Public School Spending Per Pupil Reaches Historic High in 2024
MAY 7, 2026 — Nationally, public school current spending per pupil rose 6.6% from $16,526 in fiscal year (FY) 2023 to $17,619 in FY 2024, according to new data from the 2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Statistics are not adjusted for inflation or cost-of-living differences between geographic areas.
The states with the highest current spending per pupil were New York ($31,918), the District of Columbia ($31,529), Vermont ($28,818), New Jersey ($27,234) and Connecticut ($26,316). The states spending the least per pupil were Idaho ($11,060), Utah ($11,347), Arizona ($12,003), Oklahoma ($12,162) and Mississippi ($12,324).
The Annual Survey of School System Finances provides data about public school spending — including per pupil (pre-K to grade 12) expenditures — debt and assets (cash and security holdings) for all states and the District of Columbia.
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