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Public school alternatives include options both inside and outside the public system. Charter and magnet schools are public; private schools are independently controlled; homeschooling shifts instruction to the home. Which options exist, how families access them, and what they cost or require depends on the community and state.
What counts as a public school alternative?
In the United States, families may use an assigned public school, choose a different public school, attend a private school, or homeschool. “Alternative” does not necessarily mean private: charter and magnet schools are public-school choices. National categories are a starting point, not a directory of what is available near you. Confirm local programs, application rules, transport, services, costs, and applicable law with the school district, school, or state education agency. NCES explains the range of school-choice arrangements.
In NCES’s parent-reported K–12 participation data for 2019, published in May 2024, 79% of students attended their assigned public school, 12% attended a chosen public school, 7% attended a private religious school, and 2% attended a private nonreligious school. “Chosen public” includes public schools other than the assigned school, such as charter and magnet schools; these figures describe participation, not the quality or outcomes of each type. See NCES’s 2019 School Choice Participation findings.
How do charter, magnet, private, and homeschool options differ?
| Option | Governance and oversight | Access and costs | What to check locally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charter school | Publicly funded and operated under a charter with accountability requirements. Rules and authorizers vary by state. | Tuition is not described in the national definition; admission procedures and any enrollment limits depend on local policy. | Charter terms, application or lottery process, transportation, services, and the school’s review status. |
| Magnet school or program | Public school or program, often organized around an academic or social theme and sometimes intended to promote racial and ethnic integration. | Admission and eligibility rules differ by district and program; availability is local. | Whether the magnet is a whole school or an in-school program, its theme, selection process, transport, and supports. |
| Private school | Controlled by an individual or nongovernmental organization; may be religious or nonreligious. | Tuition, financial aid, admissions, and other family costs vary by school. | Total cost, aid terms, admissions, services, accreditation, and applicable state requirements. |
| Homeschooling | Instruction is organized at home by the family; state and local authorities set legal requirements. | Costs and family time depend on the resources and arrangements a family chooses; no national cost is established here. | Current state and local notice, curriculum, assessment, recordkeeping, and other requirements, plus access to learning supports. |
Are charter schools public or private?
Charter schools are public schools. NCES defines a public charter school as “a publicly funded school that is typically governed by a group or organization under a legislative contract—a charter—with the state, the district, or another entity.” A charter generally allows some flexibility from state or local rules in exchange for accountability to the charter’s terms. The authorizer, requirements, renewal process, and consequences for failing to meet conditions vary under state law; a charter may be revoked.
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Charter schools have become a larger part of public education, but the available figures are historical rather than current. NCES reports that enrollment in public charter schools across the 50 states and the District of Columbia rose from 1.8 million in fall 2010 to 3.7 million in fall 2021, more than doubling over that period. Read the NCES charter-school enrollment indicator.
What is the difference between a charter school and a magnet school?
Both are public-school choices, but they are defined differently. A charter is governed under an authorization contract and held to its charter conditions. A magnet is identified by a focus, a program design, or an integration purpose. Its theme may include science and math, performing arts, gifted and talented education, or a foreign language. A magnet may be an entire school or a program within a larger school, and districts do not all use the same admissions rules.
NCES counted about 3,000 magnet schools among 99,200 public schools in the 2021–22 school year. The figure is a school-year count, not a guarantee that a particular community has a magnet or that a student is eligible to attend one. See NCES’s school-choice definitions and data.
What should families know about private school?
Private schools are controlled by an individual or nongovernmental agency and are usually supported primarily by nonpublic funds. They may be religious or nonreligious. There is no single national tuition, admissions process, service offering, or accreditation status that applies to every private school.
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What does homeschooling involve?
Homeschooling moves instruction from a public or private school to the home and requires a family to organize education under the laws of its jurisdiction. Families may use different materials or approaches, but no particular curriculum, provider, or cost is established as universal.
NCES uses a specific survey definition when measuring homeschooled students: children schooled at home instead of at a public or private school, whose public or private enrollment does not exceed 25 hours weekly, and who are not home educated only because of temporary illness. That is a statistical rule for the survey, not a universal legal definition of homeschooling.
NCES reported over 1.7 million homeschooled students in its 2019 School Choice in the United States executive summary, using 2016 data. This is a historical count, not a current estimate. Read the NCES executive summary.
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The U.S. Department of Education states: “Regulation of home schooling, including curriculum requirements, is a State and local responsibility.” Check the current rules for your jurisdiction, including any notice, instructional, assessment, or recordkeeping requirements. Consult the Department’s state regulation charts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can you compare the options for your child?
School type alone does not establish quality, safety, academic performance, or fit. NCES’s 2019 school-choice findings show that family considerations vary among school types. Use a consistent set of questions for each realistic option, then compare evidence about the specific school or arrangement.
- Availability and admission: Is the school or program open to your child? What are the application dates, eligibility rules, selection process, and waitlist policies?
- Cost: What tuition, fees, materials, travel, or other expenses would your family pay? For private school, ask about aid and its terms rather than assuming it is available.
- Travel: Is transportation provided, and how long is the route? A program’s practical accessibility depends on where it is and the district’s arrangements.
- Learning focus: Does the curriculum or theme match your child’s interests and learning needs? Ask how instruction and progress are assessed.
- Services and supports: What support is available for your child’s specific needs, and who provides it? Get details directly from the school or relevant local agency.
- Family responsibilities: How much scheduling, instruction, communication, or coordination would the arrangement require from caregivers?
- Governance and rules: Who oversees the school or program, and what accountability or legal requirements apply? For homeschooling, verify state and local rules before planning instruction.
For any option, request written details on admissions, costs, transportation, services, and requirements. Compare the actual schools and arrangements available to your family rather than assuming that a label predicts the experience.
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