How spending on public education in every state has changed–and where the money comes from

Africa Studio // Shutterstock The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the U.S. public education system, diminishing enrollment by unprecedented numbers. As a growing contingent of parents have enrolled their kids in private or charter schools or turned to home-schooling, a key consequence has been less money for public schools and districts, as public school funding is determined by student population. This funding crunch has thrust the lives of many public school teachers, administrators, families, and students into crisis. Lower student enrollment has also meant layoffs for teachers and other school staff, fewer resources and opportunities for kids, and even closing school entirely. Funding for public education comes from several sources: state and local funding streams, as well as federal revenues, which include assistance for special education programming, low-income student aid, vocational programs, and nutrition. But between states, and even on the county and city level, spending on public education varies greatly, further driving inequities between students–educational, economic, and racial disparities that often persist into adulthood, limiting future opportunities. While some states spend significantly more per student than others, the U.S. on average lags behind other developed countries in its public education spending. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average amount spent per pupil in the U.S. is $16,993, ranking seventh amongst the 37 other member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. That figure drops to just over $13,000 per pupil for K-12 public schools. At that rate, the accumulated total expenditure for all K-12 schools in the U.S. equals just 3.4% of taxpayer income. Historically, public education funding has taken major hits after recessions, as states slash education budgets in an effort to tighten their belts. However, the impact of the pandemic on public schools prompted the allocation of emergency federal spending under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, funds, counteracting some of the effects of diminished state and local revenue streams. While helpful for the first year or two of the pandemic, studies have shown that the funding was ultimately not enough to negate the learning loss experienced by students. In order to compare each state’s spending on public education, Best Universities used data from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of School Systems to rank states by their spending per pupil. States with no data available for the 2021 school year were ranked according to their 2020 data and are marked with an asterisk. #51. Idaho B Brown // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $9,053 (26.5% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $2.7 million – Total revenue: $3.0 million — Local sources: $706,358 — State sources: $1.8 million — Federal sources: $472,735 #50. Utah Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $9,095 (30.8% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $6.5 million – Total revenue: $6.5 million — Local sources: $2.5 million — State sources: $3.3 million — Federal sources: $636,977 #49. Arizona Ellen McKnight // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $9,605 (26.2% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $10.3 million – Total revenue: $10.5 million — Local sources: $4.5 million — State sources: $4.2 million — Federal sources: $1.9 million #48. Nevada* pyzata // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $9,814 (9.5% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $5.3 million – Total revenue: $5.3 million — Local sources: $1.6 million — State sources: $3.3 million — Federal sources: $408,478 #47. Tennessee* Ground Picture // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $9,896 (12.3% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $11.2 million – Total revenue: $11.1 million — Local sources: $4.8 million — State sources: $5.2 million — Federal sources: $1.1 million #46. Mississippi Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $10,164 (16.8% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $5.2 million – Total revenue: $5.3 million — Local sources: $1.8 million — State sources: $2.4 million — Federal sources: $1.0 million #45. Texas* Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $10,342 (14.7% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $71.9 million – Total revenue: $68.9 million — Local sources: $38.5 million — State sources: $23.5 million — Federal sources: $6.8 million #44. Florida 4 PM production // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $10,401 (16.6% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $33.4 million – Total revenue: $34.3 million — Local sources: $17.0 million — State sources: $12.6 million — Federal sources: $4.8 million #43. Oklahoma connel // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $10,489 (29.5% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $7.4 million – Total revenue: $7.0 million — Local sources: $3.1 million — State sources: $3.2 million — Federal sources: $781,561 #42. North Carolina Rawpixel.com// Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $10,655 (21.2% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $16.4 million – Total revenue: $16.1 million — Local sources: $4.2 million — State sources: $9.8 million — Federal sources: $2.0 million #41. Alabama