Charter schools have historically served proportionately more students of color and more students from low-income communities than district schools. For the past 10 years (2013-14 to 2022-23 school years), charter schools have consistently had a higher portion of students of color compared to district schools. According to data from the 2022-23 school year, 71.7% of charter school students, versus 54.6% of district school students, were students of color. Charter schools have also consistently served a higher percentage of students who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch (FRPL). In the 2022-23 school year, 61.4% of charter school students received FRPL compared to 54.4% in district school.

Out of all students of color, Black and Hispanic students currently and historically make up most of this group. In the 2022-23 school year, they made up 60.6% of the charter school population and 41.9% of the district school population. Black and Hispanic students composed 57.1% to 60.6% of the charter school population from 2013-14 to 2022-23. In district schools during the same time frame, these groups of students had, at most, 42.2% of the enrollment.

In both charter and district schools, the percentage of students who are Asian and of other ethnicities (including American Indian, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, Hawaiian Native, and Two or More Races) has increased since the 2013-14 school year, while percentages of Black and White students have decreased slightly. The percentage of Hispanic students in charter schools has continued to increase since 2013-14 while district schools saw a decrease for the first time in 2022-23. From 2013-14 to 2022-23, Asian student enrollment in charter schools increased from 3.7% to 4.3% and enrollment of students of other ethnicities increased from 4.3% to 6.8%. Hispanic students in charter schools saw the highest percentage of enrollment growth, increasing from 30% of all charter school students in 2013-14 to 36.4% in 2022-23.  The percentage of Black students decreased from 27.1% to 24.2% and White students decreased from 34.9% to 28.3%. Although the share of Black charter students has decreased since 2013-2014, their total number of students has continued to increase. The rate of growth of Hispanic students, who in 2022-23 make up the largest share of charter students, has outpaced that of other student groups.