School Choice Eligibility Rankings

Which programs provide access to the most students

At EdChoice, eligibility is one of the most important factors when analyzing a school choice program. We believe that all parents—regardless of geography, income, or any other factor—should have access to the educational options that best fit their children’s needs.

When possible, we calculate program eligibility based on the number of students in the state (or, in select cases, such as the Cleveland Scholarship Program, the defined geographic area) eligible to participate in that educational choice program. For programs with income limits, we calculate eligibility based on the number of families with children in the state who are income-eligible to participate in that educational choice program.

Having high eligibility does not necessarily mean a program will have high participation. In some cases, such as with tax-credit scholarships, the number of eligible students may exceed the number of students a program has the resources to support. Of course, some families who are eligible will choose not to use a choice program, and that’s OK. Ultimately, every family should be eligible to opt into an educational choice program and get their kids into a learning setting of their choosing.

Typically, when EdChoice talks about educational choice programs with universal or near-universal eligibility, it is referring to those programs that provide the highest level of empowerment to families: Education savings accounts, vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, tax-credit education savings accounts, and refundable tax credits. There are currently 10 states that have made these programs available to all or nearly all students. However, because there many ways to offer varying degrees of flexibility to families, we also track eligibility for all school choice programs, regardless of how empowering the program is.

The rankings below are for each program and are determined first by the percentage of students eligible. Ties are broken by the count of total students eligible for each program. You can also find specific program eligibility rates in this year’s ABCs of School Choice.

T1. Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program
Tax-Credit ESA | 100% of students eligible (3,372,584 total students eligible)

T1. Florida’s Family Empowerment Scholarship Program for Educational Options
Education Savings Account | 100% of students eligible (3,372,584 total students eligible)

3. Illinois’ Tax Credits for Educational Expenses 
Individual Tax Credit | 100% of students eligible (2,029,756 total students eligible)

T4. Ohio’s Educational Choice Scholarship Program 
Voucher | 100% of students eligible (1,835,912 total students eligible)

T4. Ohio’s K-12 Home Education Tax Credit
Individual Tax Credit | 100% of students eligible (1,835,912 total students eligible)

T4. Ohio’s Nonchartered Private School Tax Credit
Individual Tax Credit | 100% of students eligible (1,835,912 total students eligible)

T4. Ohio’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 100% of students eligible (1,835,912 total students eligible)

8. North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarships 
Voucher | 100% of students eligible (1,768,527 total students eligible)

T9. Arizona’s Original Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 100% of students eligible (1,273,163 total students eligible)

T9. Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts 
Education Savings Account | 100% of students eligible (1,273,163 total students eligible)

11. Minnesota’s Education Deduction 
Individual Tax Deduction | 100% of students eligible (950,343 total students eligible)

12. Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit Act
Refundable Tax Credit | 100% of students eligible (748,961 total students eligible)

13. Utah Fits All Scholarship Program
Education Savings Account | 100% of students eligible (709,787 total students eligible)

14. Iowa’s Tuition and Textbook Tax Credits
Individual Tax Credit | 100% of students eligible (566,488 total students eligible)

15. Arkansas’ Children’s Education Freedom Account Program
Education Savings Account | 100% of students eligible (525,951 total students eligible)

16. Montana’s Tax Credits for Contributions to Student Scholarship Organizations 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 100% of students eligible (165,578 total students eligible)

17. Ohio’s Cleveland Scholarship Program 
Voucher | 100% of students eligible (66,095 total students eligible)

T18. Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program
Voucher | 98% of students eligible (1,149,405 total students eligible)

T18. Indiana’s School Scholarship Tax Credit Program 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 98% of students eligible (1,149,405 total students eligible)

20. Ohio’s Income-Based Scholarship Program
Voucher | 96% of students eligible (1,762,476 total students eligible)

21. Iowa’s Education Savings Account Program 
Education Savings Account | 94% of students eligible (532,499 total students eligible)

22. West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship Program
Education Savings Account | 93% of students eligible (244,676 total students eligible)

23. Arizona’s “Switcher” Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 92% of students eligible (1,171,310 total students eligible)

24. Georgia’s Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 89% of students eligible (1,710,259 total students eligible)

25. Oklahoma’s Equal Opportunity Education Scholarships 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 89% of students eligible (666,575 total students eligible)

26. Nebraska’s Opportunity Scholarships Act 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 87% of students eligible (320,316 total students eligible)

27. Florida’s Hope Scholarship Program 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 84% of students eligible (2,832,971 total students eligible)

28. Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Parental Choice Program
Voucher | 83% of students eligible (112,292 total students eligible)

29. Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 74% of students eligible (1,424,048 total students eligible)

30. Iowa’s School Tuition Organization Tax Credit 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 70% of students eligible (396,542 total students eligible)

31. Tennessee’s Education Savings Account Pilot Program 
Education Savings Account | 68% of students eligible (741,079 total students eligible)

32. Wisconsin’s Parental Private School Choice Program (Racine) 
Voucher | 66% of students eligible (16,592 total students eligible)

33. Arizona’s Low-Income Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 65% of students eligible (827,556 total students eligible)

