Which US public schools have the highest per-student spending?

Sutter County Special Education in California is in a district spending $98,890 per student. Note: this reflects district-wide spending, not individual school budgets. Source: NCES F-33 Finance Survey.

Does more spending per student mean better schools?

Not necessarily. Per-pupil expenditure reflects district-wide costs including teacher salaries, facilities, and administration. High-cost areas like NYC tend to spend more. Quality depends on many factors beyond spending.

Why is spending shown at the district level instead of per school?

Federal education finance data (NCES F-33) reports spending at the school district level. Individual school-level budgets are not consistently reported at the national level, though ESSA requires states to begin publishing this data.

National ranking · NCES F-33

School Spending Rankings

Public schools ranked by their district's per-pupil expenditure, comparing the highest and lowest funded schools with 100 or more students.

Compiled from official source data by PlainSchools Editorial. · Updated June 2026

The ranking in one line

Students at Sutter County Special Education are funded at $98,890 a year, 24.6 times the $4,023 behind students at Excel Center - South Bend.

24.6x
highest vs lowest funding gap: $54,568
floor of the top-50 list: $6,248
ceiling of the bottom-50 list

Data Note: Spending figures reflect district-wide average per-pupil expenditure from the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22). Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level. Schools in the same district share the same per-pupil figure.

Top 50 Highest-Funded Schools

Schools whose districts report the highest per-pupil expenditure. The shaded bar behind each value shows its magnitude; see our methodology.

