ALEC Releases 2026 State Education Freedom Rankings
Florida takes top spot for third year in a row; Texas, Idaho, and Wyoming see largest jump
Arlington, VA – The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) today released its 2026 edition of the Index of State Education Freedom: a 50-State Guide to Parental Empowerment. The rankings are a detailed evaluation of how states are expanding parental choice and advancing universal education freedom. The report’s release comes as President Trump continues to prioritize education freedom for all families.
“What better way to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence than for states to provide universal education freedom to their students?” said ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson. “This year’s report provides a clear guide for more states to transform education policy by providing school choice to all families.”
The release of this year’s edition of the Index coincides with the upcoming National School Choice Week, which runs January 25-31. The Index evaluates state education policies across five crucial categories: student-centered funding programs, charter schools, homeschooling, virtual schooling, and open enrollment.
Click here to read the full report.
For the third year in a row, Florida is ranked #1 for education freedom and is the only state to earn an A+ overall. Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, and West Virginia complete the top five, with Texas (#9, up 15 spots), Idaho (#10, up 8 spots), and Wyoming (#17, up 11 spots) seeing the most improvement thanks to the passage and funding of universal education freedom programs.
“ALEC’s dedication to the advancement of universal education freedom is unparalleled,” said Florida Representative and ALEC National Chair Demi Busatta. “I’m thrilled to see Florida once again ranked number one in the nation for education freedom, and I’m equally pleased that many more states are extending that same opportunity to their students. ALEC’s report and model legislation means it’s never been easier for states to implement this vital policy across the nation.”
In 2022, West Virginia became the first state to offer a universal EFA when it created the Hope Scholarship Program. Since then, 16 additional states have passed universal education freedom programs, thus empowering millions of families across the country with the support needed to make the best educational decisions for their students.
“ALEC believes that all forms of learning should be available to all families, and parents should be empowered with the authority to choose what school will work best for their student,” said Andrew Handel, the report author and Director of the ALEC Task Force on Education & Workforce Development. “Whether that is a public school, private school, religious school, charter school, virtual school, home school, or something else, state policymakers are leading the way by ensuring that every single one of these options are available to families. Our rankings are a reflection of these policies and the tremendous work these lawmakers have accomplished.”
For more than 50 years, ALEC has been the national leader in developing trusted model policies for education freedom, such as The Hope Scholarship Act, Next Generation Charter Schools Act, Resolution Supporting Homeschooling Freedom, the Virtual Learning Act, and the Open Enrollment Act.
The 2026 ALEC Index of State Education Freedom continues this legacy and serves as a critical resource for policymakers to expand choice and prioritize students.
Andrew Handel, Director of ALEC’s Education and Workforce Development Task Force, will be available for ten-minute interviews with credentialed media outlets on Wednesday, January 21 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Interested outlets should contact Joel Watson, Jr., ALEC Director of Media Relations, at jwatson@alec.org to schedule a time.