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U.S. Education Data

U.S. Public School Revenue by State 2026: Statistics, Charts & Funding Shares

Public elementary-secondary school systems reported $994.9B in total revenue in fiscal year 2024. The 2026 release shows how federal, state, and local sources combine across every state and the District of Columbia.

Revenue totals are nominal dollars from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances. Shares use the official federal, state, and local source categories, with enrollment used only to calculate revenue per pupil.

Data type: public school revenue Coverage: 50 states + District of Columbia Latest source year: FY2024 Release year: 2026 Unit: nominal dollars Chart type: stacked bars and share grid

Revenue Statistics

Fiscal year 2024 totals are shown by source. Dollar amounts are rounded for display; table sorting uses source values in thousands of dollars.

Total public school revenue
$994.9B
Federal, state, and local sources combined.
State-source revenue
$450.0B
45.2% of national public school revenue.
Local-source revenue
$429.8B
43.2% of national public school revenue.
Federal-source revenue
$115.1B
11.6% of national public school revenue.
Largest state total
$138.5B
California ranked first by total revenue.
Highest federal share
22.7%
Mississippi had the largest federal-source share.

Largest Public School Revenue Totals by Source

Top 15 jurisdictions by total elementary-secondary revenue, split into federal, state, and local sources.

The chart is a visual summary of the largest totals. The full 51-jurisdiction revenue table remains the source of truth for state ranking and source shares.

Chart analysis
  • California reported the largest total at $138.5B.
  • New York ranked second at $92.2B, followed by Texas at $83.2B.
  • The top five jurisdictions accounted for 40.9% of national public school revenue.
  • The top 10 jurisdictions accounted for 58.4% of national public school revenue.
  • Local revenue supplied more than half of the total in New York, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio among the top 10.

Full State Revenue Ranking and Funding Shares

Ranking is based on total public elementary-secondary revenue in FY2024. Revenue per pupil divides total revenue by FY2024 enrollment from the same Census summary workbook.