#	School	District	Enrollment	Per Student
1	Sutter County Special Education Yuba City, CA	Sutter County Office of Education	332	$98,890
2	Imperial County Special Education El Centro, CA	Imperial County Office of Education	481	$97,749
3	Imperial Pathways Charter El Centro, CA	Imperial County Office of Education	246	$97,749
4	Valley Academy El Centro, CA	Imperial County Office of Education	205	$97,749
5	Valley Oaks Charter Bakersfield, CA	Kern County Office of Education	1,087	$93,561
6	Kern County Special Education Bakersfield, CA	Kern County Office of Education	387	$93,561
7	Kern County Community Bakersfield, CA	Kern County Office of Education	325	$93,561
8	Kern County Juvenile Court Bakersfield, CA	Kern County Office of Education	191	$93,561
9	Monument Academy Pcs Washington, DC	Monument Academy Pcs	131	$92,820
10	Access County Community Costa Mesa, CA	Orange County Department of Education	1,315	$90,934
11	Orange County Special Education Costa Mesa, CA	Orange County Department of Education	331	$90,934
12	Occs:Chep/Pchs Tustin, CA	Orange County Department of Education	290	$90,934
13	Access Juvenile Hall Costa Mesa, CA	Orange County Department of Education	186	$90,934
14	College and Career Preparatory Academy Santa Ana, CA	Orange County Department of Education	168	$90,934
15	Mount Pleasant-Cottage School Pleasantville, NY	Mount Pleasant-Cottage Union Free School District	122	$88,739
16	S.F. County Special Education San Francisco, CA	San Francisco County Office of Education	120	$88,456
17	Bridgehampton School Bridgehampton, NY	Bridgehampton Union Free School District	185	$80,373
18	Mastery Chs-Lenfest Campus Philadelphia, PA	Mastery Chs-Lenfest Campus	660	$78,378
19	William Finch Orland, CA	Glenn County Office of Education	154	$78,042
20	Success One! Orland, CA	Glenn County Office of Education	105	$78,042
21	Maya Angelou Pcs - Hs Washington, DC	Maya Angelou Pcs	218	$75,538
22	Jack London Elementary Santa Rosa, CA	Piner-Olivet Union Elementary	258	$71,156
23	Metro Deaf School Saint Paul, MN	Metro Deaf School	156	$69,540
24	Charter Alternative Program (Cap) El Dorado, CA	El Dorado County Office of Education	295	$68,327
25	Charter Community School Home Study Academy Placerville, CA	El Dorado County Office of Education	290	$68,327
26	Special Education Placerville, CA	El Dorado County Office of Education	202	$68,327
27	Pocantico Hills Central School Sleepy Hollow, NY	Pocantico Hills Central School District	322	$67,760
28	Gould Educational Center Madera, CA	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	351	$64,738
29	Pioneer Technical Center Madera, CA	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	207	$64,738
30	George Junior Republic School Freeville, NY	George Junior Republic Union Free School District	107	$64,468
31	Amagansett School Amagansett, NY	Amagansett Union Free School District	112	$63,292
32	Remsenburg-Speonk Elementary School Remsenburg, NY	Remsenburg-Speonk Union Free School District	119	$63,270
33	Somerset County Vocational Technical High School Bridgewater, NJ	Somerset County Vocational and Technical School District	332	$61,382
34	Shelter Island School Shelter Island, NY	Shelter Island Union Free School District	183	$61,326
35	Merced County Special Education Merced, CA	Merced County Office of Education	942	$61,111
36	Merced Scholars Charter Merced, CA	Merced County Office of Education	334	$61,111
37	Valley Los Banos Community Los Banos, CA	Merced County Office of Education	160	$61,111
38	Come Back Charter Merced, CA	Merced County Office of Education	128	$61,111
39	Valley Atwater Community Atwater, CA	Merced County Office of Education	122	$61,111
40	Blythedale School Valhalla, NY	Mount Pleasant-Blythedale Union Free School District	133	$60,908
41	Montauk School Montauk, NY	Montauk Union Free School District	298	$59,652
42	Spero Academy Minneapolis, MN	Spero Academy	148	$58,643
43	Spero Academy Brooklyn Park Brooklyn Park, MN	Spero Academy	127	$58,643
44	Lionsgate Academy - Shoreview Shoreview, MN	Lionsgate Academy	189	$57,724
45	Lionsgate Academy - Minnetonka Minnetonka, MN	Lionsgate Academy	150	$57,724
46	The Seed Pcs of Washington Dc Washington, DC	Seed Pcs	245	$57,296
47	Madison Elementary School Madison, NH	Madison School District	129	$56,939
48	Yuba County Career Preparatory Charter Marysville, CA	Yuba County Office of Education	250	$56,115
49	Yuba County Special Education Marysville, CA	Yuba County Office of Education	170	$56,115
50	East Brooklyn Ascend Charter School (Ebacs) Brooklyn, NY	East Brooklyn Ascend Charter School (Ebacs)	152	$54,568

Top 50 Lowest-Funded Schools

Schools whose districts report the lowest per-pupil expenditure. A short bar means less funding behind each student.

