The 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act required states to publish school-level per-pupil expenditure data every fiscal year. Preliminary Census Bureau data for 41 states and Washington, DC, shows a range of expenditures, from $9,670 to $27,504 per public school student in federal fiscal year 2022.
How much do states spend on education per student?
Among the 41 states[1] with reported data, New York schools led the nation in per-pupil spending in 2021 and 2022, spending $26,571 in 2021 and $27,504 in 2022. Idaho spent the least, with $9,053 in 2021 and $9,670 in 2022, respectively.
This data will be updated to include all states in spring 2024.
How did education spending change during the pandemic?
Between federal fiscal years 2020 and 2022, education revenues and expenditures increased at the federal, state, and local levels, according to partial and preliminary data.[2] The federal government contributed $46.4 billion to public school revenues in 2020 ($51.7 billion when adjusted for inflation) — that figure increased to $70.3 billion in 2021 ($75.9 billion when adjusted for inflation) and $92.9 billion in 2022.[1]
Nationally, public schools spent $546 more per elementary and secondary school pupil in 2022 ($16,340) compared to 2020 ($15,794) after adjusting for inflation.
At the state level, comparing 2020 and 2021 data (which is available for all states) helps show which states are increasing per-student education spending. In Maine, per-student education spending increased by 16% — more than double the national increase of 6.3%.
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This data is from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of School Systems Finances. The fiscal year 2022 preliminary data were released to inform the public about the potential effects of the pandemic. Due to submission timing and editing, data only include summary statistics for 42 states or state equivalents.
[1] 2022 data is preliminary and unavailable for Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Indiana, West Virginia, and Maine. Data for these states are also excluded from previous years' of data to ensure comparability over time.
[2] Figures in this section also include expenditures for adult education, community services, and other non-elementary-secondary programs but are excluded from "per pupil spending."
