Alaska Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
Alaska public education data combines school system scale from NCES CCD, fiscal-year finance data from the U.S. Census Bureau, and statewide school-level spending from Alaska DEED.
The 2026 label reflects the publication year. The latest source years are school year 2023–24 for schools and enrollment, fiscal year 2024 for Census finance, and school year 2024–25 for Alaska Report Card spending.
Alaska Education Snapshot
Core counts use NCES CCD school year 2023–24. Finance measures use Census fiscal year 2024 and Alaska DEED school year 2024–25 reporting.
Alaska and U.S. Current Spending Per Pupil
Census FY2024 current spending per pupil, nominal dollars, not adjusted for regional price levels.
Alaska reported $21,004 in Census current spending per pupil, compared with the U.S. average of $17,619.
Chart analysis
- Alaska is $3,385 above the U.S. current spending average per pupil.
- The Alaska value is about 19.2% higher than the national FY2024 average.
- Census values are nominal and do not adjust for Alaska’s regional cost patterns or district geography.
Alaska Schools, Enrollment, Staffing, and Spending Table
The table separates school-year counts, fiscal-year finance measures, and Alaska Report Card school-level spending measures.
| Rank | Indicator | Value | Unit | Source year | Source | Method note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Student membership | 131,243 | Students | SY2023–24 | NCES CCD | Public elementary-secondary membership, pre-K through grade 13 where reported |
| 2 | Operating public schools | 494 | Schools | SY2023–24 | NCES CCD | Operating schools providing services at the start of the school year |
| 3 | Operating districts | 54 | Districts | SY2023–24 | NCES CCD | Operating local education agencies reported in CCD |
| 4 | Teachers | 7,221 | FTE teachers | SY2023–24 | NCES CCD | Teacher counts reported as full-time equivalents |
| 5 | Pupil-teacher ratio | 18.2 | Students per teacher | SY2023–24 | NCES CCD | State membership divided by FTE teachers |
| 6 | Census current spending per pupil | $21,004 | Dollars per pupil | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau | Current spending excludes capital outlay and debt service |
| 7 | U.S. current spending per pupil | $17,619 | Dollars per pupil | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau | National average for public elementary-secondary school systems |
| 8 | Difference from U.S. average | +$3,385 | Dollars per pupil | FY2024 | Derived from Census | Alaska Census value minus U.S. Census average |
| 9 | Percent above U.S. average | 19.2% | Percent | FY2024 | Derived from Census | Difference divided by U.S. average |
| 10 | Federal revenue share | 21.0% | Percent of total revenue | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau | Federal revenue share of Alaska public school system revenue |
| 11 | DEED statewide spending per pupil | $21,827 | Dollars per pupil | SY2024–25 | Alaska DEED Report Card | Statewide average spending from school-level spending reports |
| 12 | DEED state/local funds per pupil | $19,829 | Dollars per pupil | SY2024–25 | Alaska DEED Report Card | State and local funds within statewide average spending |
| 13 | DEED federal funds per pupil | $1,998 | Dollars per pupil | SY2024–25 | Alaska DEED Report Card | Federal funds within statewide average spending |
| 14 | Instructional spending share | 75.1% | Percent | SY2024–25 | Alaska DEED Report Card | Instructional share of reported school-level spending |
| 15 | Non-instructional spending share | 24.9% | Percent | SY2024–25 | Alaska DEED Report Card | Non-instructional share of reported school-level spending |
Table analysis
- Alaska reported 131,243 public school students in NCES CCD school year 2023–24.
- The state reported 494 operating public schools and 54 operating districts.
- NCES reported 7,221 FTE teachers and a pupil-teacher ratio of 18.2.
- Census FY2024 current spending per pupil was $21,004.
- The Census Alaska value was $3,385 above the U.S. average.
- Alaska’s FY2024 federal revenue share was 21.0%.
- DEED reported $21,827 in statewide average spending per pupil for SY2024–25.
- Census current spending and DEED school-level spending are separate collections and should not be merged as one measure.
Alaska Spending Structure and Scale Measures
Additional tables separate DEED fund-source reporting, school system scale ratios, and source-year definitions.
Alaska DEED Spending Per Pupil by Fund Source
Statewide average spending per pupil from Alaska’s 2024–25 Report Card financial data.
DEED reports $19,829 from state/local funds and $1,998 from federal funds, totaling $21,827 per pupil.
Chart analysis
- State/local funds account for about 90.8% of DEED statewide average spending per pupil.
- Federal funds account for about 9.2% of DEED statewide average spending per pupil.
