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Digest of Education Statistics
2023 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest

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Table 236.55.Total and current expenditures per pupil in public elementary and secondary schools: Selected school years, 1919-20 through 2020-21
School yearExpenditure per pupil in average daily attendanceExpenditure per pupil in fall enrollment1
Unadjusted dollars2Constant 2022-23 dollars3Unadjusted dollars2Constant 2022-23 dollars3
Total expenditure4Current expenditureTotal expenditure4Current expenditureTotal expenditure4Current expenditureTotal expenditure4Current expenditureAnnual percent change in current expenditure
12345678910
1919-20$64$53$1,006$838$48$40$753$628---
1929-30108871,8991,51890721,5731,257---
1931-3297812,0141,68582691,7051,427---
1933-3476671,7251,52765571,4661,298---
1935-3688741,9181,62074631,6221,370---
 
1937-38100842,0861,75586721,7901,506---
1939-40106882,2671,88992761,9651,637---
1941-42110982,1151,89094841,8111,618---
1943-441251172,1442,012105991,8071,695---
1945-461461362,3962,2411241162,0411,909---
 
1947-482051812,6352,3341791582,3012,038---
1949-502602103,2952,6622311872,9242,362---
1951-523142463,5862,8052752153,1402,456---
1953-543512653,9112,9513122363,4782,624---
1955-563872944,3153,2803542693,9442,998---
 
1957-584473414,6953,5804083114,2823,265---
1959-604713754,8043,8264403504,4883,574---
1961-625174195,1564,1784853934,8383,920---
1963-645594605,4294,4735204285,0534,163---
1965-666545386,1415,0506074995,7014,689---
 
1967-687866586,9315,8017326126,4475,396---
1969-709558167,5766,4748797516,9755,960---
1970-711,0499117,9176,8739708427,3196,3546.6
1971-721,1289908,2147,2081,0349087,5336,6104.0
1972-731,2111,0778,4757,5391,1179937,8176,9545.2
 
1973-741,3641,2078,7677,7591,2441,1017,9947,0751.7
1974-751,5451,3658,9387,8961,4231,2578,2357,2742.8
1975-761,6971,5049,1728,1251,5631,3858,4457,4822.9
1976-771,8161,6389,2748,3611,6741,5098,5467,7053.0
1977-782,0021,8239,5818,7221,8421,6778,8128,0224.1
 
1978-792,2102,0209,6688,8392,0291,8558,8798,1181.2
1979-802,4912,2729,6158,7702,2902,0888,8398,062-0.7
1980-812,74252,5029,48758,6552,52952,3078,75157,983-1.0
1981-822,97352,7269,46958,6802,75452,5258,77158,0410.7
1982-833,20352,9559,78159,0232,96652,7369,05758,3553.9
 
1983-843,47153,17310,22159,3433,21652,9409,46858,6563.6
1984-853,72253,47010,54659,8333,45653,2229,79259,1305.5
1985-864,02053,75611,071510,3433,72453,47910,25759,5825.0
1986-874,30853,97011,607510,6973,99553,68210,76359,9203.5
1987-884,65454,24012,040510,9694,31053,92711,150510,1582.4
 
1988-895,1084,64512,63111,4854,7374,30711,71310,6514.8
1989-905,5474,98013,09211,7535,1724,64312,20610,9582.9
1990-915,8825,25813,16311,7665,4844,90212,27210,9700.1
1991-926,0725,42113,16611,7555,6265,02312,20010,892-0.7
1992-936,2795,58413,20411,7415,8025,16012,20110,849-0.4
 
1993-946,4895,76713,30011,8215,9945,32712,28510,9180.6
1994-956,7235,98913,39511,9336,2065,52912,36611,0160.9
1995-966,9596,14713,49911,9236,4415,68912,49411,0350.2
1996-977,2976,39313,76212,0566,7615,92312,75111,1711.2
1997-987,7016,67614,26812,3697,1396,18913,22811,4682.7
 
1998-998,1157,01314,78112,7737,5316,50813,71611,8533.4
1999-20008,5897,39415,20413,0888,0306,91214,21512,2363.2
2000-019,1807,90415,71213,5288,5727,38014,67112,6313.2
2001-029,6118,25916,16413,8908,9937,72715,12412,9962.9
2002-039,9508,61016,37414,1699,2968,04415,29813,2381.9
 
2003-0410,3088,90016,60014,3329,6258,31015,50013,3831.1
2004-0510,7799,31616,85114,56410,0788,71115,75613,6181.8
2005-0611,3389,77817,07514,72610,6039,14515,96913,7721.1
2006-0712,01510,33617,63915,17311,2529,67916,51814,2093.2
2007-0812,75910,98218,06215,54611,96510,29816,93714,5782.6
 
2008-0913,03311,23918,19515,69012,22210,54017,06414,7140.9
2009-1013,03511,42718,02415,80012,13310,63616,77714,707-0.1
2010-1112,92611,43317,52115,49812,05410,66316,34014,453-1.7
2011-1212,79611,36216,85114,96311,99110,64815,79214,022-3.0
2012-1312,85911,50916,65714,90912,03310,77115,58813,952-0.5
 
2013-1413,17411,81916,80315,07512,33511,06615,73214,1141.2
2014-1513,66812,22417,30615,47912,79611,44516,20214,4912.7
2015-1614,17112,61917,82315,87113,29911,84216,72714,8942.8
2016-1714,77713,09618,25016,17413,83412,26017,08515,1421.7
2017-1815,37713,54518,57216,36014,35912,64917,34215,2770.9
 
2018-1916,14614,16519,10516,76115,036613,189617,791615,60662.2
2019-20716,59114,42719,32916,80815,524613,496618,086615,72360.8
2020-21717,56115,36219,99917,49516,345614,295618,614616,28063.5
---Not available.
1Enrollment data for 1919-20 to 1953-54 are based on school-year enrollment.
2Unadjusted (or "current") dollars have not been adjusted to compensate for inflation.
3Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index, prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis.
4Excludes "Other current expenditures," such as community services, private school programs, adult education, and other programs not allocable to expenditures per pupil at public schools.
5Estimated.
6Excludes prekindergarten expenditures and prekindergarten enrollment for California.
7Includes expenditures paid from funds authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act of 2021, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) of 2021.
NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Beginning in 1980-81, state administration expenditures are excluded from both "total" and "current" expenditures. Current expenditures include instruction, support services, food services, and enterprise operations. Total expenditures include current expenditures, capital outlay, and interest on debt. Beginning in 1988-89, extensive changes were made in the data collection procedures. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Biennial Survey of Education in the United States, 1919-20 through 1955-56; Statistics of State School Systems, 1957-58 through 1969-70; Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education, 1970-71 through 1986-87; and Common Core of Data (CCD), "National Public Education Financial Survey," 1987-88 through 2020-21. (This table was prepared August 2023.)

2023 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest

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