Charter schools are semi-autonomous public schools that receive public funds. They operate under a written contract with a state, district, or other entity (referred to as an authorizer or sponsor). Charter school laws vary from state to state and often differ on several important factors, such as who may authorize charter schools, how authorizers and charter schools are held accountable for student outcomes, and whether charter school teachers must be certified. Education Commission of the States has researched charter school policies in all 50 states to provide this comprehensive resource. This 50-State Comparison shows how all states approach specific charter school policies. The following topics are addressed: (1) Charter School Basics; (2) Charter School Applications; (3) Charter School Authorizing; (4) Charter School Autonomy and Accountability; (5) Charter School Funding; (6) Charter School Teachers; and (7) Virtual Charter Schools. Each topic area contains questions with hyperlinks to tables that show the findings for each state.