Rank State Total revenue Federal State Local Federal share State share Local share Enrollment Revenue per pupil Region
1 California $138.5B $16.1B $74.0B $48.5B 11.6% 53.4% 35.0% 5,274,265 $26,261 West
2 New York $92.2B $7.7B $37.6B $46.9B 8.4% 40.8% 50.9% 2,350,583 $39,240 Northeast
3 Texas $83.2B $11.2B $29.8B $42.3B 13.4% 35.8% 50.8% 5,111,073 $16,287 South
4 Illinois $48.0B $4.9B $18.5B $24.6B 10.3% 38.6% 51.1% 1,831,215 $26,231 Midwest
5 Florida $44.6B $6.8B $13.1B $24.7B 15.3% 29.3% 55.4% 2,841,039 $15,684 South
6 Pennsylvania $41.6B $4.2B $15.6B $21.8B 10.1% 37.5% 52.4% 1,506,485 $27,596 Northeast
7 New Jersey $41.5B $2.6B $19.2B $19.7B 6.3% 46.3% 47.4% 1,323,927 $31,363 Northeast
8 Georgia $31.7B $3.8B $12.5B $15.4B 12.0% 39.4% 48.6% 1,705,143 $18,593 South
9 Ohio $31.5B $3.7B $10.9B $16.9B 11.8% 34.6% 53.6% 1,550,261 $20,342 Midwest
10 Michigan $28.4B $3.1B $16.1B $9.2B 10.9% 56.7% 32.4% 1,224,595 $23,222 Midwest
11 Washington $27.4B $2.1B $15.6B $9.7B 7.8% 57.0% 35.3% 1,068,368 $25,691 West
12 Massachusetts $23.3B $1.9B $10.2B $11.2B 8.2% 43.6% 48.1% 862,765 $26,965 Northeast
13 North Carolina $19.9B $3.5B $11.4B $5.1B 17.4% 57.1% 25.5% 1,396,880 $14,254 South
14 Virginia $19.6B $1.9B $8.4B $9.3B 9.7% 42.8% 47.4% 1,186,275 $16,519 South
15 Maryland $18.9B $1.6B $8.1B $9.3B 8.2% 42.8% 49.0% 804,005 $23,519 South
16 Minnesota $17.0B $1.4B $10.5B $5.2B 8.1% 61.7% 30.2% 794,003 $21,467 Midwest
17 Indiana $16.9B $1.7B $10.9B $4.2B 10.3% 64.8% 24.9% 997,580 $16,944 Midwest
18 Wisconsin $16.2B $1.6B $7.9B $6.6B 10.0% 49.1% 40.9% 801,818 $20,170 Midwest
19 Missouri $15.4B $1.8B $5.7B $7.9B 11.7% 37.2% 51.1% 826,831 $18,628 Midwest
20 Tennessee $15.2B $2.4B $6.7B $6.0B 15.9% 44.3% 39.8% 997,720 $15,192 South
21 Arizona $13.9B $2.5B $6.6B $4.8B 18.1% 47.3% 34.7% 884,915 $15,661 West
22 Connecticut $14.1B $1.1B $5.0B $7.9B 8.1% 35.8% 56.1% 472,293 $29,788 Northeast
23 Alabama $12.9B $2.1B $6.8B $4.0B 16.1% 52.5% 31.3% 741,082 $17,361 South
24 Oregon $12.8B $1.8B $5.8B $5.2B 13.9% 45.6% 40.5% 524,806 $24,387 West
25 Louisiana $12.4B $2.4B $4.2B $5.9B 19.2% 33.7% 47.1% 628,335 $19,775 South
26 Kentucky $11.9B $1.6B $7.4B $3.0B 13.4% 61.7% 24.9% 622,938 $19,175 South
27 Iowa $10.1B $1.1B $4.9B $4.1B 10.4% 48.9% 40.7% 483,051 $20,877 Midwest
28 Oklahoma $9.3B $1.3B $4.2B $3.9B 13.9% 44.6% 41.5% 647,207 $14,442 South
29 Utah $8.7B $684.8M $4.4B $3.6B 7.9% 50.6% 41.5% 609,785 $14,187 West
30 South Carolina $8.3B $1.4B $4.1B $2.9B 16.4% 49.1% 34.6% 743,927 $11,151 South
31 Kansas $8.1B $775.0M $5.0B $2.3B 9.6% 61.6% 28.8% 468,992 $17,300 Midwest
32 Nevada $7.6B $1.0B $5.3B $1.2B 13.6% 70.1% 16.3% 417,474 $18,221 West
33 Arkansas $7.3B $1.1B $5.0B $1.2B 14.7% 69.3% 16.0% 458,186 $15,877 South
34 New Mexico $6.8B $1.3B $4.3B $1.1B 19.7% 63.6% 16.7% 289,851 $23,530 West
35 Mississippi $6.6B $1.5B $3.0B $2.1B 22.7% 44.8% 32.5% 432,375 $15,253 South
36 Nebraska $6.1B $639.2M $2.1B $3.4B 10.5% 33.6% 55.9% 328,848 $18,570 Midwest
37 Colorado $16.6B $1.4B $6.1B $9.1B 8.4% 36.8% 54.8% 841,065 $19,753 West
38 Hawaii $4.1B $541.6M $3.5B $62.6M 13.1% 85.3% 1.5% 169,308 $24,330 West
39 New Hampshire $4.0B $333.7M $1.1B $2.6B 8.3% 28.3% 63.4% 156,325 $25,829 Northeast
40 Idaho $3.8B $442.7M $2.5B $790.2M 11.7% 67.4% 20.9% 285,690 $13,234 West
41 West Virginia $3.9B $865.3M $2.1B $914.4M 22.4% 53.9% 23.7% 239,692 $16,119 South
42 Delaware $2.9B $312.1M $1.7B $924.0M 10.7% 57.4% 31.8% 123,393 $23,540 South
43 Alaska $2.9B $604.2M $1.6B $684.2M 21.0% 55.2% 23.8% 131,243 $21,897 West
44 Maine $3.4B $487.3M $1.3B $1.6B 14.2% 39.2% 46.6% 173,380 $19,848 Northeast
45 Vermont $2.6B $275.0M $2.3B $67.4M 10.4% 87.0% 2.6% 81,266 $32,527 Northeast
46 Rhode Island $3.4B $436.0M $1.4B $1.6B 12.7% 40.3% 47.0% 135,123 $25,426 Northeast
47 Montana $2.5B $445.2M $973.6M $1.1B 17.8% 39.0% 43.2% 154,013 $16,209 West
48 North Dakota $2.5B $383.7M $1.2B $955.8M 15.4% 46.2% 38.4% 119,016 $20,937 Midwest
49 South Dakota $2.3B $451.3M $712.5M $1.2B 19.4% 30.7% 49.9% 140,930 $16,472 Midwest
50 Wyoming $2.1B $329.8M $961.7M $829.9M 15.5% 45.3% 39.1% 90,761 $23,374 West
51 District of Columbia $1.9B $267.2M N/A $1.7B 13.9% N/A 86.1% 50,839 $37,886 South
Table analysis
  • California ranked first by total revenue with $138.5B.
  • District of Columbia ranked last by total revenue with $1.9B.
  • The top-to-bottom total revenue gap was $136.6B.
  • New York had the highest revenue per pupil at $39,240.
  • South Carolina had the lowest revenue per pupil at $11,151.
  • Mississippi had the highest federal-source share at 22.7%.
  • New Jersey had the lowest federal-source share at 6.3%.
  • Dollar values are nominal and not adjusted for regional price levels.

