COMMON ONLINE CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION LAUNCHES FOR 2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR
Families Can Apply to Multiple Charter Schools At Once With Easy Tool/i>
Over 200 New York City Charter Schools Currently Available to Prospective Students, With More Added Weekly!
New York, NY – The New York City Charter School Center launched the Common Online Charter School Application for the 2025-2026 academic year, allowing families to apply to multiple public charter schools at once through a single application. The Common Online Charter School Application now includes more than 200 participating charter schools across the five boroughs, with more schools added weekly, and is offered in 10 different languages, including English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Chinese, Urdu, Bengali, Korean and Russian. Families have already begun applying and are encouraged to submit their applications before the window closes on April 1, 2025.
The Charter Center’s online Charter School Open House Calendar provides families with the dates of charter schools’ recruitment and community events that are open to the public. Families interested in applying can learn more about NYC’s charter schools by visiting these schools in-person and/or virtually.
“Families want public education options – the Common Online Charter School Application offers New Yorkers an easy way to apply to multiple high quality public charter schools across all five boroughs,” said James Merriman, Chief Executive Officer of the New York City Charter School Center. “We’re committed to making the application process as seamless as possible for families as they seek the best public schools for their children.”
Every year, tens of thousands of families apply to NYC public charter schools using the free, simple Common Online Charter School Application:
- Of the 43,681 applications submitted for the 2024-2025 academic year, 62% were for schools in the Bronx; 17% in Manhattan; 12% in Brooklyn; 8% in Queens; 1% in Staten Island
- 33% of last year’s applicants self-identified as English Language Learners (ELLs)
- 16% of the applications came from students with disabilities (SWDs)
Charter schools now educate an estimated 149,000 students, or 15% of New York City’s public school students. New York City has 281 charter schools (across approximately 430 campuses) in all five boroughs, including:
- 98 in the Bronx
- 91 in Brooklyn
- 55 in Manhattan
- 29 in Queens
- 8 in Staten Island
Through the Common Online Charter School Application, the Open House Calendar and the Charter Center’s School Finder, families have direct access to the information they need – grades offered, location, proficiency scores, demographics, etc. – to make the best educational choice for their children. The Common Charter School Application does not affect applications to district school programs.
For more information on New York City’s public charter schools and how to apply, please visit www.charterNYC.org.
