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It’s been three decades since the first charter school opened in the U.S. Since that time, enrollment in these public schools of choice has grown to about 3.8 million students attending 8,150 schools, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a nonprofit supportive of public charter schools.
Charter schools are tutition free and open to all students. And while their student enrollment has been on the rise, the National Center for Charter School Accountability warned in a 2025 report that the “charter sector stands at a reckoning point.”
The report said that while overall charter school growth has slowed, for-profit models are expanding. There’s also mounting competition for students with not only traditional public schools, but with private schools that accept students using taxpayer-funded vouchers.
Additionally, moves to operate religious charter schools have “fractured the movement from within,” the report said.
But many charter school supporters point to the sector’s popularity and to research showing positive student outcomes as proof that this school model has staying power. A June 2023 study conducted by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes found that charter school students, on average, had year-to-year reading gains of 16 days and math gains of six days between 2015 and 2019.
These are the key features of charter schools and how they fit into the school choice movement.
What are charter schools?
Charter schools are publicly funded and are typically governed by a group or organization, which must get permission from an authorizing agency such as a state, a school district or another entity.
The charter agreement exempts the school from certain state or local rules and regulations, giving it flexibility for certain operation and management activities like hiring, instruction and scheduling.
But in return for this autonomy, charter schools must adhere to accountability standards described in its charter agreement. The charter school’s authorizing agent can revoke the agreement if the charter school is failing to meet those expectations.
According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, there are 45 states with charter schools. Guam, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia also have charter schools. Nearly 60% of charter schools are located in urban areas. A quarter of charters are in suburban localities, and 12% are in rural communities.
As of August 2025, only three states — Nebraska, South Dakota and Vermont — did not have a charter school law, according to WestEd, a nonprofit research and service agency.
The school model’s growth has slowed in recent years, according to the National Center for Charter School Accountability’s report. Between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, the number of charter schools increased only by 11. In comparison, between 2010 and 2011, the number of charter schools increased by 421.
Additionally, the center identified 165 charter schools with listed student enrollment that closed in the 2022-23 school year.
Who attends charter schools?
Like traditional public schools, charter schools must be open to all students and must follow federal education rules, such as providing supports to students with disabilities who qualify for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act services.
Because they are schools of choice, students must indicate interest in attending. However, charter schools can’t require admissions tests or discriminate during the enrollment process. If a charter school’s demand exceeds its student capacity, an admissions lottery based on randomized or weighted placement is used, according to WestEd’s research.
State laws can also allow enrollment preferences for certain student groups, such as siblings of current students. Some charter schools can also limit admissions to certain age groups or have a particular theme or focus.
Compared to traditional public schools, charter schools have a higher portion of students who are Hispanic, African American, economically disadvantaged and who are English learners. Charter schools have a slightly lower percentage of students with disabilities at 11%, compared to 14% at traditional public schools.
According to a 2024 Pew Research Center analysis, the District of Columbia had the highest share of charter school students in the U.S., with 36% of K-12 students attending these schools. About 45% of students in D.C. attended traditional public schools, and 19% attended private schools.
The challenges facing charter schools
While charter school advocates say there are many benefits to this school model, including the flexibility to design and run a public school, school operators face a lot of work before they open the doors.
In addition to getting approved for a charter agreement, operators must also identify and prepare a space for learning, physical activity and food service operations. Once opened, operators are held academically, financially and operationally accountable to families, students and charter school authorizers.
Charter schools — like traditional public schools — receive local, state and federal funding. But, on average, charter schools get 75 cents for every dollar a traditional school receives. That’s because charter schools don’t receive local funds for facilities, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Charter schools are also facing the same pressures traditional public schools have, including teacher shortages — especially in hard-to-staff areas like special education. Charter schools also are competing for a shrinking population of students due to declining birth rates.
However, data from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools shows charter school enrollment grew by 83,172 in the 2023-24 school year, while district public schools saw a decline of 274,412 students during the same period.
