Average American: Education Spending Explorer

How much do public schools spend per student?

Use Census Annual Survey of School System Finances data to compare state-level current spending per pupil, revenue sources, and broad spending categories.

Census school finance 2024

United States public elementary-secondary school finance

Compare current spending per pupil, revenue sources, and broad spending categories using Census Annual Survey of School System Finances summary tables.

Revenue source mix

Federal11.6%

State45.2%

Local43.2%

Per-pupil current spending trend

Spending category comparison

Current spending by broad category

Official source

Census 2024 Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data

Census school finance data includes revenues, expenditures, debt, and cash holdings for public elementary-secondary school systems. Figures here use the 2024 summary tables and focus on state-level finance metrics.

Open the original Census school finance tables