Funding Source Breakdown

Additional views show federal-share bands, source-share leaders, and Census region totals.

Federal Revenue Share by State

Each chip shows the federal-source share of total public school revenue.

<8.5% 8.5%–11.4% 11.5%–14.4% 14.5%–17.9% 18.0%+
Alabama 16.1% Alaska 21.0% Arizona 18.1% Arkansas 14.7% California 11.6% Colorado 8.4% Connecticut 8.1% Delaware 10.7% District of Columbia 13.9% Florida 15.3% Georgia 12.0% Hawaii 13.1% Idaho 11.7% Illinois 10.3% Indiana 10.3% Iowa 10.4% Kansas 9.6% Kentucky 13.4% Louisiana 19.2% Maine 14.2% Maryland 8.2% Massachusetts 8.2% Michigan 10.9% Minnesota 8.1% Mississippi 22.7% Missouri 11.7% Montana 17.8% Nebraska 10.5% Nevada 13.6% New Hampshire 8.3% New Jersey 6.3% New Mexico 19.7% New York 8.4% North Carolina 17.4% North Dakota 15.4% Ohio 11.8% Oklahoma 13.9% Oregon 13.9% Pennsylvania 10.1% Rhode Island 12.7% South Carolina 16.4% South Dakota 19.4% Tennessee 15.9% Texas 13.4% Utah 7.9% Vermont 10.4% Virginia 9.7% Washington 7.8% West Virginia 22.4% Wisconsin 10.0% Wyoming 15.5%
<8.5%
10
Highest in band: New York (8.4%)
8.5%–11.4%
12
Highest in band: Michigan (10.9%)
11.5%–14.4%
14
Highest in band: Maine (14.2%)
14.5%–17.9%
8
Highest in band: Montana (17.8%)
18.0%+
7
Highest in band: Mississippi (22.7%)

Federal share measures the percentage of total revenue from federal sources, not the total federal dollars received.

Map analysis
  • Mississippi had the highest federal share at 22.7%.
  • Alaska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Louisiana also exceeded 19%.
  • New Jersey had the lowest federal share at 6.3%.
  • The federal share was below 8.5% in 10 jurisdictions.

Funding Mix in High Federal-Share States

The 10 highest federal-share jurisdictions are shown as a percent stacked bar.

The chart compares source shares only. A high percentage does not necessarily mean a high dollar total.

