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Charter schools in Fort Collins, CO

9 schools in Fort Collins, 7 more within 15 miles. Public, and free to attend.

Public charter schools (tuition-free)

Fort Collins charter schools at a glance

9 public charter schools give Fort Collins as their address in the 2025-26 federal school directory, and 7 more are within 15 miles. The 9 in town had about 5,079 students in 2024-25. 7 teach elementary grades and 5 teach high school. Every one is a public school that charges no tuition.

5,079 students, 2024-25
5 high schools
$0 tuition

Networks and districts with the most of these schools: Poudre School District R-1 (5), State Charter School Institute (5), Weld County Reorganized School District No. Re-4 (4), Thompson School District R-2J (2). Names as reported to the federal directory.

Charter schools in Fort Collins (9)

Largest first. Enrollment and teachers are from 2024-25; schools new in 2025-26 have no count yet.

Charter school Grades Students (2024-25) Per teacher Phone
Liberty Common Charter School K-12 1,516 19.5 (970) 482-9800
Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins 6-12 971 24.5 (970) 377-0044
Ridgeview Classical Schools K-12 721 15.1 (970) 494-4620
Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Colorado K-12 621 17.2 (720) 545-6650
Axis International Academy PK-6 288 15.6 (970) 658-4199
Fort Collins Montessori School PK-6 278 22.3 (970) 631-8612
Mountain Sage Community School K-8 265 15.9 (970) 568-5456
Academy of Arts and Knowledge Elementary PK-5 240 13.7 (970) 226-2800
Compass Community Collaborative School 6-12 179 13.1 (970) 372-4242

Nearby, within 15 miles (7)

Charter schools in other towns, nearest first. Online schools are left out here because their address is an office.

Charter school Grades Students (2024-25) Per teacher Town Miles Phone
Colorado Early Colleges Windsor 5-12 196 13.2 Windsor 6 (970) 657-2860
New Vision Charter School K-8 1,005 19.7 Loveland 11 (970) 593-6827
Windsor Charter Academy Early College High School 9-12 435 18.3 Windsor 11 (970) 833-5190
Windsor Charter Academy Middle School 6-8 395 17.2 Windsor 11 (970) 833-5190
American Legacy Academy K-8 419 20.3 Windsor 11 (970) 460-6057
Windsor Charter Academy Elementary School K-5 780 20.4 Windsor 11 (970) 674-5020
Loveland Classical School K-12 1,032 16.8 Loveland 12 (970) 541-1507

Charter schools: how they work

  • 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.

Keep looking

Questions parents ask

How many charter schools are in Fort Collins?

9 public charter schools in the 2025-26 federal directory are in Fort Collins, and 7 more are within 15 miles. Liberty Common Charter School, Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins, Ridgeview Classical Schools, Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Colorado, Axis International Academy, Fort Collins Montessori School and others.

Do charter schools in Fort Collins charge tuition?

No. Charter schools are public schools, and the federal definition of a charter school says it does not charge tuition. Ask each school about fees for extras.

How do I enroll in a Fort Collins charter school?

Apply to each school directly. Under the federal definition, a charter school admits students by lottery when more apply than it has room for, so check each school’s application dates. Each state writes its own charter law.

School facts: U.S. Department of Education, Common Core of Data (2025-26 directory, 2024-25 enrollment and staff). Where our data comes from.

See charter schools How enrollment works