Mapped: How Much Each U.S. State Spends on Education

Mapped: How Much Each U.S. State Spends on Education

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This map tracks the share of state spending on education (both K–12 and Higher Ed) from total state expenditures as sourced by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) from State Fiscal Year 2023.

In 46 states the state fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.

Here are the exceptions:

• New York (begins April 1st)
• Texas (Sept 1st)
• Alabama and Michigan (Oct 1st)

Southern States Spend a Lot on Education Proportionally

Of the 11 states that earmark nearly 50% of their state expenditure for education, eight can be found in the American South.

In fact, ranks 3–8 are all Southern states, led by Mississippi and Alabama, tying at 56%.

By actual dollar amounts, both these states are quite low (between $7–13 billion in 2023).

However it is important to see what states can do, and what they prioritize, with the budgets they have. Because, by pure numbers, the richest states still spend the most dollars on education.

Ranked first, California ($86 billion) spends as much as New York ($43 billion) and Texas ($42 billion) combined. Unsurprisingly California is also home to several top-ranked universities and schools.

Nevertheless, putting both metrics together can lead to conflicting deductions. Even though Illinois spends the least proportionately, its total expenditure nears $13 billion, making it top 20 by dollar amount. The opposite is true for Nevada.

Education is Also Federally and Locally-Funded

Another caveat of this data is that it only tracks state expenditure. Many states fund education through local taxes, or specific revenue streams (like lotteries) which are not captured in this map.

The federal government also supports education through various grants and awards.

In fact, KFF found that the federal government roughly supports 10% of higher education and local funds made up 42% of K–12 funding across all states.

Thus, this graphic is more useful as a starting point in trying to ascertain where education is the biggest priority across the country.

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How rich are these richest states? Check out: Each U.S. State’s GDP per Capita in 2023 for a quick overview.