60% of U.S. Parents Searched for New Schools for their Kids Last Year, Survey Finds

More than 60% of U.S. parents of school-aged children considered sending at least one of their children to a different school last year, according to the National School Choice Awareness Foundation’s January 2025 survey. This census-balanced survey of 2,873 parents of school aged children found that military families, younger parents, and Black moms and dads were among the most likely to consider new schools for their kids last year. Among moms and dads across America:

“Parent demand for K–12 education options remained strong in 2024. With 60% of moms and dads saying they considered new or different schools for at least one of their kids, it is safe to say that school choice is ‘here to stay.’ In terms of demographic insights, it’s no surprise that military families and younger parents are searching for schools at higher rates than other parent groups. Military families frequently relocate, and younger parents are just beginning the K–12 education journey with their children –– an ideal time to consider education options.”

– Shelby Doyle, vice president, National School Choice Awareness Foundation

Who’s Searching for New Schools?

• Black and Hispanic parents were more likely to indicate that they searched for new schools for their children, at 68% and 63% respectively, compared with Asian parents (59%) and white parents (58%).

• Parents aged 18 to 29 were more likely to search for new schools (71%), compared to 63% of parents aged 30 to 44, 59% of parents aged 45 to 60, and 47% of parents over the age of 60.

• 66% of parents who self-identified as living in cities or metropolitan areas considered new schools, compared to their suburban and rural counterparts (59% and 57%, respectively).

• Parents of students in elementary school and middle school were more likely to search for schools (66% and 69%, respectively), compared to parents of students in high school (57%).

What Options Are Parents Considering?

Parents who searched for new schools for their children expressed a willingness to consider a variety of different types of schools. While interest in public-sector education remained strong, school-switching parents in our 2025 survey appeared less likely to consider public schools in their neighborhoods than they were in previous years’ surveys, but more likely to consider private schools, homeschooling, and microschools.

“After several years in which we saw overwhelming parent interest in traditional public schools, this year’s drop is curious but easily explained. With more parents searching for new schools each year, and with parents gaining an awareness of how school choice really works, families are running up against an unfortunate reality: too many states make it too complicated to choose public schools outside of zones or districts. Bureaucracy itself is a barrier –– not just to choice, but to demand. Meanwhile, the surge in demand for microschooling indicates that this small, personalized, and markedly less-bureaucratic approach to learning is more than just a passing fad.”

–  Andrew Campanella, CEO, National School Choice Awareness Foundation

What Schooling Options Do Parents Ultimately Select?

28% of parents who searched for or considered new schools for their children ultimately enrolled their children in different schools. Of these parents, 60% selected public-sector schools, 10% selected full-time online schools (of which some are public and some are private), and 30% selected either private schools, homeschooling, or microschooling.

“Even though parents told us that they considered private or faith-based schools more than any other type of school last year, and even with a spike in parent demand for these nonpublic options, the percentage of parents who enrolled their children in private-sector schools after considering them remains relatively low. This may be due to the cost of attendance for families, even with the expansion of private school choice programs such as education savings accounts and ESAs. It also highlights that expanding school choice in one sector of schooling is not a panacea for all families; many types of high-quality options are needed for every family to find the right fit.”

– Shelby Doyle, vice president, National School Choice Awareness Foundation

School Searching Trends

Nationwide, the percentage of parents who searched for new schools for their children last year declined over our January 2024 survey (72%), reflecting an expected “leveling-off” of school searching after the COVID-19 pandemic era. However, the percentage of parents who searched for schools last year remained higher than in our January 2023 (54%) and January 2022 (52%) surveys.

School choice awareness is on the rise, as parents appear to be knowledgeable of the school choice options available to them. While a majority of parents (51%) said they wish they had more information about the schooling options available for their children, 64% of parents indicated the same last year.

Year	% Need More Info
2023	65%
2024	64%
2025	51%

Parents are talking more, and more frequently, about schooling options. 60% of parents indicated that they’d discussed school choice within the last week or month, compared with 51% who indicated the same in our survey last January.

Black and Hispanic parents were more likely to indicate that they searched for new schools for their children, at 68% and 63% respectively, compared with Asian parents (59%) and white parents (58%).

Younger parents aged 18 to 29 were more likely to search for new schools (71%), compared to 63% of parents aged 30 to 44, 59% of parents aged 45 to 60, and 47% of parents over the age of 60.

40% of U.S. parents said they were likely to search for a new or different school for at least one of their children in 2025. Asian and Black parents were most likely to indicate interest in searching for schools this year (at 46% each).

“School choice supporters should feel incredibly encouraged that more families say they have the information they need about school choice for their kids. This data point, along with the higher percentage of parents who told us they regularly talk about school choice, suggests that investments in public awareness are having an impact. This is the sign of a movement that is maturing and becoming more durable.”

–  Andrew Campanella, CEO, National School Choice Awareness Foundation

About NSCAF

The National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. NSCAF organizes bold charitable programs that advance K–12 school choice and empower parents to discover and navigate education options for their children. NSCAF’s programs are deployed in collaboration with our sister organization, the National School Choice Resource Center, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Our shared programs include National School Choice Week, Navigate School Choice, and Conoce tus Opciones Escolares.

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