Chart analysis
  • Mississippi led the federal-share ranking at 22.7%.
  • Louisiana was fifth at 19.2%.
  • Among the 10 highest federal-share jurisdictions, state and local shares still supplied most total revenue.
Source focus Rank State Share Total revenue Dominant source Region
Federal share 1 Mississippi 22.7% $6.6B State South
Federal share 2 Alaska 21.0% $2.9B State West
Federal share 3 New Mexico 19.7% $6.8B State West
Federal share 4 South Dakota 19.4% $2.3B Local Midwest
Federal share 5 Louisiana 19.2% $12.4B Local South
State share 1 Vermont 87.0% $2.6B State Northeast
State share 2 Hawaii 85.3% $4.1B State West
State share 3 Nevada 70.1% $7.6B State West
State share 4 Arkansas 69.3% $7.3B State South
State share 5 Idaho 67.4% $3.8B State West
Local share 1 District of Columbia 86.1% $1.9B Local South
Local share 2 New Hampshire 63.4% $4.0B Local Northeast
Local share 3 Connecticut 56.1% $14.1B Local Northeast
Local share 4 Nebraska 55.9% $6.1B Local Midwest
Local share 5 Florida 55.4% $44.6B Local South
Table analysis
  • Vermont had the highest state-source share at 87.0%.
  • District of Columbia had the highest local-source share at 86.1%.
  • Mississippi had the highest federal-source share at 22.7%.
  • The District of Columbia is listed under local-source share because the state-source category is not applicable in the Census summary tables.

Regional Revenue by Source

Census region totals are grouped by federal, state, and local revenue sources.

Regional totals are summed from state-level rows and use Census region groupings.

Chart analysis
  • South had the largest regional total at $323.9B.
  • Northeast had the highest revenue per pupil at $32,107.
  • West had the largest state-source share at 54.3%.
  • Northeast had the largest local-source share at 50.2%.
Region Jurisdictions Total revenue Federal share State share Local share Enrollment Revenue per pupil
Northeast 9 $226.2B 8.4% 41.5% 50.2% 7,045,088 $32,107
Midwest 12 $201.5B 10.9% 46.1% 43.0% 9,625,037 $20,937
South 17 $323.9B 14.1% 40.5% 45.4% 18,920,590 $17,119
West 13 $243.3B 11.8% 54.3% 33.9% 10,780,213 $22,570
Table analysis
  • South included 17 jurisdictions and reported $323.9B in revenue.
  • Northeast reported $32,107 per pupil, the highest regional value.
  • South had the highest regional federal share at 14.1%.
  • West had the highest regional state-source share at 54.3%.

Revenue Structure Notes

Revenue rankings, revenue shares, and per-pupil values describe different dimensions of school finance.

Total revenue and system scale

Total revenue reflects state size, enrollment, and finance structure. California and Texas rank high by total dollars partly because they educate large student counts.

Source shares

Federal, state, and local shares show how revenue is split. A high share is a percentage measure and should be read separately from total dollars.

Revenue per pupil

Revenue per pupil divides total revenue by enrollment. It is not adjusted for regional wages, facilities costs, student need, or price levels.

District of Columbia category

The Census state-source revenue field is not applicable for the District of Columbia. Its nonfederal revenue appears under the local-source category in the published tables.

Nominal dollar basis

Dollar values are nominal FY2024 amounts. They are not adjusted for inflation or cost-of-living differences across states.

Ranking scope

The ranking uses total public elementary-secondary revenue only. It is not a ranking of school quality, student outcomes, fiscal effort, or spending efficiency.

Source and Methodology

Data source U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, FY2024 summary tables.
Official table file FY2024 public elementary-secondary finance summary tables
Source landing page 2024 Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data
Survey program Annual Survey of School System Finances
Supporting federal reference National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS)
Coverage 50 states and the District of Columbia; U.S. Island Areas are not included in the state ranking table.
Unit of measure Source tables report dollars in thousands. Display values are rounded to billions, millions, percentages, or nearest dollars per pupil.
Method note Total revenue comes from Table 1. Federal, state, and local component amounts use Tables 2, 3, and 4. Source shares use Table 5. Enrollment uses Table 19.

Revenue per pupil is calculated as total elementary-secondary revenue multiplied by 1,000 and divided by FY2024 elementary-secondary enrollment. Percent shares are displayed to one decimal place. Components may not add visually to total because display values are rounded.

Methodological Safety Note

Finance year, release year, and article year are separate. The 2026 title refers to the release cycle, while the latest official revenue data are FY2024. Rankings should not be interpreted as causal evidence about student outcomes or school effectiveness.