Common Questions About Education Funding

The U.S. spent about $946 billion on public K-12 schools in 2022-23, the most recent year for which statistics are available. The money comes from federal, state, and local governments, and the percentage coming from each source varies between and within states.

The average per-pupil spending was $16,526 in 2022-23, but four states (Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont) and the District of Columbia spend more than $25,000 per student. On the other end of the spectrum, two states (Idaho and Utah) spend less than $11,000 per student on average. Read more statistics about U.S. schools.

Per pupil spending nationally in 2022-23 was up 5.7% over the previous year, not adjusted for inflation. This school year was one in which schools were spending federal pandemic relief aid. The federal government in 2020 and 2021 provided $190 billion in one-time, pandemic relief aid for education that schools had multiple years to spend. Read more about the impact of ESSER funds.