How much public schools spend per student, by state
U.S. public school systems spent $17,619 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2023-24, up 6.6% on the year before and up 33.6% since 2018-19 (not adjusted for inflation). New York spent the most, $31,918, and Idaho the least, $11,060: 2.9 times as much.
U.S. Census Bureau, fiscal year 2023-24 · per pupil current spending, every state · this page first published · data checked · method
Current spending per student
- $11,060 to under $13,622
- $13,622 to under $15,581
- $15,581 to under $17,664
- $17,664 to under $21,776
- $21,776 and up
D.C. is one city system, so it is in the table but not ranked among the 50 states. Hawaii runs one statewide school district, so its figure is that district's.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending by state, 2018-19 to 2023-24 (summary table 20).
Which states spend the most per student: the top ten
Which states spend the least per student: the bottom ten
Six years of spending per student
Spending per student grew fastest in New Mexico (+73.6%), Nevada (+58.5%), California (+48.1%), Hawaii (+48.0%), Oregon (+45.2%), and slowest in Montana (+13.6%), Alaska (+14.2%), Iowa (+20.7%), North Dakota (+22.1%), Connecticut (+23.5%), from 2018-19 to 2023-24. Years are fiscal years ending in June (2024 is 2023-24).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending by state, 2018-19 to 2023-24 (summary table 20).
The question and the method
How much do US public schools spend per student, how much does that differ by state, and how fast has it grown since 2018-19?
The Census Bureau's per pupil current spending: current spending for elementary and secondary education (salaries, benefits, supplies and services; not buildings or debt) divided by fall enrollment, as published for each state. Payments to other school systems and privately chartered schools are left out. The change since 2018-19 compares the Bureau's own figures for the two years. District records and state pages carry the NCES F-33 file for 2022-23 and, where the Census Bureau publishes one, the district's 2023-24 figure.
Limits. This is an input measure of dollars spent, not an outcome: higher spending does not by itself mean better schools. It is not adjusted for cost of living or for inflation, so part of the growth since 2018-19 is rising prices. Current spending leaves out capital projects and debt service.
Every state
All 51 as a table
| State | Rank | Current spending per student | Change since 2018‑19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 | $31,918 | +27.0% |
| District of Columbia | not ranked | $31,529 | +39.7% |
| Vermont | 2 | $28,818 | +41.9% |
| New Jersey | 3 | $27,234 | +32.8% |
| Connecticut | 4 | $26,316 | +23.5% |
| Massachusetts | 5 | $24,429 | +37.6% |
| Hawaii | 6 | $23,878 | +48.0% |
| New Hampshire | 7 | $22,978 | +31.6% |
| Delaware | 8 | $22,201 | +36.1% |
| Rhode Island | 9 | $22,110 | +32.0% |
| Illinois | 10 | $21,776 | +34.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | $21,091 | +25.1% |
| Alaska | 12 | $21,004 | +14.2% |
| California | 13 | $20,791 | +48.1% |
| Wyoming | 14 | $20,521 | +25.9% |
| Maryland | 15 | $20,208 | +33.4% |
| Maine | 16 | $19,962 | +36.6% |
| Washington | 17 | $18,564 | +30.5% |
| Michigan | 18 | $18,314 | +43.6% |
| Oregon | 19 | $18,083 | +45.2% |
| New Mexico | 20 | $17,664 | +73.6% |
| Ohio | 21 | $17,257 | +27.5% |
| Virginia | 22 | $17,104 | +35.3% |
| North Dakota | 23 | $17,102 | +22.1% |
| Minnesota | 24 | $17,098 | +27.7% |
| Nebraska | 25 | $16,147 | +26.7% |
| Wisconsin | 26 | $15,952 | +26.6% |
| Colorado | 27 | $15,908 | +44.2% |
| Georgia | 28 | $15,833 | +41.0% |
| West Virginia | 29 | $15,640 | +30.2% |
| Louisiana | 30 | $15,581 | +32.5% |
| Kansas | 31 | $15,558 | +30.5% |
| South Carolina | 32 | $15,060 | +35.2% |
| Nevada | 33 | $14,812 | +58.5% |
| Kentucky | 34 | $14,596 | +29.3% |
| Iowa | 35 | $14,369 | +20.7% |
| Missouri | 36 | $14,241 | +27.1% |
| Arkansas | 37 | $13,873 | +33.5% |
| Montana | 38 | $13,656 | +13.6% |
| Alabama | 39 | $13,627 | +35.2% |
| Indiana | 40 | $13,622 | +31.0% |
| North Carolina | 41 | $12,995 | +31.8% |
| Texas | 42 | $12,895 | +31.2% |
| Tennessee | 43 | $12,882 | +30.5% |
| South Dakota | 44 | $12,828 | +26.5% |
| Florida | 45 | $12,693 | +31.6% |
| Mississippi | 46 | $12,324 | +32.7% |
| Oklahoma | 47 | $12,162 | +30.5% |
| Arizona | 48 | $12,003 | +39.2% |
| Utah | 49 | $11,347 | +41.6% |
| Idaho | 50 | $11,060 | +38.5% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending by state, 2018-19 to 2023-24 (summary table 20).
Related research
- 01Funding equity by state
How far apart district spending is
- 02All research
Every study
Sources
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by state, summary table 20 · FY 2023-24