Georgia Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
Georgia reported 2,329 operating public schools, 253 operating districts, and 1,744,662 public elementary-secondary students in school year 2024–25.
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 2024–25 Final Version 1a 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 2024–25.
The chart places separate system measures in one view; their scales differ, so the full numeric values remain available in the table.
Chart analysis
- Student membership is the largest count at 1,744,662.
- Teachers total 124,125 FTE positions.
- Georgia reports 2,329 operating public schools and 253 operating districts.
- The reported statewide pupil/teacher ratio is 14.1.
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 | 2,329 | Schools | School year 2024–25 | NCES CCD | Schools providing services at the start of the reported school year |
| 2 | Operating districts | 253 | Districts | School year 2024–25 | NCES CCD | Operating local education agencies reported in CCD |
| 3 | Student membership | 1,744,662 | Students | School year 2024–25 | NCES CCD | Includes Pre-K through grade 13; excludes adult education students |
| 4 | Teachers | 124,125 | FTE teachers | School year 2024–25 | NCES CCD | Full-time-equivalent teacher count reported by the state education agency |
| 5 | Pupil/teacher ratio | 14.1 | Students per FTE teacher | School year 2024–25 | 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 1,744,662 for school year 2024–25.
- 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 124,125 FTE teachers and a statewide pupil/teacher ratio of 14.1.
- Compared with 2023–24, Georgia reports 2 more operating schools, the same number of operating districts, 5,039 fewer students, and 485 more FTE teachers.
- 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.
Chart analysis
- District of Columbia reports the highest value in this group at $31,529.
- Georgia reports $15,833 per pupil.
- Georgia is above South Carolina at $15,060 and North Carolina at $12,995.
- Georgia is below Virginia at $17,104, Maryland at $20,208, and Delaware at $22,201.
| 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, membership, and staffing use school year 2024–25. Census spending uses FY2024. The reporting periods are separate and should not be treated as a single observation period.
Membership and finance enrollment differ
Georgia’s NCES membership count is 1,744,662. 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.
National CCD context
Georgia accounts for 2.4% of the 99,073 U.S. operating public schools and 3.5% of the 49,269,882 U.S. student membership reported for 2024–25. NCES does not publish a 2024–25 U.S. teacher total or pupil/teacher ratio because Tennessee teacher data are unavailable.
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, 2024–25 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 2024–25 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. The 2024–25 U.S. teacher total and U.S. pupil/teacher ratio are not shown because Tennessee teacher data are unavailable in the NCES table.
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.