Education Spending Per Student by State

The Census Bureau compiles data on education spending per pupil and elementary/secondary education revenues for each state.

Nationally, the most recent data indicates $11,762 is spent on public education per student. Significant variation exists across states; New York spends more than $20,000 per student, while states like Utah and Idaho report spending about a third as much.

Many different factors and conditions within states influence education spending totals. Some of the more prominent factors include cost of living, class sizes and student demographics.

Expenditures shown in the following table reflect current spending, which does not include capital outlays, interest on debts and payments to other governments.

2016 Public School Spending Per Student By State

State Total Per Pupil Spending Total Spending (in Ks) Instruction Spending Per Pupil Instruction Spending (in Ks) Support Services Per Pupil Support Services (in Ks) United States $11,762 $587,004,677 $7,160 $357,578,738 $4,107 $199,467,318 Alabama $9,236 $6,907,539 $5,257 $3,865,453 $3,321 $2,439,634 Alaska $17,510 $2,327,151 $9,449 $1,251,738 $7,427 $983,877 Arizona $7,613 $7,276,067 $4,077 $3,872,250 $3,105 $2,913,176 Arkansas $9,846 $4,750,938 $5,539 $2,658,253 $3,762 $1,802,769 California $11,495 $72,641,244 $6,849 $42,587,272 $4,191 $26,058,021 Colorado $9,575 $8,519,780 $5,423 $4,786,838 $3,785 $3,333,043 Connecticut $18,958 $9,798,789 $11,656 $6,110,631 $6,621 $3,307,162 Delaware $14,713 $1,845,143 $9,191 $1,126,775 $4,852 $588,181 District of Columbia $19,159 $1,007,280 $10,758 $594,396 $7,637 $369,131 Florida $8,920 $25,339,845 $5,478 $15,212,112 $2,984 $8,286,140 Georgia $9,769 $17,118,329 $5,975 $10,534,931 $3,216 $5,554,271 Hawaii $13,748 $2,516,444 $8,066 $1,468,044 $4,953 $901,508 Idaho $7,157 $1,971,800 $4,262 $1,171,313 $2,508 $689,190 Illinois $14,180 $29,223,830 $8,636 $17,804,976 $5,134 $10,426,170 Indiana $9,856 $9,959,771 $5,706 $5,730,602 $3,653 $3,663,349 Iowa $11,150 $5,694,316 $6,787 $3,447,707 $3,894 $1,978,260 Kansas $9,960 $4,941,714 $6,063 $3,006,786 $3,401 $1,685,306 Kentucky $9,863 $6,834,081 $5,708 $3,917,968 $3,533 $2,425,472 Louisiana $11,038 $7,305,990 $6,199 $4,095,916 $4,222 $2,789,031 Maine $13,278 $2,491,632 $7,587 $1,437,164 $5,216 $938,187 Maryland $14,206 $12,516,025 $8,848 $7,779,504 $4,935 $4,338,868 Massachusetts $15,593 $15,466,496 $9,713 $9,991,819 $5,396 $4,970,289 Michigan $11,668 $15,860,412 $6,823 $9,113,469 $4,416 $5,899,097 Minnesota $12,382 $10,520,027 $8,074 $6,548,885 $3,719 $3,016,934 Mississippi $8,702 $4,246,156 $4,951 $2,407,637 $3,190 $1,551,274 Missouri $10,313 $9,417,531 $6,156 $5,488,433 $3,700 $3,298,811 Montana $11,348 $1,657,624 $6,701 $973,199 $4,125 $599,074 Nebraska $12,299 $3,882,657 $8,008 $2,526,973 $3,642 $1,149,107 Nevada $8,960 $3,978,436 $5,183 $2,288,790 $3,409 $1,505,591 New Hampshire $15,340 $2,778,905 $9,610 $1,743,022 $5,341 $959,654 New Jersey $18,402 $26,756,822 $10,716 $15,831,343 $6,999 $9,549,742 New Mexico $9,693 $3,102,120 $5,418 $1,733,158 $3,789 $1,212,080 New York $22,366 $61,447,337 $15,746 $43,964,520 $6,130 $15,883,500 North Carolina $8,792 $12,917,195 $5,513 $8,060,544 $2,806 $4,102,549 North Dakota $13,373 $1,460,308 $8,005 $867,650 $4,380 $474,679 Ohio $12,102 $20,561,122 $7,071 $12,247,509 $4,613 $7,357,292 Oklahoma $8,097 $5,474,468 $4,528 $3,047,217 $2,989 $2,011,100 Oregon $10,842 $6,457,713 $6,327 $3,834,741 $4,123 $2,367,410 Pennsylvania $15,418 $26,261,079 $9,446 $16,717,308 $5,383 $8,464,573 Rhode Island $15,532 $2,242,317 $9,035 $1,340,088 $6,065 $811,796 South Carolina $10,249 $7,746,894 $5,629 $4,274,682 $4,054 $3,013,294 South Dakota $9,176 $1,248,905 $5,360 $730,176 $3,287 $440,580 Tennessee $8,810 $8,886,616 $5,406 $5,401,812 $2,917 $2,915,193 Texas $9,016 $45,886,733 $5,514 $27,862,199 $3,002 $15,169,007 Utah $6,953 $4,095,444 $4,467 $2,591,600 $2,098 $1,217,100 Vermont $17,873 $1,652,676 $10,720 $1,013,209 $6,629 $583,178 Virginia $11,432 $14,752,819 $6,966 $8,944,614 $4,024 $5,164,699 Washington $11,534 $12,569,546 $6,538 $7,087,365 $4,525 $4,904,575 West Virginia $11,291 $3,167,977 $6,507 $1,804,235 $4,073 $1,127,255 Wisconsin $11,456 $9,959,870 $6,697 $5,760,418 $4,304 $3,691,439 Wyoming $16,442 $1,560,764 $9,750 $921,494 $6,197 $585,700

"Total spending" includes non-personnel expenses not shown.

Source: 2016 Annual Survey of School System Finances, U.S. Census Bureau

Fiscal Year 2016 Public Elementary-Secondary School Per Pupil Spending By Function

For most states, instructional employees typically account for slightly more than half of total education spending per student. Support staff and administrative expenses also account for varying expenses. This chart illustrates how major components of education spending per student vary by state. (Also see FY 2015 chart or FY 2014 chart.)

NOTE: Adult education, community services and other nonelementary-secondary program expenditures are excluded. Enrollments for state educational facilities and charter schools whose charters are held by nongovernmental entities are also not reflected in the totals. "Other" spending includes non-personnel related expenses, such as capital outlays and transfer payments to municipal entities.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau 2016 Annual Survey of School System Finances

Historical State School Spending Data

Select a state in the menu below to view reported education revenues and expenditures by state since 2007:

Page last updated: June 1, 2018