Georgia Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
Georgia reported 2,327 operating public schools, 253 operating districts, and 1,749,701 public elementary-secondary students in school year 2023–24.
The latest Census finance release places Georgia current spending at $15,833 per pupil in fiscal year 2024. Dollar values are nominal and are not adjusted for regional price levels.
Georgia Education Snapshot
Core school system counts use NCES Common Core of Data final 2023–24 files. Spending uses the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances for FY2024.
Georgia School System Scale and Staffing
Operating schools, districts, student membership, and FTE teachers from NCES CCD 2023–24.
The chart uses separate measures in one indexed view. The full numeric values remain available in the table.
Chart analysis
- Student membership is the largest count at 1,749,701.
- Teachers total 123,640 FTE positions.
- Georgia reports 2,327 operating public schools and 253 operating districts.
- The reported statewide pupil/teacher ratio is 14.2.
Georgia Schools, Enrollment, Staffing, and Spending Table
The main table separates school-year counts from fiscal-year finance measures. Values are rounded only where the source reports rounded values.
| Rank | Indicator | Value | Unit | Source year | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Operating public schools | 2,327 | Schools | School year 2023–24 | NCES CCD | Schools providing services at the start of the reported school year |
| 2 | Operating districts | 253 | Districts | School year 2023–24 | NCES CCD | Operating local education agencies reported in CCD |
| 3 | Student membership | 1,749,701 | Students | School year 2023–24 | NCES CCD | Includes Pre-K through grade 13; excludes adult education students |
| 4 | Teachers | 123,640 | FTE teachers | School year 2023–24 | NCES CCD | Full-time-equivalent teacher count reported by the state education agency |
| 5 | Pupil/teacher ratio | 14.2 | Students per FTE teacher | School year 2023–24 | NCES CCD | State total ratio; not a class-size measure |
| 6 | Current spending per pupil | $15,833 | Nominal dollars per pupil | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau | Current spending; excludes capital outlay and debt service |
| 7 | Finance enrollment base | 1,705,143 | Students | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau | Enrollment base used in Census per-pupil finance reporting |
| 8 | Estimated current spending base | $27.0B | Nominal dollars | FY2024 | Derived from Census per-pupil value and finance enrollment | $15,833 multiplied by 1,705,143; rounded to nearest $0.1B for display |
Table analysis
- Georgia’s NCES student membership count is 1,749,701 for school year 2023–24.
- The Census finance enrollment base is 1,705,143, which is lower than the NCES membership count because the finance series uses its own reporting base.
- Georgia reports 123,640 FTE teachers and a statewide pupil/teacher ratio of 14.2.
- Current spending per pupil is $15,833 in FY2024.
- The derived current spending base is about $27.0 billion before rounding.
- School-year counts and fiscal-year finance measures should not be treated as the same reporting period.
Georgia Spending in Regional Context
Selected Southern and nearby jurisdictions are shown for context using FY2024 current spending per pupil from the Census school finance release.
Current Spending Per Pupil: Selected Regional Context
FY2024 nominal current spending per pupil.
Georgia is shown with selected Southern and nearby jurisdictions. The table provides the same values without relying on chart rendering.
| Rank in group | Jurisdiction | Current spending | Year | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $31,529 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
| 2 | Delaware | $22,201 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
| 3 | Maryland | $20,208 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
| 4 | Virginia | $17,104 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
| 5 | Georgia | $15,833 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
| 6 | West Virginia | $15,640 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
| 7 | Louisiana | $15,581 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
| 8 | South Carolina | $15,060 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
| 9 | Kentucky | $14,596 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
| 10 | Arkansas | $13,873 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
| 11 | North Carolina | $12,995 | FY2024 | Nominal dollars per pupil |
Table analysis
- Georgia ranks 5th among the selected jurisdictions shown.
- The gap between Georgia and District of Columbia is $15,696 per pupil.
- The gap between Georgia and North Carolina is $2,838 per pupil.
- These values are nominal and do not adjust for labor costs, housing costs, or other regional price differences.
Georgia Data Notes
The indicators describe system scale, staffing capacity, and current spending. They do not measure student outcomes or school quality.
School-year and fiscal-year split
NCES school counts and membership use school year 2023–24. Census spending uses FY2024. The reporting periods overlap but are not identical.
Membership and finance enrollment differ
Georgia’s NCES membership count is 1,749,701. The Census finance enrollment base shown for FY2024 is 1,705,143.
Current spending definition
Current spending per pupil excludes capital outlay and debt service. It is not the same as total expenditure per student.
Teacher ratio caution
The pupil/teacher ratio is a statewide aggregate using FTE teachers. It should not be read as average classroom size.
Source and Methodology
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey, Local Education Agency Universe Survey, and State Nonfiscal Survey, 2023–24 Final Version 1a.
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, FY2024 current spending per pupil release.
Schools, districts, student membership, full-time-equivalent teachers, students per FTE teacher, and nominal dollars per pupil.
Georgia public elementary-secondary education. NCES school counts cover operating public schools and districts reported through CCD.
Counts are shown as whole numbers. The derived current spending base is rounded to the nearest $0.1 billion for display.
NCES CCD 2023–24 summary table · U.S. Census Bureau school finance data · FY2024 Census school finance release
The main table keeps NCES nonfiscal measures and Census fiscal measures in separate rows. The estimated current spending base is a transparent calculation from the displayed Census per-pupil value and finance enrollment base; it is not presented as a separately reported Census total.
Rankings and comparisons based on current spending per pupil use the selected finance indicator only. Spending values are nominal, not adjusted for inflation or regional price differences, and do not establish outcomes.