Spending per pupil is a district's total expenditure divided by its enrollment. In the fiscal year 2020 finance data, US school districts spent $16,826 per pupil overall.
Where the figures come from
The numbers come from the F-33 School District Finance Survey, run by the Census Bureau with NCES. We use the most recent year available through the Urban Institute Education Data Portal, fiscal year 2020. We always label these figures "2020 finance data", and dollars are nominal (not adjusted for inflation).
What is included
Total spending covers instruction, support services such as transport and administration, and also capital outlay and interest on debt. A district building a new school can show a spike in one year. Revenue is split into federal, state and local sources; the mix varies a great deal between states.
Comparing fairly
- Labor and housing costs differ by region, so the same dollar buys different amounts.
- Districts with more students who need extra services often spend more.
- Very small districts have high fixed costs per student.
See the spending per pupil rankings for districts with 1,000 or more students.
Sources
Written by the BCER.org editorial team.