Back-to-school shopping for K-12 students is estimated to reach a collective $30.9 billion for the 2025 school year, or an average of roughly $570 per child this year, according to a new survey by Deloitte. While that’s down from $586 in 2024, President Donald Trump’s tariffs could cause prices to go higher.
Although back-to-school consumers haven’t felt the full effect of tariffs yet, rising prices could lead to even tighter budgets. “However, if the large increases in tariffs announced earlier this year take effect and are sustained, they will infiltrate consumer prices, causing a downshift in spending,” said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist at the National Retail Federation, in a July 8 press release.