- This DEED fund split is not the same measure as the Census federal revenue share.
| Rank | Category | Value | Unit | Source year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State/local funds | $19,829 | Dollars per pupil | SY2024–25 | Alaska DEED Report Card |
| 2 | Federal funds | $1,998 | Dollars per pupil | SY2024–25 | Alaska DEED Report Card |
| 3 | Total statewide average spending | $21,827 | Dollars per pupil | SY2024–25 | Alaska DEED Report Card |
| 4 | Instructional spending | 75.1% | Percent of reported spending | SY2024–25 | Alaska DEED Report Card |
| 5 | Non-instructional spending | 24.9% | Percent of reported spending | SY2024–25 | Alaska DEED Report Card |
Table analysis
- DEED statewide average spending totals $21,827 per pupil.
- State/local funds exceed federal funds by $17,831 per pupil in the DEED split.
- Instructional spending is reported at 75.1% of the DEED spending split.
- Non-instructional spending is reported at 24.9%.
| Rank | Scale metric | Value | Unit | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Students per school | 265.7 | Students per school | 131,243 students divided by 494 schools |
| 2 | Students per district | 2,430.4 | Students per district | 131,243 students divided by 54 districts |
| 3 | Schools per district | 9.1 | Schools per district | 494 schools divided by 54 districts |
| 4 | Students per teacher | 18.2 | Students per FTE teacher | NCES CCD reported pupil-teacher ratio |
| 5 | Estimated current spending represented by Census per-pupil value | $2.756B | Derived dollars | $21,004 multiplied by 131,243 students; rounded per-pupil input |
Table analysis
- Alaska averages about 266 students per operating public school.
- Alaska averages about 2,430 students per operating district.
- The state averages about 9.1 schools per operating district.
- The derived current spending estimate is about $2.756 billion when Census per-pupil spending is multiplied by CCD membership.
- The derived spending estimate uses rounded inputs and is not a replacement for full Census finance files.
| Rank | Source | Measure used | Period | Unit | Use in table | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NCES Common Core of Data | Schools, districts, membership, teachers, pupil-teacher ratio | SY2023–24 | Counts and ratio | System scale and enrollment | School-year reporting differs from fiscal-year finance reporting |
| 2 | U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances | Current spending per pupil and federal revenue share | FY2024 | Dollars per pupil and percent | Comparable fiscal-year finance | Nominal values are not adjusted for cost of living |
| 3 | Alaska DEED Report Card to the Public | Statewide average spending and instructional share | SY2024–25 | Dollars per pupil and percent | State report card spending split | School-level spending report coverage can differ from Census finance coverage |
| 4 | Derived calculations | Differences, ratios, and estimated aggregate current spending | Matched to source input | Dollars, percent, and ratios | Readout and scale context | Rounded source inputs can affect derived totals |
Table analysis
- NCES CCD supplies the school system counts used for the enrollment and staffing profile.
- Census FY2024 supplies the comparable current spending and revenue-share measures.
- Alaska DEED supplies the state report card spending split for SY2024–25.
- Derived values are labeled separately to prevent mixing source-reported and calculated measures.
What the Alaska Data Shows
The analysis uses the selected indicators only and keeps source-year differences separate.
System scale
Alaska reported 131,243 public school students across 494 operating schools and 54 operating districts in NCES CCD school year 2023–24.
Staffing ratio
The reported pupil-teacher ratio was 18.2, based on NCES membership and FTE teacher counts.
Census spending comparison
Alaska’s FY2024 Census current spending per pupil was $21,004, about 19.2% above the national average.
Federal revenue exposure
Federal sources accounted for 21.0% of Alaska public school system revenue in the Census FY2024 release.
Report card spending split
Alaska DEED reported $21,827 in statewide average spending per pupil for SY2024–25, with $19,829 from state/local funds and $1,998 from federal funds.
Measure caution
Census current spending, DEED school-level spending, and derived ratios use different data collections. They should be read as separate measures.
Source and Methodology
NCES Common Core of Data, Table 2, school year 2023–24: operating schools, operating districts, student membership, teachers, and pupil-teacher ratio.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data and FY2024 school finance release.
U.S. Census Bureau FY2024 release for the national current spending average and Alaska federal revenue share.
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development, Alaska’s Public Schools: Report Card to the Public, 2024–2025.
SY2023–24 for NCES CCD system counts, FY2024 for Census finance, and SY2024–25 for Alaska DEED report card spending.
Dollar values are shown as whole dollars per pupil. Derived percentages and ratios are rounded to one decimal place.
Current spending per pupil follows the Census fiscal-year measure and excludes capital outlay and debt service. DEED statewide average spending reflects Alaska Report Card school-level spending categories. Derived values include the Alaska-minus-U.S. spending gap, percent difference, scale ratios, and estimated current spending represented by the rounded per-pupil value.
Spending comparisons use selected measures only. Dollar values are nominal and not adjusted for regional price levels, inflation, district geography, transportation costs, or student need. Census current spending and DEED school-level spending use different collections and should not be treated as identical measures.