Charter schools near you
8,104 open public charter schools in 44 states and DC, from the 2025-26 federal school directory. Every one is free to attend.
Public charter schools (tuition-free)
Find charter schools near you
Type a town or use your location. Your location stays in your browser.
What a charter school is
- Public and free. NCES describes a public charter school as a publicly funded school, usually run by a group or organization under a contract (the charter) with the state, the district or another body. The federal definition says a charter school does not charge tuition.
- Families choose it. Under the same definition, a charter school is one parents choose to send their children to, and it admits students by lottery when more apply than it has room for.
- Its own rules, its own accountability. The charter frees the school from some state or local rules; in return it must meet the standards written in its charter. It is nonsectarian.
- No program badge. ChoiceFunded’s program badges and “schools that accept” lists cover private schools only. Charter schools are listed separately here, with no badge, and are never counted with private schools.
Sources: 20 U.S.C. 7221i (federal Charter Schools Program definitions); NCES, Condition of Education: Public Charter School Enrollment. Each state writes its own charter law, so ask the school how enrollment works there.
Charter schools by state
No open charter school is listed for Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Kentucky in the 2025-26 directory.
Charter schools next to private schools and each state's private school choice program: charter and private school choice, state by state (study and CSV).
Towns with the most charter schools
- Charter schools in Houston, TX (178)
- Charter schools in Los Angeles, CA (166)
- Charter schools in Phoenix, AZ (150)
- Charter schools in San Antonio, TX (146)
- Charter schools in Washington, DC (124)
- Charter schools in Chicago, IL (114)
- Charter schools in Bronx, NY (100)
- Charter schools in Miami, FL (93)
- Charter schools in Brooklyn, NY (90)
- Charter schools in Detroit, MI (83)
- Charter schools in Philadelphia, PA (83)
- Charter schools in Columbus, OH (81)
- Charter schools in Tucson, AZ (74)
- Charter schools in Indianapolis, IN (74)
- Charter schools in Saint Paul, MN (72)
- Charter schools in Dallas, TX (69)
- Charter schools in New Orleans, LA (68)
- Charter schools in Austin, TX (64)
- Charter schools in Memphis, TN (63)
- Charter schools in Denver, CO (56)
- Charter schools in Fort Worth, TX (56)
- Charter schools in Minneapolis, MN (53)
- Charter schools in Albuquerque, NM (53)
- Charter schools in Las Vegas, NV (53)
- Charter schools in New York, NY (53)
- Charter schools in Cleveland, OH (53)
- Charter schools in San Jose, CA (47)
- Charter schools in Mesa, AZ (46)
- Charter schools in Jacksonville, FL (46)
- Charter schools in San Diego, CA (45)
Counts are the schools that give the town as their address; each page also lists the charter schools within 15 miles.
Questions parents ask
What is a charter school?
A publicly funded school run by a group or organization under a contract (the charter) with the state, the district or another body, as NCES describes it. The charter frees it from some state or local rules, and in return it must meet the standards in its charter.
Are charter schools free?
Yes. They are public schools, and the federal definition of a charter school says it does not charge tuition.
How do charter schools choose students?
Families apply to the school. Under the federal definition, a charter school admits students by lottery when more apply than it has room for. Each state writes its own charter law, so ask the school about its dates.
How many charter schools are there?
The 2025-26 federal school directory lists 8,104 open public charter schools in 44 states and DC; about 3,902,797 students attended them in 2024-25.
Private schools are listed separately, with the state programs that help pay for them: what each state pays. School facts: U.S. Department of Education, Common Core of Data (2025-26 directory, 2024-25 enrollment and staff). Where our data comes from.