For many students in the US, the ZIP code they live in can shape the quality of education they get.
And while a lot of disparity can exist between wealthy suburbs and under-resourced urban school districts, differences can also show up dramatically when comparing education across US states.
In 2024, US public schools received nearly $995 billion in funding, with state and local sources combined providing nearly 90% of the total, according to Census data. Nationwide, local governments provided $429.8 billion for primary and secondary education funding, while state governments provided $450 billion.
Across the nation, public schools spent an average of $17,619 per enrolled student annually, though this figure varied widely by state.
Some states, like New York, spent nearly twice the national average per student, while others, like Idaho, trailed the national average by thousands of dollars.
While better-funded schools don't automatically translate into better-quality education, the resources a school can rely on for instructor pay and materials can tangibly impact students' education.
To evaluate how much each state invests in its public school students, Business Insider looked at the US Census Bureau's latest Annual Survey of School System Finances, which covered the 2024 fiscal year.
The ranking is based on the current spending per public school student listed in the survey data, which covers public pre-K through 12th grade and excludes non-current expenses, such as capital outlay and debt service.
Student enrollment figures also come from Census data and reflect enrollment starting in the fall of 2023.
To put this spending — which does not account for cost-of-living differences between states — in context with each state's local economy, we listed the median household income from the Census Bureau's latest American Community Survey, reflecting 2024 estimates.
See how much each US state spends on public education per student, ranked from lowest amount to highest.
50. Idaho
Per-pupil spending: $11,060
Number of enrolled students: 285,690
Median household income: $81,166
49. Utah
Per-pupil spending: $11,347
Number of enrolled students: 609,785
Median household income: $96,658
48. Arizona
Per-pupil spending: $12,003
Number of enrolled students: 884,915
Median household income: $81,486
47. Oklahoma
Per-pupil spending: $12,162
Number of enrolled students: 647,207
Median household income: $66,148
46. Mississippi
Per-pupil spending: $12,324
Number of enrolled students: 432,375
Median household income: $59,127
45. Florida
Per-pupil spending: $12,693
Number of enrolled students: 2,841,039
Median household income: $77,735
44. South Dakota
Per-pupil spending: $12,828
Number of enrolled students: 140,930
Median household income: $76,881
43. Tennessee
Per-pupil spending: $12,882
Number of enrolled students: 997,720
Median household income: $71,997
42. Texas
Per-pupil spending: $12,895
Number of enrolled students: 5,111,073
Median household income: $79,721
41. North Carolina
Per-pupil spending: $12,995
Number of enrolled students: 1,396,880
Median household income: $73,958
40. Indiana
Per-pupil spending: $13,622
Number of enrolled students: 978,458
Median household income: $71,959
39. Alabama
Per-pupil spending: $13,627
Number of enrolled students: 741,082
Median household income: $66,659
38. Montana
Per-pupil spending: $13,656
Number of enrolled students: 154,013
Median household income: $75,340
37. Arkansas
Per-pupil spending: $13,873
Number of enrolled students: 458,186
Median household income: $62,106
36. Missouri
Per-pupil spending: $14,241
Number of enrolled students: 865,208
Median household income: $71,589
35. Iowa
Per-pupil spending: $14,369
Number of enrolled students: 507,866
Median household income: $75,501
34. Kentucky
Per-pupil spending: $14,596
Number of enrolled students: 656,427
Median household income: $64,526
33. Nevada
Per-pupil spending: $14,812
Number of enrolled students: 417,474
Median household income: $81,134
32. South Carolina
Per-pupil spending: $15,060
Number of enrolled students: 738,314
Median household income: $72,350
31. Kansas
Per-pupil spending: $15,558
Number of enrolled students: 482,136
