America’s School Choice Programs Ranked by Purchasing Power, 2020 Edition

How well are America’s private school choice programs funded?

In this post, we rank the nation’s educational choice programs by purchasing power based on data in the 2020 edition of The ABCs of School Choice.

To rank programs by purchasing power, we compare each program’s most recent per-pupil spending to the state’s (or D.C.’s) average per-pupil spending in public schools. For context, we’ve also given the actual dollar amount each program’s students receive, on average. Last year’s rankings are in parentheses following each program name.

Note: The top four programs in this list have per-pupil spending amounts that are higher than public school per-pupil spending in their jurisdictions. This is because they serve primarily or exclusively students with special needs, who tend to receive more educational funding in public schools as well. We compare the average funding amounts for these programs to the average funding for the entire student body in local public schools. If you’d like to see more program data or data updated after this post, please make sure to visit our School Choice in America Dashboard.

Without further ado, here are your 2020 school choice program rankings by purchasing power.

1. Ohio’s Autism Scholarship Program (1)
Voucher | 196% of average per-pupil spending in Ohio public schools | $22,996

2. Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (2)
ESA | 187% of average per-pupil spending in Arizona public schools | $14,174 (projected)

3. Florida’s Gardiner Scholarship Program (3)
ESA | 115% of average per-pupil spending in Florida public schools | $10,508 (projected)

4. Wisconsin’s Special Needs Scholarship Program (4)
Voucher | 102% of average per-pupil spending in Wisconsin public schools | $11,719

5. North Carolina’s Personal Education Savings Accounts (5)
ESA | 96% of average per-pupil spending in North Carolina public schools | $8,746

6. New Hampshire’s Town Tuitioning Program (NR)
Voucher | 88% of average per-pupil spending in New Hampshire public schools | $14,000

7. Oklahoma’s Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities (10)
Voucher | 87% of average per-pupil spending in Oklahoma public schools | $7,033

8. Ohio’s Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program (8)
Voucher | 85% of average per-pupil spending in Ohio public schools |$9,913

9. Utah’s Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Program (7)
Voucher | 85% of average per-pupil spending in Utah public schools | $6,123

10. Mississippi’s Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Program (11)
ESA | 80% of average per-pupil spending in Mississippi public schools | $6,765

11. Maine’s Town Tuitioning Program (15)
Voucher | 80% of average per-pupil spending in Maine public schools | $11,759 (maximum)

12. North Carolina’s Special Education Scholarship Grants for Children with Disabilities (9)
Voucher| 79% of average per-pupil spending in North Carolina public schools | $6,753

13. Florida’s Hope Scholarship Program (12)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 78% of average per-pupil spending in Florida public schools | $7,112 (max)

14. Vermont’s Town Tuitioning Program (13)
Voucher | 77% of average per-pupil spending in Vermont public schools | $13,152

15. Florida’s John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program (11)
Voucher | 76% of average per-pupil spending in Florida public schools | $7,557

16. Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (20)
Voucher | 69% of average per-pupil spending in Wisconsin public schools | $7,943

17. Wisconsin’s Parental Choice Program (Statewide) (19)
Voucher | 69% of average per-pupil spending in Wisconsin public schools | $7,932

18. Wisconsin’s Parental Private School Choice Program (Racine) (21)
Voucher | 69% of average per-pupil spending in Wisconsin public schools | $7,904

19. Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (18)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 68% of average per-pupil spending in Florida public schools | $6,195 (projected)

20. Nevada’s Educational Choice Scholarship Program (26)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 67% of average per-pupil spending in Nevada public schools | $6,289

21. Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program (22)
Voucher | 67% of average per-pupil spending in Georgia public schools | $6,814

22. Alabama’s Education Scholarship Program (27)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 66% of average per-pupil spending in Alabama public schools | $5,960 (projected)

23. Mississippi’s Nate Rogers Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program (28)
Voucher | 65% of average per-pupil spending in Mississippi public schools | $5,459

24. Arizona’s Lexie’s Law for Disabled and Displaced Students Tax Credit Scholarship Program (25)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 65% of average per-pupil spending in Arizona public schools | $5,214

25. Tennessee’s Individualized Education Account Program (16)
ESA | 63% of average per-pupil spending in Tennessee public schools | $5,830

26. South Carolina’s Refundable Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children (24)
Individual Tax Credit | 63% of average per-pupil spending in South Carolina public schools | $6,211

27. Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia Program (29)
Voucher | 59% of average per-pupil spending in Mississippi public schools | $4,980

28. Arkansas’s Succeed Scholarship Program (17)
Voucher | 60% of average per-pupil spending in Arkansas public schools | $5,988

