Data / Rankings / Public school current spending per pupil / US states

US states by public school current spending per pupil

District of Columbia had the highest public school current spending per pupil of 51 states in 2023, at $31,629. Idaho had the lowest, at $10,291. The median was $15,200 and the figure for the United States was $16,526. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest31,629District of Columbia
Lowest10,291Idaho
Median15,20051 states
United States16,526History

Map of states, 2023

Alabama: 12,766 USDAlaska: 20,340 USDArizona: 11,297 USDArkansas: 12,738 USDCalifornia: 18,798 USDColorado: 14,858 USDConnecticut: 25,081 USDDelaware: 21,340 USDDistrict of Columbia: 31,629 USDFlorida: 11,862 USDGeorgia: 14,414 USDHawaii: 20,056 USDIdaho: 10,291 USDIllinois: 20,253 USDIndiana: 13,121 USDIowa: 13,792 USDKansas: 14,847 USDKentucky: 14,633 USDLouisiana: 14,645 USDMaine: 18,797 USDMaryland: 18,887 USDMassachusetts: 22,947 USDMichigan: 17,535 USDMinnesota: 16,117 USDMississippi: 12,093 USDMissouri: 13,472 USDMontana: 13,771 USDNebraska: 15,200 USDNevada: 11,673 USDNew Hampshire: 21,731 USDNew Jersey: 26,280 USDNew Mexico: 15,693 USDNew York: 30,012 USDNorth Carolina: 12,492 USDNorth Dakota: 16,114 USDOhio: 16,476 USDOklahoma: 11,155 USDOregon: 17,161 USDPennsylvania: 20,056 USDRhode Island: 21,182 USDSouth Carolina: 13,957 USDSouth Dakota: 12,005 USDTennessee: 12,197 USDTexas: 12,304 USDUtah: 10,333 USDVermont: 26,345 USDVirginia: 16,098 USDWashington: 18,181 USDWest Virginia: 14,575 USDWisconsin: 14,882 USDWyoming: 19,324 USD
  • Under 12K
  • 12K to 14K
  • 14K to 15K
  • 15K to 18K
  • 18K to 21K
  • 21K and over
USD, 2023. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2023

