School Choice in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania runs 2 private school choice programs, together serving about 101,060 students. None of them reaches a universal tier, so eligibility is limited.
Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship- Students
- 85,543
- Eligible
- 71%
- Average award
- $2,613
- Launched
- 2001
The average award is 13% of what the state spends per pupil in its public schools.
Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program
Tax-Credit Scholarship- Students
- 15,517
- Eligible
- 10%
- Average award
- $2,699
- Launched
- 2012
The average award is 13% of what the state spends per pupil in its public schools.
Homeschooling in Pennsylvania
Homeschooling is legal in every state. Pennsylvania recognises four legal routes to it, compulsory attendance runs from age 6–18, and notice to the state is required. The Pennsylvania homeschool requirements are set out in full on their own page.
How Pennsylvania compares
Nationally, 36 jurisdictions run 82 private-choice programs serving roughly 2,279,109 students, and 18 have at least one program any student may apply to. The state-by-state guide sets out how the programs differ.
Where this comes from
Program data from EdChoice's School Choice in America dashboard, retrieved 2026-09-16; homeschool requirements from HSLDA. Participation and award figures are the most recent EdChoice publishes and lag the current school year. Educational information, not legal or financial advice — confirm eligibility with the program before you rely on it.
More on Pennsylvania: its freedom score and rank