Ground Picture // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $10,683 (15.6% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $9.1 million – Total revenue: $9.7 million — Local sources: $3.0 million — State sources: $5.2 million — Federal sources: $1.5 million #40. Indiana* Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $10,935 (10.9% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $13.4 million – Total revenue: $13.3 million — Local sources: $4.1 million — State sources: $8.3 million — Federal sources: $947,532 #39. South Dakota Jacob Lund // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $10,952 (19.4% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $1.8 million – Total revenue: $1.9 million — Local sources: $932,103 — State sources: $607,394 — Federal sources: $373,186 #38. Arkansas David Prahl // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $11,266 (14.4% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $6.1 million – Total revenue: $6.1 million — Local sources: $783,222 — State sources: $4.3 million — Federal sources: $990,370 #37. New Mexico* Canva – Per pupil spending: $11,332 (16.9% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $4.2 million – Total revenue: $4.5 million — Local sources: $828,101 — State sources: $3.1 million — Federal sources: $633,201 #36. Louisiana* Canva – Per pupil spending: $11,843 (7.3% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $8.2 million – Total revenue: $8.8 million — Local sources: $4.1 million — State sources: $3.6 million — Federal sources: $1.0 million #35. Missouri Canva – Per pupil spending: $11,865 (15.0% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $11.9 million – Total revenue: $11.7 million — Local sources: $5.3 million — State sources: $4.8 million — Federal sources: $1.5 million #34. Colorado Canva – Per pupil spending: $12,073 (26.1% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $13.0 million – Total revenue: $12.9 million — Local sources: $6.7 million — State sources: $5.4 million — Federal sources: $831,834 #33. Georgia Leena Robinson // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $12,145 (24.3% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $23.1 million – Total revenue: $24.7 million — Local sources: $11.4 million — State sources: $10.3 million — Federal sources: $3.0 million #32. Kentucky Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $12,212 (23.8% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $9.2 million – Total revenue: $9.4 million — Local sources: $3.2 million — State sources: $4.7 million — Federal sources: $1.5 million #31. West Virginia* Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $12,375 (9.6% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $3.6 million – Total revenue: $3.7 million — Local sources: $1.2 million — State sources: $2.1 million — Federal sources: $431,832 #30. South Carolina Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $12,513 (22.1% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $10.7 million – Total revenue: $11.1 million — Local sources: $4.8 million — State sources: $5.2 million — Federal sources: $1.2 million #29. Iowa LightField Studios // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $12,695 (13.9% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $7.7 million – Total revenue: $7.9 million — Local sources: $3.0 million — State sources: $4.0 million — Federal sources: $866,314 #28. Kansas* SeventyFour // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $12,697 (27.5% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $7.6 million – Total revenue: $7.3 million — Local sources: $1.9 million — State sources: $4.9 million — Federal sources: $521,925 #27. Montana Canva – Per pupil spending: $13,299 (17.2% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $2.3 million – Total revenue: $2.2 million — Local sources: $925,591 — State sources: $898,971 — Federal sources: $424,944 #26. Wisconsin Canva – Per pupil spending: $13,597 (18.7% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $13.2 million – Total revenue: $13.2 million — Local sources: $4.9 million — State sources: $7.2 million — Federal sources: $1.1 million #25. Nebraska JL Jahn // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $13,816 (12.3% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $5.5 million – Total revenue: $5.1 million — Local sources: $3.1 million — State sources: $1.6 million — Federal sources: $484,645 #24. Virginia Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $13,835 (21.0% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $18.9 million – Total revenue: $19.3 million — Local sources: $9.7 million — State sources: $7.8 million — Federal sources: $1.7 million #23. Oregon Ground Picture // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $13,843 (27.7% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $10.4 million – Total revenue: $9.7 million — Local sources: $3.7 million — State sources: $5.3 million — Federal sources: $707,344 #22. Michigan Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $14,085 (20.7% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $21.0 million – Total revenue: $22.2 million — Local sources: $7.2 million — State sources: $12.1 million — Federal sources: $2.9 million #21. Minnesota Canva – Per pupil spending: $14,378 (16.1% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $15.0 million – Total revenue: $14.4 million — Local sources: $4.1 million — State sources: $8.9 million — Federal sources: $1.3 million #20. Ohio