District of Columbia: 31,629 USDDistrict of Columbia31,629New York: 30,012 USDNew York30,012Vermont: 26,345 USDVermont26,345New Jersey: 26,280 USDNew Jersey26,280Connecticut: 25,081 USDConnecticut25,081Massachusetts: 22,947 USDMassachusetts22,947New Hampshire: 21,731 USDNew Hampshire21,731Delaware: 21,340 USDDelaware21,340Rhode Island: 21,182 USDRhode Island21,182Alaska: 20,340 USDAlaska20,340Illinois: 20,253 USDIllinois20,253Pennsylvania: 20,056 USDPennsylvania20,056Hawaii: 20,056 USDHawaii20,056Wyoming: 19,324 USDWyoming19,324Maryland: 18,887 USDMaryland18,887California: 18,798 USDCalifornia18,798Maine: 18,797 USDMaine18,797Washington: 18,181 USDWashington18,181Michigan: 17,535 USDMichigan17,535Oregon: 17,161 USDOregon17,161Ohio: 16,476 USDOhio16,476Minnesota: 16,117 USDMinnesota16,117North Dakota: 16,114 USDNorth Dakota16,114Virginia: 16,098 USDVirginia16,098New Mexico: 15,693 USDNew Mexico15,693Nebraska: 15,200 USDNebraska15,200Wisconsin: 14,882 USDWisconsin14,882Colorado: 14,858 USDColorado14,858Kansas: 14,847 USDKansas14,847Louisiana: 14,645 USDLouisiana14,645Kentucky: 14,633 USDKentucky14,633West Virginia: 14,575 USDWest Virginia14,575Georgia: 14,414 USDGeorgia14,414South Carolina: 13,957 USDSouth Carolina13,957Iowa: 13,792 USDIowa13,792Montana: 13,771 USDMontana13,771Missouri: 13,472 USDMissouri13,472Indiana: 13,121 USDIndiana13,121Alabama: 12,766 USDAlabama12,766Arkansas: 12,738 USDArkansas12,738North Carolina: 12,492 USDNorth Carolina12,492Texas: 12,304 USDTexas12,304Tennessee: 12,197 USDTennessee12,197Mississippi: 12,093 USDMississippi12,093South Dakota: 12,005 USDSouth Dakota12,005Florida: 11,862 USDFlorida11,862Nevada: 11,673 USDNevada11,673Arizona: 11,297 USDArizona11,297Oklahoma: 11,155 USDOklahoma11,155Utah: 10,333 USDUtah10,333Idaho: 10,291 USDIdaho10,291District of Columbia: 31,629 USDDistrict of Columbia31,629New York: 30,012 USDNew York30,012Vermont: 26,345 USDVermont26,345New Jersey: 26,280 USDNew Jersey26,280Connecticut: 25,081 USDConnecticut25,081Massachusetts: 22,947 USDMassachusetts22,947New Hampshire: 21,731 USDNew Hampshire21,731Delaware: 21,340 USDDelaware21,340Rhode Island: 21,182 USDRhode Island21,182Alaska: 20,340 USDAlaska20,340Illinois: 20,253 USDIllinois20,253Pennsylvania: 20,056 USDPennsylvania20,056Hawaii: 20,056 USDHawaii20,056Wyoming: 19,324 USDWyoming19,324Maryland: 18,887 USDMaryland18,887California: 18,798 USDCalifornia18,798Maine: 18,797 USDMaine18,797Washington: 18,181 USDWashington18,181Michigan: 17,535 USDMichigan17,535Oregon: 17,161 USDOregon17,161Ohio: 16,476 USDOhio16,476Minnesota: 16,117 USDMinnesota16,117North Dakota: 16,114 USDNorth Dakota16,114Virginia: 16,098 USDVirginia16,098New Mexico: 15,693 USDNew Mexico15,693Nebraska: 15,200 USDNebraska15,200Wisconsin: 14,882 USDWisconsin14,882Colorado: 14,858 USDColorado14,858Kansas: 14,847 USDKansas14,847Louisiana: 14,645 USDLouisiana14,645Kentucky: 14,633 USDKentucky14,633West Virginia: 14,575 USDWest Virginia14,575Georgia: 14,414 USDGeorgia14,414South Carolina: 13,957 USDSouth Carolina13,957Iowa: 13,792 USDIowa13,792Montana: 13,771 USDMontana13,771Missouri: 13,472 USDMissouri13,472Indiana: 13,121 USDIndiana13,121Alabama: 12,766 USDAlabama12,766Arkansas: 12,738 USDArkansas12,738North Carolina: 12,492 USDNorth Carolina12,492Texas: 12,304 USDTexas12,304Tennessee: 12,197 USDTennessee12,197Mississippi: 12,093 USDMississippi12,093South Dakota: 12,005 USDSouth Dakota12,005Florida: 11,862 USDFlorida11,862Nevada: 11,673 USDNevada11,673Arizona: 11,297 USDArizona11,297Oklahoma: 11,155 USDOklahoma11,155Utah: 10,333 USDUtah10,333Idaho: 10,291 USDIdaho10,291
USD. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2023
USD		Change on 2022
1District of Columbia31,629+15.3%
2New York30,012+0.5%
3Vermont26,345+7.1%
4New Jersey26,280+4.7%
5Connecticut25,081+2.6%
6Massachusetts22,947+4.8%
7New Hampshire21,731+6.1%
8Delaware21,340+10.2%
9Rhode Island21,182+6.1%
10Alaska20,340+0.7%
11Illinois20,253+7%
12Pennsylvania20,056+4.5%
13Hawaii20,056+15.1%
14Wyoming19,324+4.3%
15Maryland18,887+6.4%
16California18,798+10.3%
17Maine18,797+5.1%
18Washington18,181+6.2%
19Michigan17,535+11.6%
20Oregon17,161+8.9%
21Ohio16,476+5.7%
22Minnesota16,117+4.4%
23North Dakota16,114+1.7%
24Virginia16,098+6.8%
25New Mexico15,693+18.4%
26Nebraska15,200+6.4%
27Wisconsin14,882+2.6%
28Colorado14,858+10.7%
29Kansas14,847+3%
30Louisiana14,645-1.9%
31Kentucky14,633+8%
32West Virginia14,575+5.2%
33Georgia14,414+5.8%
34South Carolina13,957+4.3%
35Iowa13,792+4%
36Montana13,771+1.4%
37Missouri13,472+6.7%
38Indiana13,121+6.5%
39Alabama12,766+8%
40Arkansas12,738+4.8%
41North Carolina12,492+1.6%
42Texas12,304+4.2%
43Tennessee12,197+7.8%
44Mississippi12,093+10.1%
45South Dakota12,005+3.8%
46Florida11,862+7.1%
47Nevada11,673-0%
48Arizona11,297+9.5%
49Oklahoma11,155+2.4%
50Utah10,333+8.2%
51Idaho10,291+6.4%

Other periods

About this ranking

Current spending of public elementary and secondary school systems divided by their fall enrollment, in US dollars, from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances (Table 8).

More on how it is measured
  • Current spending is instruction plus support services such as administration, transport and food services; it leaves out capital outlay, debt interest, payments to other school systems, and adult education and other programs outside kindergarten to grade 12.
  • The year is the fiscal year, which ends on 30 June in most states (2024 means July 2023 to June 2024).

Current dollars, not adjusted for inflation or for price differences between states. NCES publishes a similar per pupil figure from its own finance survey with a different enrollment base, so the two differ slightly.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-finances/data/tables.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total (US states by public school current spending per pupil, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-finances/data/tables.html

MLA 9

Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total, US states by public school current spending per pupil, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 7 May 2026, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-finances/data/tables.html. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/public-school-spending-per-pupil/us-states?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total. US states by public school current spending per pupil, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-finances/data/tables.html. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/public-school-spending-per-pupil/us-states?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total, US states by public school current spending per pupil, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-finances/data/tables.html, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/public-school-spending-per-pupil/us-states?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_public_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total: US states by public school current spending per pupil, 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-finances/data/tables.html},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/public-school-spending-per-pupil/us-states?period=2023. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-finances/data/tables.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total: US states by public school current spending per pupil, 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/07
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-finances/data/tables.html
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/public-school-spending-per-pupil/us-states?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/public-school-spending-per-pupil/us-states?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-finances/data/tables.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest public school current spending per pupil?

District of Columbia, with $31,629 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest public school current spending per pupil?

Idaho, with $10,291 in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8: per pupil amounts for current spending of public elementary-secondary school systems by state, total. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings