Per Pupil Spending By State

Per Pupil Spending (2022)
Per Pupil Spending (2022)
1.New YorkNew York$30,282
2.VermontVermont$24,666
3.New JerseyNew Jersey$23,870
4.ConnecticutConnecticut$23,455
5.MassachusettsMassachusetts$22,913
6.AlaskaAlaska$21,325
7.IllinoisIllinois$20,887
8.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania$20,005
9.MaineMaine$19,887
10.WyomingWyoming$19,887
11.New HampshireNew Hampshire$19,633
12.Rhode IslandRhode Island$19,582
13.WashingtonWashington$19,523
14.MarylandMaryland$18,343
15.OregonOregon$18,137
16.HawaiiHawaii$17,989
17.North DakotaNorth Dakota$17,921
18.MinnesotaMinnesota$17,197
19.KansasKansas$16,882
20.NebraskaNebraska$16,642
21.DelawareDelaware$16,637
22.CaliforniaCalifornia$16,285
23.OhioOhio$16,234
24.WisconsinWisconsin$15,966
25.ColoradoColorado$15,231
26.VirginiaVirginia$15,196
27.IowaIowa$15,112
28.MontanaMontana$15,035
29.MichiganMichigan$14,549
30.West VirginiaWest Virginia$14,522
31.KentuckyKentucky$14,042
32.South CarolinaSouth Carolina$14,038
33.TexasTexas$13,684
34.MissouriMissouri$13,436
35.GeorgiaGeorgia$13,267
36.New MexicoNew Mexico$13,229
37.IndianaIndiana$13,189
38.South DakotaSouth Dakota$13,034
39.LouisianaLouisiana$12,993
40.ArkansasArkansas$12,386
41.AlabamaAlabama$12,092
42.MississippiMississippi$11,929
43.FloridaFlorida$11,773
44.TennesseeTennessee$11,607
45.NevadaNevada$11,120
46.North CarolinaNorth Carolina$10,918
47.OklahomaOklahoma$10,506
48.UtahUtah$9,479
49.ArizonaArizona$9,072
50.IdahoIdaho$8,748

Introduction

Education forms the backbone of a society's development, shaping the minds and skills of the future generation. The quality of education, in turn, is often directly influenced by what is spent on it. In the United States, per-pupil spending, or the amount spent on education per student, varies greatly state by state due to factors like allocation of funds, teacher salaries, benefits, and administrative costs. According to data for the fiscal year 2022, U.S. states spend from as high as $30,282 to a low of $8,748 per student, demonstrating a wide disparity in educational investment.

  • New York leads all states with the highest per-pupil spending at $30,282 which is a remarkable difference compared to the national average of $12,612 from the given reference.
  • A look at the top five states in terms of per-pupil spending-New York, Vermont, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts-reveals that they spend over $22,000 per pupil.
  • On the other end of the spectrum is Idaho, which spends the least on each pupil at $8,748. This is almost a quarter of what New York spends on each of its students and way below the national average.
  • Notably, all of the bottom five states in per-pupil spending- Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, and Arizona- spend less than $10,000 per pupil.
  • There is a substantial gap between the highest and lowest spending states, with New York spending almost 3.5 times more than Idaho.

States that Spend the Most on Education

At the top of the list is New York, spending an impressive amount of $30,282 per pupil in 2022, which sits significantly above the national average. Coming in second is Vermont, dedicating $24,666 in its annual budget for each student. New Jersey is not far behind at third place, spending $23,870 per pupil, followed by Connecticut ($23,455 per pupil) and Massachusetts ($22,913 per pupil). On the sixth position is Alaska, spending a commendable $21,325 per pupil. Next in the standing are Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Wyoming, each spending over $19,000 per student annually. States that Spend the Most on Education

  1. New York - $30,282
  2. Vermont - $24,666
  3. New Jersey - $23,870
  4. Connecticut - $23,455
  5. Massachusetts - $22,913
  6. Alaska - $21,325
  7. Illinois - $20,887
  8. Pennsylvania - $20,005
  9. Maine - $19,887
  10. Wyoming - $19,887

States that Spend the Least on Education

The state with the lowest per-pupil spending is Idaho, allocating an average of just $8,748 for each student. This represents a significant departure from states like New York, which invests over three times as much per student. Directly above Idaho, Arizona ranks second-lowest in terms of per-pupil spending, dedicating only about $9,072 to each student. Utah, with an average spending of $9,479 per student, ranks third from the bottom. Oklahoma, with an allocation of $10,506 per pupil, ranks as the fourth lowest-spending state on education, followed by North Carolina which allot an average of $10,918 per pupil. Nevada, home to one of the largest school districts in the country, ranks sixth from the bottom with average student spending of $11,120. Even Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama, which possess higher per-student spending than the aforementioned states, each dedicate less than $12,092 per student, far below the national average. States that Spend the Least on Education:

  1. Idaho - $8,748
  2. Arizona - $9,072
  3. Utah - $9,479
  4. Oklahoma - $10,506
  5. North Carolina - $10,918
  6. Nevada - $11,120
  7. Tennessee - $11,607
  8. Florida - $11,773
  9. Mississippi - $11,929
  10. Alabama - $12,092

By Region

Alabama

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Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$12,092

#41

Alaska

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Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$21,325

#6

Arizona

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Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$9,072

#49

Arkansas

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Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$12,386

#40

California

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California

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$16,285

#22

Colorado

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Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$15,231

#25

Connecticut

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Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$23,455

#4

Delaware

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Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$16,637

#21

Florida

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Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$11,773

#43

Georgia

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Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$13,267

#35

Hawaii

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Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$17,989

#16

Idaho

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Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$8,748

#50

Illinois

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Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$20,887

#7

Indiana

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Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$13,189

#37

Iowa

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Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$15,112

#27

Kansas

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Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$16,882

#19

Kentucky

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Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$14,042

#31

Louisiana

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Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$12,993

#39

Maine

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Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$19,887

#9

Maryland

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Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$18,343

#14

Massachusetts

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Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$22,913

#5

Michigan

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Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$14,549

#29

Minnesota

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Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$17,197

#18

Mississippi

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Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$11,929

#42

Missouri

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Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$13,436

#34

Montana

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Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$15,035

#28

Nebraska

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Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$16,642

#20

Nevada

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Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$11,120

#45

New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$19,633

#11

New Jersey

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New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$23,870

#3

New Mexico

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New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$13,229

#36

New York

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New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$30,282

#1

North Carolina

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North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$10,918

#46

North Dakota

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North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$17,921

#17

Ohio

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Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$16,234

#23

Oklahoma

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Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$10,506

#47

Oregon

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Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$18,137

#15

Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$20,005

#8

Rhode Island

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Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$19,582

#12

South Carolina

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South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$14,038

#32

South Dakota

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South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$13,034

#38

Tennessee

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Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$11,607

#44

Texas

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Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$13,684

#33

Utah

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Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$9,479

#48

Vermont

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Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$24,666

#2

Virginia

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Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$15,196

#26

Washington

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Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$19,523

#13

West Virginia

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West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$14,522

#30

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$15,966

#24

Wyoming

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Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Per Pupil Spending (2022)

$19,887

#10

Table

Region ↕Per Pupil Spending (2022) ↕
Alabama iconAlabama$12,092
Alaska iconAlaska$21,325
Arizona iconArizona$9,072
Arkansas iconArkansas$12,386
California iconCalifornia$16,285
Colorado iconColorado$15,231
Connecticut iconConnecticut$23,455
Delaware iconDelaware$16,637
Florida iconFlorida$11,773
Georgia iconGeorgia$13,267
Hawaii iconHawaii$17,989
Idaho iconIdaho$8,748
Illinois iconIllinois$20,887
Indiana iconIndiana$13,189
Iowa iconIowa$15,112
Kansas iconKansas$16,882
Kentucky iconKentucky$14,042
Louisiana iconLouisiana$12,993
Maine iconMaine$19,887
Maryland iconMaryland$18,343
Massachusetts iconMassachusetts$22,913
Michigan iconMichigan$14,549
Minnesota iconMinnesota$17,197
Mississippi iconMississippi$11,929
Missouri iconMissouri$13,436
Montana iconMontana$15,035
Nebraska iconNebraska$16,642
Nevada iconNevada$11,120
New Hampshire iconNew Hampshire$19,633
New Jersey iconNew Jersey$23,870
New Mexico iconNew Mexico$13,229
New York iconNew York$30,282
North Carolina iconNorth Carolina$10,918
North Dakota iconNorth Dakota$17,921
Ohio iconOhio$16,234
Oklahoma iconOklahoma$10,506
Oregon iconOregon$18,137
Pennsylvania iconPennsylvania$20,005
Rhode Island iconRhode Island$19,582
South Carolina iconSouth Carolina$14,038
South Dakota iconSouth Dakota$13,034
Tennessee iconTennessee$11,607
Texas iconTexas$13,684
Utah iconUtah$9,479
Vermont iconVermont$24,666
Virginia iconVirginia$15,196
Washington iconWashington$19,523
West Virginia iconWest Virginia$14,522
Wisconsin iconWisconsin$15,966
Wyoming iconWyoming$19,887
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