Canva – Per pupil spending: $14,585 (20.5% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $27.3 million – Total revenue: $27.4 million — Local sources: $14.1 million — State sources: $10.8 million — Federal sources: $2.4 million #19. Maine* NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $14,892 (12.1% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $3.0 million – Total revenue: $3.1 million — Local sources: $1.7 million — State sources: $1.2 million — Federal sources: $177,918 #18. California Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $15,017 (30.6% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $97.1 million – Total revenue: $106.6 million — Local sources: $36.4 million — State sources: $55.4 million — Federal sources: $14.8 million #17. Massachusetts Rawpixel.com// Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $15,092 (3.2% decrease from 2016) – Total expenditures: $15.8 million – Total revenue: $9.8 million — Local sources: $2.2 million — State sources: $6.6 million — Federal sources: $1.0 million #16. North Dakota BIGANDT.COM// Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $15,140 (13.2% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $2.1 million – Total revenue: $2.1 million — Local sources: $693,897 — State sources: $1.1 million — Federal sources: $336,071 #15. Washington knelson20 // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $15,448 (33.9% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $21.0 million – Total revenue: $20.5 million — Local sources: $5.0 million — State sources: $13.9 million — Federal sources: $1.7 million #14. Maryland michaeljung // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $16,417 (15.6% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $16.2 million – Total revenue: $17.4 million — Local sources: $8.7 million — State sources: $7.5 million — Federal sources: $1.2 million #13. Hawaii* Stuart Monk // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $16,564 (20.5% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $3.2 million – Total revenue: $3.4 million — Local sources: $51,323 — State sources: $3.1 million — Federal sources: $278,259 #12. Delaware Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $17,549 (19.3% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $2.3 million – Total revenue: $2.6 million — Local sources: $803,051 — State sources: $1.6 million — Federal sources: $189,228 #11. Pennsylvania Cynthia Farmer // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $17,884 (15.9% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $33.9 million – Total revenue: $34.8 million — Local sources: $18.8 million — State sources: $13.0 million — Federal sources: $3.0 million #10. Wyoming LStockStudio // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $18,144 (10.4% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $1.9 million – Total revenue: $1.9 million — Local sources: $718,270 — State sources: $976,134 — Federal sources: $233,888 #9. Illinois LStockStudio // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $18,353 (29.4% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $39.1 million – Total revenue: $40.6 million — Local sources: $21.3 million — State sources: $16.1 million — Federal sources: $3.2 million #8. Rhode Island LStockStudio // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $18,366 (18.2% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $2.7 million – Total revenue: $2.7 million — Local sources: $1.4 million — State sources: $1.1 million — Federal sources: $258,934 #7. New York Inside Creative House // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $18,858 (15.7% decrease from 2016) – Total expenditures: $58.9 million – Total revenue: $77.4 million — Local sources: $45.0 million — State sources: $29.6 million — Federal sources: $2.8 million #6. New Hampshire Ground Picture // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $19,443 (26.7% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $3.3 million – Total revenue: $3.5 million — Local sources: $2.2 million — State sources: $1.1 million — Federal sources: $219,164 #5. Alaska LStockStudio // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $19,447 (11.1% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $2.7 million – Total revenue: $2.6 million — Local sources: $563,831 — State sources: $1.6 million — Federal sources: $427,239 #4. New Jersey Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $19,695 (7.0% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $29.5 million – Total revenue: $33.7 million — Local sources: $17.3 million — State sources: $15.0 million — Federal sources: $1.4 million #3. Vermont Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $22,740 (27.2% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $2.0 million – Total revenue: $2.1 million — Local sources: $8,139 — State sources: $1.8 million — Federal sources: $201,153 #2. Connecticut Canva – Per pupil spending: $22,769 (20.1% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $12.0 million – Total revenue: $12.4 million — Local sources: $7.2 million — State sources: $4.5 million — Federal sources: $663,398 #1. District of Columbia Kosoff // Shutterstock – Per pupil spending: $24,535 (21.3% increase from 2016) – Total expenditures: $1.7 million – Total revenue: $1.7 million — Local sources: $1.5 million — State sources: Not applicable — Federal sources: $166,591 This story originally appeared on Best Universities and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.