Education in Texas
Texas educates roughly 5.5 million public K–12 students — second only to California — across about 1,200 school districts, the most of any state (roughly 1,020 independent school districts plus around 180 open-enrollment charter districts). Public education is overseen by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the State Board of Education, and the Commissioner of Education.
Texas made national news in 2025 by passing its first-ever education savings account (ESA) — a $1 billion program after years of debate. Texas also has one of the country's largest charter sectors, treats homeschools as private schools, mandates and funds gifted education, rates schools with A–F grades, and famously guarantees university admission to the top 10% of each high school class. This guide walks through it all — including a look at Texas's large private and independent school sector — for the student, the family, the school, and the educator.
Who must attend school
Texas requires children ages 6 to 19 to attend school (a student must attend from age 6 until their 19th birthday, unless they graduate earlier). Attendance can be met through a public school, a private school, or homeschooling (which Texas law treats as a type of private school).
- Start age6 (by September 1)
- End of compulsory age19 (or graduation)
- Districts~1,200 — the most of any state
- Satisfying itPublic, private, or homeschool
Pre-K in Texas
Texas does not offer a universal pre-K program, but it funds free public prekindergarten for eligible 4-year-olds — children who are low-income, English learners, in foster care, homeless, or from military families (school districts must offer pre-K if they have at least 15 eligible children). Since House Bill 3 (2019), eligible pre-K is full-day. Head Start adds further capacity.
Because public pre-K is eligibility-based, availability depends on your child's qualifications and district, so check local options early. See our Kindergarten Readiness and Early Childhood toolkits.
Districts & charters
Texas's largest districts are among the biggest in the nation: Houston ISD (which the state took over in 2023), Dallas ISD, Cypress-Fairbanks, Northside (San Antonio), Austin ISD, and Fort Worth ISD. Texas also has one of the country's largest charter-school sectors — open-enrollment charter schools authorized by the state, including large networks such as IDEA, KIPP Texas, Harmony, YES Prep, and Uplift.
Find Texas public and charter schools in our schools directory.
Private & independent schools in Texas
Texas has a large and varied private-school sector — hundreds of thousands of students — spanning several kinds of schools:
- Catholic & parochial schoolsLarge diocesan systems (in Galveston-Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and beyond) and other church-affiliated schools
- Independent schoolsNonprofit, board-governed, tuition-funded college-prep schools (such as St. Mark's, Hockaday, St. John's, Kinkaid, and Greenhill) — "independent" meaning not owned by a church or chain
- Other religious & Christian schoolsA wide range of faith-based options
- Specialty schoolsMontessori, Waldorf, and schools for specific learning needs
A key point for families: Texas does not license, regulate, or accredit private schools — it's one of the least-regulated states in this regard, so private schools operate largely independently. Accreditation is voluntary and runs through the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC), a recognized umbrella that in turn recognizes member accrediting bodies — for example, the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) for independent schools, the Texas Catholic Conference for Catholic schools, and ACSI for many Christian schools. (Notably, private schools must be accredited and operating for at least two years to participate in the new ESA program below.)
Texas's new ESA & charters
After years of debate, Texas enacted its first education savings account (ESA) in 2025 (Senate Bill 2, signed by Gov. Abbott in May 2025). Key features:
- AwardAbout $10,000 per student (roughly 85% of the state's per-pupil amount) for private-school tuition and approved expenses — up to $30,000 for students with disabilities, and about $2,000 for homeschoolers
- FundingAn initial $1 billion — the largest launch for a program of its kind
- TimingBegins in the 2026–27 school year (applications opened in 2026)
- EligibilityPhased in — prioritizing lower-income families and students with disabilities first, with the possibility of expanding toward universal access
Alongside the ESA, Texas's large charter sector and various public-school transfer options give families many choices. See our School Types toolkit for how these compare.
Homeschooling in Texas
Texas is one of the least regulated states for home education. Under the Texas Supreme Court's Leeper v. Arlington ISD decision (1994), a homeschool is legally a private school — and since Texas doesn't regulate private schools, homeschoolers face very few requirements:
- No notificationNo notice, registration, or approval is required to homeschool
- No testingNo standardized testing or state assessment
- No curriculum approvalNo approval, teacher-qualification, or reporting requirement
- Teach in good faithProvide a bona fide curriculum in reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and good citizenship
Texas homeschool parents set their own curriculum and graduation approach and issue their own diplomas. Home-educating families can also receive about $2,000 through the new ESA (with program requirements). See our Homeschooling toolkit, and review the framework with the TEA.
