education services if they’re not enrolled in a public school.
Altogether, 30 ratings changed in this category, underscoring the nationwide momentum toward expanding options for parents outside the traditional public school system.
The next most significant policy updates came in the area of open enrollment, which ensures that students can attend a public school outside their assigned district or zone.
Nevada, New Hampshire, and Arkansas each passed new laws strengthening families’ ability to choose the best public school fit for their child.
These changes improved a total of 11 state ratings in this category, expanding opportunity for thousands of families who may not have previously had access to schools that meet their needs.
Open enrollment policies ensure families aren’t limited by a home address or ZIP code, making public school choice a reality for more students.
Charter schools provide families with innovative and flexible public school options. While this year’s changes in charter school policy were more modest than in private choice and open enrollment, they are still meaningful.
North Dakota enacted new policies that resulted in five ratings improvements in this area.
Charter schools continue to serve as laboratories of innovation in public education, and even incremental policy improvements can help ensure these schools can thrive and serve more students.
Homeschooling remains an important choice for many families, and School Choice Matters tracks whether states make it easier or harder for parents to educate their children at home.
This year, Wyoming improved its rating in homeschooling policy by rolling back excessive reporting requirements for families.
While homeschooling doesn’t see sweeping policy changes as frequently as other categories, it remains a vital part of the school choice landscape and one that many families rely on.
Access to transportation is often a deciding factor when a family is considering whether they can access a different school.
This year, one state updated its transportation policies in a way that improved ratings in School Choice Matters. By allowing flexible strategies to transport students to and from schools of choice, states can remove barriers for families who want to pursue the best school for their child.
When we launched School Choice Matters last year, our goal was clear: provide a comprehensive, easy-to-use tool to help state policymakers, advocates and stakeholders understand the state of school choice across America.
The guiding principle behind the tool is simple. No two students are alike. Some thrive in traditional public schools, others in charter schools, others in private or homeschool settings, and still others in a different public school district or school using open enrollment. Strong school choice policies empower families to make the best decision for their children’s futures.
With School Choice Matters, users can:
The 2025 updates to School Choice Matters confirm what parents, students and policymakers already know: school choice is gaining momentum nationwide. With expanded programs in Indiana and New Hampshire, brand-new programs in Texas, Idaho and Tennessee and open enrollment reforms across several states, more families have access to the education options they need.
ExcelinEd will continue to track these developments and update School Choice Matters annually after state legislative sessions have concluded.
This ensures policymakers, advocates and stakeholders have the best, most reliable information about how states are expanding opportunity for students.
👉 Explore the updated School Choice Matters digital tool now and find out how your state stacks up in each of these important policy areas.
