View in EDS

The 2026 EdChoice Friedman Index: All Students. All Options. All Dollars.®

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The 2026 EdChoice Friedman Index: All Students. All Options. All Dollars.®
Language: English
Authors: Ben Scafidi, Colyn Ritter, EdChoice
Source: EdChoice. 2026.
Availability: EdChoice. 111 Monument Circle Suite 2650, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Tel: 317-681-0745; e-mail: info@edchoice.org; Web site: http://www.edchoice.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Measurement, Private Education, Elementary Secondary Education, School Choice, Educational Finance, State Programs, Eligibility, Expenditure per Student, Educational Equity (Finance)
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: The 2026 "EdChoice Friedman Index" is a comprehensive and easy-to-understand measure of the availability of private K-12 educational choice across the United States. Inspired by Milton and Rose Friedman's vision of universal choice, the "Index" assesses how well each state enables families to direct education funding toward the options they deem best, whether public or private. Since 2020, there has been a rapid increase in educational choice programs across the U.S. While many states have been labeled as offering "universal choice," many of these states lack accessibility due to caps on funding. The "EdChoice Friedman Index" measures how much educational choice families really have. The "EdChoice Friedman Index" ranges from 0 to 100. To achieve a score of 100 on the "Index," a given state must meet each of the following three criteria: (1) "All Students": 100% of the students in the state are eligible to participate in a choice program, with funding available for all who wish to participate (universal funded eligibility); (2) "All Options": All choice students are able to participate in an education savings-style program (ESA), which means families have the opportunity to use the taxpayer funds placed in their child's account to offset tuition payments at private schools and to purchase educational goods and services outside of schools (e.g. tutoring, textbooks, test fees, special needs therapies, etc.); and (3) "All Dollars": Average awards per choice student are equal to the average state and local revenue per public school student, which means that choice students receive the same amount of funding as public school students (sans federal funding), on average. The "Index" serves as a benchmark measurement of the degree to which private education choice opportunities are actually available to families in each state and also serves as a roadmap, as its component scores direct policymakers and advocates to specific policies they could support to truly increase the amount of educational choice for students.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED680912
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The 2026 "EdChoice Friedman Index" is a comprehensive and easy-to-understand measure of the availability of private K-12 educational choice across the United States. Inspired by Milton and Rose Friedman's vision of universal choice, the "Index" assesses how well each state enables families to direct education funding toward the options they deem best, whether public or private. Since 2020, there has been a rapid increase in educational choice programs across the U.S. While many states have been labeled as offering "universal choice," many of these states lack accessibility due to caps on funding. The "EdChoice Friedman Index" measures how much educational choice families really have. The "EdChoice Friedman Index" ranges from 0 to 100. To achieve a score of 100 on the "Index," a given state must meet each of the following three criteria: (1) "All Students": 100% of the students in the state are eligible to participate in a choice program, with funding available for all who wish to participate (universal funded eligibility); (2) "All Options": All choice students are able to participate in an education savings-style program (ESA), which means families have the opportunity to use the taxpayer funds placed in their child's account to offset tuition payments at private schools and to purchase educational goods and services outside of schools (e.g. tutoring, textbooks, test fees, special needs therapies, etc.); and (3) "All Dollars": Average awards per choice student are equal to the average state and local revenue per public school student, which means that choice students receive the same amount of funding as public school students (sans federal funding), on average. The "Index" serves as a benchmark measurement of the degree to which private education choice opportunities are actually available to families in each state and also serves as a roadmap, as its component scores direct policymakers and advocates to specific policies they could support to truly increase the amount of educational choice for students.