The STAAR
Texas public schools use the STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) — testing reading/language arts and mathematics (grades 3–8), science (grades 5 and 8), and social studies (grade 8) — plus STAAR end-of-course (EOC) exams in high school (English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology, and U.S. History). Texas has been reforming its assessment system, and lawmakers have debated replacing STAAR, so the testing program may change.
Homeschooled students are not part of the STAAR. See the TEA assessment pages for current details.
Earning a Texas high school diploma
Texas students graduate under the Foundation High School Program — 26 credits including 4 English, 4 mathematics, 4 science, 3 social studies, 2 world language, 1 physical education, 1 fine arts, and electives — and must earn at least one endorsement by concentrating in an area: STEM, Business & Industry, Public Services, Arts & Humanities, or Multidisciplinary Studies. Students must also pass the five STAAR end-of-course exams (English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology, and U.S. History).
- Foundation + endorsement26 credits, plus an endorsement area
- EndorsementsSTEM · Business & Industry · Public Services · Arts & Humanities · Multidisciplinary
- STAAR EOCMust pass five end-of-course exams
- Distinguished levelIncludes Algebra II and qualifies for Top 10% admission
Special education & gifted
Texas serves students with disabilities under the federal IDEA, providing eligible students a free appropriate public education through an IEP in the least restrictive environment, with full procedural safeguards overseen by the TEA. (After a federal investigation found Texas had effectively capped special-education enrollment, the state removed that practice and has worked to improve identification and services.)
Texas also mandates and funds gifted education: districts must identify and serve gifted and talented (GT) students under the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students — a stronger, funded commitment than many states make. See our Special Education and Gifted & Talented toolkits, and verify with the TEA.
Texas A–F ratings
Texas rates each public school district and campus with an annual A–F accountability rating from the TEA, based on three areas: Student Achievement (including STAAR performance and, for high schools, college/career/military readiness and graduation), School Progress (growth and relative performance), and Closing the Gaps (outcomes across student groups). Recent rating releases were delayed by litigation over methodology changes, but the A–F system remains in place.
As always, a letter grade is a starting point, not the whole story — look at the underlying domains and visit schools (see our Choosing the Right School toolkit). Explore TXschools.gov, and find schools in our directory.
Immunizations & school entry
To enroll in a Texas school, students must show proof of required immunizations per the schedule set by the Texas Department of State Health Services, or a valid exemption. Requirements follow the state schedule, with additional doses at certain grades (including 7th-grade entry).
Texas has a comparatively broad exemption policy: in addition to medical exemptions, it allows exemptions for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs (via an official state affidavit). Confirm current requirements with the Texas DSHS and your school district before enrolling.
The Top 10% rule & state aid
Texas is known for its Top 10% Rule — students who graduate in the top 10% of their Texas high school class are automatically admitted to Texas public universities (UT Austin, the most competitive, admits roughly the top 6%). On the financial side, the TEXAS Grant (Toward EXcellence, Access and Success) is the state's main need-based grant, with the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG) for community-college students. Several flagships also offer free tuition for families under an income threshold (UT Austin and Texas A&M among them).
Students apply by filing the FAFSA (or TASFA) by the state's priority deadline. Use our Net Price, SAI Estimator, and Award Letter tools to plan costs, and see programs via the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Colleges & universities in Texas
Texas has a vast public higher-education landscape, organized largely into systems: the University of Texas System (the flagship UT Austin, plus UT Dallas, Arlington, San Antonio, and others, and health institutions including MD Anderson), the Texas A&M University System (the land-grant flagship in College Station, plus Prairie View A&M, an HBCU), the Texas Tech, University of Houston, University of North Texas, and Texas State systems, and roughly 50 community college districts. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board provides statewide coordination.
Texas is also home to renowned private institutions (Rice, SMU, TCU, and Baylor among them). Explore Texas's colleges and universities in our directory.
Becoming a teacher in Texas
Texas certifies teachers through the TEA and the State Board for Educator Certification, and — unlike Praxis states — candidates take the TExES (Texas Examinations of Educator Standards) after completing an approved preparation program. Texas issues a Standard certificate and offers a wide range of alternative certification routes (a large share of new Texas teachers enter through them).
Texas also provides reciprocity for many out-of-state educators. See our Teacher Certification, Praxis, and Job & Interview Tips for Educators toolkits, and the TEA certification pages for specifics.
Where to get the authoritative details
Requirements change — this guide is a well-organized starting point, not the final authority. For the current, official word, go straight to the source:
Also essential: your local school district office (for enrollment and transfers), the Texas Comptroller's ESA program, your school counselor, and the K12 Academics toolkits linked throughout this page.