34. Puerto Rico’s Free School Selection Program
Voucher | 63% of students eligible (229,484 total students eligible)

35. Nevada’s Educational Choice Scholarship Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 60% of students eligible (316,107 total students eligible)

36. Louisiana’s Tuition Donation Credit Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 55% of students eligible (424,923 total students eligible)

37. Alabama’s Education Scholarship Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 54% of students eligible (454,290 total students eligible)

38. South Dakota’s Partners in Education Tax Credit Program 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 51% of students eligible (82,274 total students eligible)

39. Illinois’ Invest in Kids Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 50% of students eligible (1,014,878 total students eligible)

40. Missouri’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program
Tax-Credit ESA | 50% of students eligible (508,529 total students eligible)

41. Arkansas’ Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids Scholarship Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 48% of students eligible (252,456 total students eligible)

42. New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account Program 
Education Savings Account| 48% of students eligible (89,153 total students eligible)

43. Virginia’s Educational Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credits
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 44% of students eligible (602,334 total students eligible)

44. Rhode Island’s Tax Credits for Contributions to Scholarship Organizations
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 43% of students eligible (64,495 total students eligible)

45. South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program 
Education Savings Account | 42% of students eligible (360,864 total students eligible)

46. New Hampshire’s Education Tax Credit Program 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 40% of students eligible (74,294 total students eligible)

47. Louisiana’s Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program
Voucher| 36% of students eligible (278,132 total students eligible)

48. Kansas’ Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 34% of students eligible (173,102 total students eligible)

49. Minnesota’s K–12 Education Credit
Refundable Tax Credit | 33% of students eligible (313,613 total students eligible)

50. Wisconsin’s Parental Choice Program (Statewide) 
Voucher | 31% of students eligible (296,650 total students eligible)

51. Washington, D.C.’s Opportunity Scholarship Program
Voucher | 29% of students eligible (31,401 total students eligible)

52. Maryland’s Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program
Voucher | 25% of students eligible (249,996 total students eligible)

53. Oklahoma’s Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities 
Voucher | 17% of students eligible (127,323 total students eligible)

54. Louisiana’s Elementary and Secondary School Tuition Deduction 
Individual Tax Deduction | 15% of students eligible (115,888 total students eligible)

55. Ohio’s Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program 
Voucher | 14% of students eligible (257,027 total students eligible)

56. Indiana’s Education Scholarship Account Program
Education Savings Account | 14% of students eligible (164,201 total students eligible)

57. Wisconsin’s K–12 Private School Tuition Deduction
Individual Tax Deduction | 14% of students eligible (133,971 total students eligible)

58. Arkansas’ Succeed Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities 
Voucher | 14% of students eligible (73,633 total students eligible)

59. Indiana’s Private/Homeschool Deduction
Individual Tax Deduction | 13% of students eligible (152,472 total students eligible)

T60. South Carolina’s Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 13% of students eligible (111,696 total students eligible)

T60. South Carolina’s Refundable Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children
Refundable Tax Credit | 13% of students eligible (111,696 total students eligible)

62. Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship Program 
Voucher | 12% of students eligible (230,597 total students eligible)

63. Arizona’s Lexie’s Law for Disabled and Displaced Students Tax Credit Scholarship Program 
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 12% of students eligible (152,780 total students eligible)

64. Wisconsin’s Special Needs Scholarship Program
Voucher | 12% of students eligible (114,832 total students eligible)

65. Utah’s Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Program
Voucher | 12% of students eligible (85,174 total students eligible)

66. Montana’s Special Needs Equal Opportunity Education Savings Account Program 
Education Savings Account | 12% of students eligible (19,869 total students eligible)

67. Florida’s Empowerment Scholarship Program for Students with Unique Abilities
Education Savings Account | 11% of students eligible (370,984 total students eligible)

68. Louisiana’s School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities 
Voucher | 11% of students eligible (84,985 total students eligible)

69. Utah’s Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship| 11% of students eligible (78,077 total students eligible)

70. North Carolina’s Education Student Accounts
Education Savings Account | 10% of students eligible (176,853 total students eligible)

71. Pennsylvania’s Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 8% of students eligible (153,951 total students eligible)

72. Mississippi’s Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Program
Education Savings Account | 7% of students eligible (33,801 total students eligible)

73. Alabama’s Accountability Act of 2013 Parent-Taxpayer Refundable Tax Credits
Refundable Tax Credit | 6% of students eligible (50,477 total students eligible)

74. Mississippi’s Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia Program
Voucher | 4% of students eligible (19,315 total students eligible)

75. Vermont’s Town Tuitioning Program
Voucher | 4% of students eligible (3,673 total students eligible)

76. Tennessee’s Individualized Education Accounts
Education Savings Account | 3% of students eligible (32,695 total students eligible)

77. Mississippi’s Nate Rogers Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program 
Voucher | 3% of students eligible (14,486 total students eligible)

78. Ohio’s Autism Scholarship Program 
Voucher | 2% of students eligible (36,718 total students eligible)

79. Maine’s Town Tuitioning Program 
Voucher | 2% of students eligible (3,841 total students eligible)

80. New Hampshire’s Town Tuitioning Program 
Voucher | <1% of students eligible (1,857 total students eligible)