#	School	District	Enrollment	Per Student
1	Excel Center - South Bend South Bend, IN	Excel Center - South Bend	296	$4,023
2	Excel Center - Clarksville Clarksville, IN	Excel Center - Clarksville	329	$4,238
3	Excel Center for Adult Learners Indianapolis, IN	Excel Center for Adult Learners	385	$4,284
4	Edoptions Hs Learning Center Peoria, AZ	Educational Options Foundation (90201)	465	$4,541
5	Excel Center - Lafayette Square Indianapolis, IN	Excel Center - Lafayette Square	410	$4,570
6	Excel Center - Anderson Anderson, IN	Excel Center - Anderson	321	$4,612
7	Oregon Connections Academy Prairie City, OR	Prairie City Sd 4	884	$4,746
8	Prairie City School Prairie City, OR	Prairie City Sd 4	247	$4,746
9	Excel Center - Kokomo Kokomo, IN	Excel Center - Kokomo	392	$4,764
10	Excel Center - Richmond Richmond, IN	Excel Center - Richmond	239	$4,828
11	Excel Center - Lafayette Lafayette, IN	Excel Center - Lafayette	366	$4,925
12	Willamette Connections Academy Scio, OR	Scio Sd 95	1,282	$4,984
13	Centennial Elementary School Scio, OR	Scio Sd 95	291	$4,984
14	Scio High School Scio, OR	Scio Sd 95	227	$4,984
15	Scio Middle School Scio, OR	Scio Sd 95	162	$4,984
16	Excel Center - Noblesville Noblesville, IN	Excel Center - Noblesville	216	$5,000
17	Idaho Home Learning Academy Malad City, ID	Oneida County District	7,764	$5,040
18	Malad Elementary School Malad City, ID	Oneida County District	386	$5,040
19	Malad Senior High School Malad City, ID	Oneida County District	315	$5,040
20	Malad Middle School Malad City, ID	Oneida County District	216	$5,040
21	Excel Center - Shelbyville Shelbyville, IN	Excel Center - Shelbyville	131	$5,147
22	Excel Center - Bloomington Bloomington, IN	Excel Center - Bloomington	117	$5,376
23	Kootenai Bridge Academy Coeur D'alene, ID	The Kootenai Bridge Academy Inc.	347	$5,460
24	Tennessee Virtual Academy Knoxville, TN	Union County	1,867	$5,560
25	Tennessee Virtual Junior High School Knoxville, TN	Union County	856	$5,560
26	Union County High School Maynardville, TN	Union County	806	$5,560
27	H Maynard Middle School Maynardville, TN	Union County	604	$5,560
28	Maynardville Elementary Maynardville, TN	Union County	366	$5,560
29	Luttrell Elementary Luttrell, TN	Union County	341	$5,560
30	Paulette Elementary School Maynardville, TN	Union County	341	$5,560
31	Big Ridge Elementary Maynardville, TN	Union County	169	$5,560
32	Sharps Chapel Elementary Sharps Chapel, TN	Union County	127	$5,560
33	Excel Center - Hammond Hammond, IN	Excel Center - Hammond	205	$5,578
34	Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea) Fairbanks, AK	Galena City School District	7,876	$5,620
35	Galena Interior Learning Academy (Gila) Galena, AK	Galena City School District	185	$5,620
36	Richard Mckenna Charter School - Online Mountain Home, ID	Idaho Virtual High School Inc.	216	$5,943
37	Richard Mckenna Charter School - Montessori Mountain Home, ID	Idaho Virtual High School Inc.	164	$5,943
38	Richard Mckenna Charter School - Online Alternative Mountain Home, ID	Idaho Virtual High School Inc.	154	$5,943
39	Richard Mckenna Charter School - Onsite Mountain Home, ID	Idaho Virtual High School Inc.	113	$5,943
40	Dayton Grade School Dayton, OR	Dayton Sd 8	320	$6,104
41	Dayton High School Dayton, OR	Dayton Sd 8	310	$6,104
42	Dayton Jr High School Dayton, OR	Dayton Sd 8	204	$6,104
43	Hayden Canyon Charter School Hayden, ID	Hayden Canyon Charter School Inc.	576	$6,121
44	Excel Center - Gary Gary, IN	Excel Center - Gary	125	$6,133
45	Indiana Gateway Digital Academy Clarksville, IN	Clarksville Community School Corp	5,318	$6,204
46	Clarksville Elementary School Clarksville, IN	Clarksville Community School Corp	649	$6,204
47	Clarksville Middle School Clarksville, IN	Clarksville Community School Corp	430	$6,204
48	Clarksville Senior High School Clarksville, IN	Clarksville Community School Corp	412	$6,204
49	Baker Web Academy Baker City, OR	Baker Sd 5j	3,066	$6,248
50	Baker Early College Baker City, OR	Baker Sd 5j	534	$6,248

About this data: Per-pupil expenditure is from the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey (Fiscal Year 2021-22). Figures represent district-wide averages, all schools within a district share the same per-student spending amount.

Individual school-level budgets are required under ESSA Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(iii) but are not yet consistently reported at the national level. This ranking uses the best available federal data.

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.