Median household income: $75,514
30. Louisiana
Per-pupil spending: $15,581
Number of enrolled students: 628,335
Median household income: $60,986
29. West Virginia
Per-pupil spending: $15,640
Number of enrolled students: 244,054
Median household income: $60,798
28. Georgia
Per-pupil spending: $15,833
Number of enrolled students: 1,705,143
Median household income: $79,991
27. Colorado
Per-pupil spending: $15,908
Number of enrolled students: 841,065
Median household income: $97,113
26. Wisconsin
Per-pupil spending: $15,952
Number of enrolled students: 802,501
Median household income: $77,488
25. Nebraska
Per-pupil spending: $16,147
Number of enrolled students: 328,848
Median household income: $76,376
24. Minnesota
Per-pupil spending: $17,098
Number of enrolled students: 794,003
Median household income: $87,117
23. North Dakota
Per-pupil spending: $17,102
Number of enrolled students: 119,016
Median household income: $77,871
22. Virginia
Per-pupil spending: $17,104
Number of enrolled students: 1,258,795
Median household income: $92,090
21. Ohio
Per-pupil spending: $17,257
Number of enrolled students: 1,550,261
Median household income: $72,212
20. New Mexico
Per-pupil spending: $17,664
Number of enrolled students: 289,851
Median household income: $67,816
19. Oregon
Per-pupil spending: $18,083
Number of enrolled students: 545,641
Median household income: $85,220
18. Michigan
Per-pupil spending: $18,314
Number of enrolled students: 1,224,595
Median household income: $72,389
17. Washington
Per-pupil spending: $18,564
Number of enrolled students: 1,086,202
Median household income: $99,389
16. Maine
Per-pupil spending: $19,962
Number of enrolled students: 169,316
Median household income: $76,442
15. Maryland
Per-pupil spending: $20,208
Number of enrolled students: 889,728
Median household income: $102,905
14. Wyoming
Per-pupil spending: $20,521
Number of enrolled students: 90,761
Median household income: $75,532
13. California
Per-pupil spending: $20,791
Number of enrolled students: 5,274,265
Median household income: $100,149
12. Alaska
Per-pupil spending: $21,004
Number of enrolled students: 131,243
Median household income: $95,665
11. Pennsylvania
Per-pupil spending: $21,091
Number of enrolled students: 1,506,485
Median household income: $77,545
10. Illinois
Per-pupil spending: $21,776
Number of enrolled students: 1,831,215
Median household income: $83,211
9. Rhode Island
Per-pupil spending: $22,110
Number of enrolled students: 122,128
Median household income: $83,504
8. Delaware
Per-pupil spending: $22,201
Number of enrolled students: 123,393
Median household income: $87,534
7. New Hampshire
Per-pupil spending: $22,978
Number of enrolled students: 156,325
Median household income: $99,782
6. Hawaii
Per-pupil spending: $23,878
Number of enrolled students: 169,308
Median household income: $100,745
5. Massachusetts
Per-pupil spending: $24,429
Number of enrolled students: 862,765
Median household income: $104,828
4. Connecticut
Per-pupil spending: $26,316
Number of enrolled students: 472,293
Median household income: $96,049
3. New Jersey
Per-pupil spending: $27,234
Number of enrolled students: 1,323,927
Median household income: $104,294
2. Vermont
Per-pupil spending: $28,818
Number of enrolled students: 81,266
Median household income: $82,730
1. New York
Per-pupil spending: $31,918
Number of enrolled students: 2,350,583
Median household income: $85,820
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Kristine Villarroel is a reporter on Business Insider's Editorial Partnerships team.Her reporting often turns data into accessible stories about how money, education, policy, and place shape Americans’ lives. She covers stories on college costs and degree outcomes, state-by-state comparisons, public officials’ salaries, the rising cost of living, travel, food, and real estate.She has previously worked writing about culture, entertainment, music, and tech. Her work has been featured on Teen Vogue and Wired. She graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. There, she worked as editor of The Independent Florida Alligator. Email Villarroel at [email protected] and follow her on X @ktnedelvalle
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