New polling data out just in time for National School Choice Week (NSCW) 2026 affirms the growing importance of school choice to American families. The poll, from the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, queried 3,960 parents last month, highlighting their searches for a new school and the reasons driving those searches.
According to the poll, 75% of parents with school-aged children considered new schools for their children in 2025. This is a five-year high and an increase from the 60% of parents who said that the year before. Of these parent searchers, 21%, or around 13.3 million, went on to enroll their child in a new learning environment.
Here are some key findings from the poll, according to a press release from the National School Choice Awareness Foundation/ NSCW:
Most parents who enrolled their children in new schools said they were motivated by practical factors rather than dissatisfaction. Common reasons included children entering school for the first time (20%), moving between school levels (26%), or families relocating to a new community (16%). Just 32% cited dissatisfaction with their child’s previous school as the primary reason for enrolling somewhere new.
When selecting new schools, parents who enrolled their children said their top priorities were a safe, supportive school environment (61%), a positive social environment (47%), and a particular educational theme or approach–such as STEM, arts, or faith-based education (39%).
A majority of parents, 62%, said they would be “likely to consider new schools for at least one of their children in 2026,” according to the release.
Read more about the survey here. View the full report here.
The poll also illuminated parent priorities and information gaps, reflected in survey graphics below.
Survey graphics courtesy of the National School Choice Awareness Foundation/National School Choice Week, January 2026.
Learn more about NSCW by visiting the official website or North Carolina page.
NSCW graphic courtesy of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
