Statistics to cite

U.S. school spending statistics

U.S. public schools spent $17,619 per student in the school year that ended in 2024, on the Census Bureau's survey of school finances, from $11,060 in Idaho to $31,918 in New York.

12 key numbers from 3 charts. They update themselves when new data comes out; newest data as of June 30, 2024.

  1. U.S. public school spending per student, School year ending in 2024

    $17,619

    Day-to-day spending on teachers, staff, supplies and buses, not on buildings or debt.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  2. Highest spending per student among the states and D.C., School year ending in 2024

    $31,918

    New York.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  3. Second-highest spending per student among the states and D.C., School year ending in 2024

    $31,529

    District of Columbia.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  4. Spending per student in the middle state, School year ending in 2024

    $16,147

    Nebraska, 26th of the 50 states and D.C.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  5. Lowest spending per student among the states and D.C., School year ending in 2024

    $11,060

    Idaho.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  6. Highest-spending state's spending per student against the lowest's, School year ending in 2024

    2.9 times

    Not adjusted for each state's prices or wages, which differ widely.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  7. Highest spending per student among the 100 largest school districts, School year ending in 2024

    $35,796

    New York City, New York.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  8. Lowest spending per student among the 100 largest school districts, School year ending in 2024

    $10,044

    Alpine, Utah.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  9. Students in the largest public school district, School year ending in 2024

    845,509

    New York City, New York.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  10. Students in the second-largest public school district, School year ending in 2024

    419,929

    Los Angeles Unified, California.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  11. Students in the 100 largest public school districts together, School year ending in 2024

    10.2 million

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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  12. Students in the 100th-largest public school district, School year ending in 2024

    47,681

    Frederick County, Maryland.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2024. See the chart

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What these numbers can and can't tell you

Spending is current spending: salaries and benefits, supplies, transportation and services. It leaves out building projects and debt, and isn't adjusted for local prices, which differ widely.

The Census Bureau's Annual Survey of School System Finances is published about two years after the school year it covers. Enrollments are the Department of Education's counts it used, which can be a year or so older.

More: the data as a free feed and all statistics pages.