Magnet schools typically have a selective admissions process and require students to have prior skills and experiences in the special subjects that they will be focusing on. In addition to the typical curriculum of a public school, magnet schools also have a set curriculum for the program in which a student will specialize. This means that they would have more dedicated time during their school day for art, music, technology or the magnet program in which they are participating.

Charter schools are public schools that are privately managed, not exclusively under the care of a local school district. These schools receive some public funds, but typically receive private funding as well. While they must adhere to state standards to some extent, they also have the ability to create their own curriculum and systems that do not have to adhere to all of the same rules of public schools. For the most part, students are admitted into charter schools through a lottery system.

Advocates of charter schools say that it gives parents more choice on the type of school that they would like to attend and the quality of education that their child can receive, particularly if the student lives in a neighborhood where the quality of their traditional public school is not very strong. However, there are also many critics of charter schools who believe that it privatizes a facet of American society that should be a public service and incentivizes not putting resources into making traditional public neighborhood schools stronger.

Youth also have the option to attend private schools which can be very costly for parents. There are religious private schools, the majority of which are Catholic or other forms of Christian or parochial schools. There are also private schools with particular pedagogical approaches such as Montessori schools. Additionally, there are boarding schools where students live where they go to school and away from home. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) have school voucher programs. These programs give families state money in order for a student to attend a private school if their neighborhood school is not of strong quality. Much like charter schools, while advocates of these programs say that it gives parents more choice and options for their students, others argue that it takes resources away from the public schools that could potentially make the school better.

Another option for parents who do not want their students to attend public or private schools is homeschooling. As of 2021, 5 % of students in the United States were homeschooled. This entails students being educated individually by their parents or a private teacher that comes to their home, instead of attending a school in their community.

When students are home-schooled, their parents or teacher can follow the curriculum that they would learn in school, or they may choose to have students learn other subjects, such as music or art, which may not be offered at their local school. There are a variety of reasons why parents may choose to homeschool their child, including the desire to provide a very particular form of academic, moral, or religious instruction, a concern for the social environment that a school may be offering, and the need to accommodate for special needs or medical conditions. Some parents believe they will be able to provide their child with a more rigorous or personalized education through homeschooling. However, one drawback is that is limits student exposure to being around their peers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more parents have opted to homeschool their child than ever before.