29. Louisiana Scholarship Program (30)
Voucher | 55% of average per-pupil spending in Louisiana public schools | $6,178

30. South Carolina’s Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children (31)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 51% of average per-pupil spending in South Carolina public schools | $4,973

31. Louisiana’s Elementary and Secondary School Tuition Deduction (32)
Individual Tax Deduction | 49% of average per-pupil spending in Louisiana public schools | $5,448

32. Illinois’s Invest in Kids Program (6)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 48% of average per-pupil spending in Illinois public schools | $7,380

33. District of Columbia’s Opportunity Scholarship Program (34)
Voucher | 46% of average per-pupil spending in D.C. public schools | $9,531

34. Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program (35)
Voucher | 44% of average per-pupil spending in Indiana public schools | $4,449

35. North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarships (33)
Voucher | 43% of average per-pupil spending in North Carolina public schools | $4,046 (projected)

36. Georgia’s Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit (41)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 42% of average per-pupil spending in Georgia public schools | $4,088

37. Kansas’s Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program (39)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 42% of average per-pupil spending in Kansas public schools | $4,638

38. Ohio’s Cleveland Scholarship Program (37)
Voucher | 41% of average per-pupil spending in Ohio public schools | $4,863

39. Ohio’s Educational Choice Scholarship Program (34)
Voucher | 41% of average per-pupil spending in Ohio public schools | $4,762

40. Wisconsin’s K–12 Private School Tuition Deduction (36)
Individual Tax Deduction | 39% of average per-pupil spending in Wisconsin public schools | $4,696

41. Louisiana’s Tuition Donation Credit Program (45)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 39% of average per-pupil spending in Louisiana public schools | $4,379

42. Puerto Rico’s Free School Selection Program (NR)
Voucher | 42% of average per-pupil spending in Puerto Rico public schools | $2,275

43. Ohio’s Income-Based Scholarship Program (42)
Voucher | 35% of average per-pupil spending in Ohio public schools | $4,097

44. Arizona’s Low-Income Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program (44)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 31% of average per-pupil spending in Arizona public schools | $2,469

45. Alabama Accountability Act of 2013 Parent-Taxpayer Refundable Tax Credits (43)
Individual Tax Credit | 30% of average per-pupil spending in Alabama public schools | $2,758

46. Virginia’s Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits Program (45)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 27% of average per-pupil spending in Virginia public schools | $3,168

47. Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarships (46)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 25% of average per-pupil spending in Oklahoma public schools | $2,017

48. Arizona’s Original Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program (47)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 22% of average per-pupil spending in Arizona public schools | $1,780

49. Rhode Island’s Tax Credits for Contributions to Scholarship Organizations (50)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 22% of average per-pupil spending in Rhode Island public schools | $3,416

50. Indiana’s School Scholarship Tax Credit (49)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 21% of average per-pupil spending in Indiana public schools | $2,145

51. Louisiana’s School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities (48)
Voucher | 21% of average per-pupil spending in Louisiana public schools | $2,340

52. Indiana’s Private School/Homeschool Deduction (51)
Individual Tax Deduction | 18% of average per-pupil spending in Indiana public schools | $1,807

53. Arizona’s “Switcher” Individual Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program (52)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 18% of average per-pupil spending in Arizona public schools | $1,476

54. Pennsylvania’s Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program (53)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 17% of average per-pupil spending in Pennsylvania public schools | $2,490

55. Iowa’s School Tuition Organization Tax Credit (55)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 15% of average per-pupil spending in Iowa public schools | $1,614

56. New Hampshire’s Education Tax Credit Program (56)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 14% of average per-pupil spending in New Hampshire public schools | $2,168

57. Maryland’s Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program (54)
Voucher | 14% of average per-pupil spending in Maryland public schools | $2,047

58. Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (57)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 11% of average per-pupil spending in Pennsylvania public schools | $1,816

59. Minnesota’s Education Deduction (58)
Individual Tax Deduction | 9% of average per-pupil spending in Minnesota public schools | $1,163

60. South Dakota’s Partners in Education Tax Credit Program (59)
Tax-Credit Scholarship | 4% of average per-pupil spending in South Dakota public schools | $419

61. Illinois’s Tax Credits for Educational Expenses (62)
Individual Tax Credit | 2% of average per-pupil spending in Illinois public schools | $246

62. Minnesota’s K–12 Education Credit (61)
Individual Tax Credit | 2% of average per-pupil spending in Minnesota public schools | $251

63. Iowa’s Tuition and Textbook Tax Credit (63)
Individual Tax Credit | 1% of average per-pupil spending in Iowa public schools | $131

Not Ranked programs:

Montana Tax Credits for Contributions to Student Scholarship Organizations

Florida Family Empowerment Scholarship Program

Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program