Wyoming Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
Wyoming operated 360 public elementary and secondary schools across 62 districts in school year 2024–25. Statewide membership was 89,915 students, supported by 7,427 teacher full-time equivalents.
Finance figures use fiscal year 2024, the latest U.S. Census Bureau release available in 2026. Wyoming reported $20,521 in current spending per pupil, while the state’s 2026 recalibration applies to the separate 2026–27 funding model.
Wyoming’s Public School Scale
School and staffing counts come from the final NCES Common Core of Data release for 2024–25. The graduation rate comes from the Wyoming Department of Education.
Per-Pupil Spending Since 2019
Current spending per pupil is shown in nominal dollars. Wyoming and U.S. values use the same Census school finance series.
Wyoming and U.S. Current Spending per Pupil
Fiscal years 2019–2024
Wyoming’s FY2024 value was $2,902 above the U.S. figure. The amounts are not adjusted for inflation or regional price differences.
| Fiscal year | Wyoming | U.S. | WY–U.S. gap | WY annual change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $16,304 | $13,187 | $3,117 | Base year |
| 2020 | $16,698 | $13,501 | $3,197 | 2.4% |
| 2021 | $18,144 | $14,358 | $3,786 | 8.7% |
| 2022 | $18,529 | $15,630 | $2,899 | 2.1% |
| 2023 | $19,324 | $16,526 | $2,798 | 4.3% |
| 2024 | $20,521 | $17,619 | $2,902 | 6.2% |
Spending movement since 2019
- Wyoming’s nominal current spending rose by $4,217 per pupil between FY2019 and FY2024, an increase of 25.9%.
- The widest Wyoming–U.S. gap in this series occurred in FY2021 at $3,786 per pupil.
- The FY2024 Wyoming increase of 6.2% was slightly below the national increase of 6.6%.
Schools, Enrollment, Staffing and Finance
The table separates school-year counts, fiscal-year finance measures and the 2024–25 graduation cohort rather than presenting them as one reporting period.
| Category | Indicator | Value | Comparison or share | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System scale | Operating public schools | 360 | Up 2 from 2023–24 | SY 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| System scale | Operating public districts | 62 | Up 1 from 2023–24 | SY 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Enrollment | Student membership | 89,915 | Down 1,121 students (1.2%) | SY 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Staffing | Teacher full-time equivalents | 7,427 | Down 25 FTE | SY 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| Staffing | Pupil–teacher ratio | 12.1 | 12.2 in 2023–24 | SY 2024–25 | NCES CCD |
| System scale | Students per operating school | 250 | Calculated from membership and school counts | SY 2024–25 | USSchoolIndex calculation |
| Revenue | Total elementary-secondary revenue | $2.121B | 100% of reported revenue | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Revenue | Federal revenue | $329.807M | 15.5% of revenue | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Revenue | State revenue | $961.660M | 45.3% of revenue | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Revenue | Local revenue | $829.943M | 39.1% of revenue | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Expenditure | Total elementary-secondary expenditure | $2.095B | Current, capital and other spending | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Expenditure | Current spending | $1.874B | 89.5% of total expenditure | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Expenditure | Capital outlay | $220.240M | 10.5% of total expenditure | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Per-pupil spending | Current spending per pupil | $20,521 | Rank 15 of 51; 16.5% above U.S. | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Per-pupil spending | Instruction per pupil | $11,951 | 57.9% of current spending | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Per-pupil spending | Support services per pupil | $7,930 | 38.4% of current spending | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Support services | Student support per pupil | $1,453 | Counseling, health and related support | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Support services | Instructional staff support per pupil | $985 | Curriculum and staff support functions | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Administration | General administration per pupil | $427 | District-level administration | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Administration | School administration per pupil | $1,029 | School-level administration | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Transportation | Student transportation expenditure | $94.041M | 13.1% of support-service spending | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Outcomes | Four-year on-time graduation rate | 83.1% | Federal cohort measure | SY 2024–25 | Wyoming DOE |
| Outcomes | Regular diploma graduates | 6,385 | Graduates in the reported cohort year | SY 2024–25 | Wyoming DOE |
| Outcomes | Four-year cohort size | 7,683 | Largest cohort since the measure began in 2009–10 | SY 2024–25 | Wyoming DOE |
Profile table notes
- Wyoming’s enrollment fell by 1.2% while the number of operating schools increased from 358 to 360.
- Current spending accounted for 89.5% of reported FY2024 expenditure; capital outlay accounted for 10.5%.
- The pupil–teacher ratio is not the same measure as average class size because teacher FTE includes staffing beyond a single classroom roster.
Where Wyoming Education Revenue Comes From
Wyoming’s federal revenue share was above the national share in FY2024, while its local share was lower. State shares were nearly equal.
Wyoming Revenue Mix Compared With the U.S.
Federal, state and local shares of total public school revenue, FY2024
Revenue shares describe where funds were reported, not how districts allocated every dollar.
| Revenue source | Wyoming amount | Wyoming share | U.S. share | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | $329.807M | 15.5% | 11.6% | +4.0 points |
| State | $961.660M | 45.3% | 45.2% | +0.1 points |
| Local | $829.943M | 39.1% | 43.2% | −4.1 points |
Wyoming’s revenue mix
- Federal sources supplied 15.5% of Wyoming revenue, about 4.0 percentage points above the U.S. share.
- Wyoming’s state share differed from the national share by only 0.1 percentage point.
- The local share was 4.1 points below the national distribution.
Wyoming Compared With Neighboring States
School counts and membership use SY 2024–25. Current spending per pupil uses FY2024 finance enrollment, so the two columns should not be divided into one another.
Current Spending per Pupil in Wyoming and Bordering States
Nominal FY2024 dollars
Wyoming reported the highest current spending per pupil among its six bordering states in FY2024.
| Jurisdiction | Schools | Districts | Membership | Students per school | Pupil–teacher ratio | Current spending per pupil |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 360 | 62 | 89,915 | 250 | 12.1 | $20,521 |
| United States | 99,073 | 19,183 | 49,269,882 | 497 | Not reported | $17,619 |
| Nebraska | 1,097 | 280 | 330,622 | 301 | 13.7 | $16,147 |
| Colorado | 1,900 | 273 | 865,077 | 455 | 16.2 | $15,908 |
| Montana | 842 | 476 | 147,208 | 175 | 13.7 | $13,656 |
| South Dakota | 706 | 165 | 141,065 | 200 | 13.8 | $12,828 |
| Utah | 1,097 | 155 | 684,604 | 624 | 21.6 | $11,347 |
| Idaho | 796 | 191 | 315,626 | 397 | 17.7 | $11,060 |
Regional scale and spending
- Wyoming’s 89,915 students were spread across 360 operating schools, or about 250 students per school.
- Among bordering states, Montana had fewer students per operating school, while every other neighbor had a higher average.
- Wyoming’s FY2024 current spending per pupil exceeded the next-highest bordering state, Nebraska, by $4,374.
- The U.S. pupil–teacher ratio is not shown because the 2024–25 summary omitted a national ratio when one state’s teacher count was unavailable.
2026–27 Funding Model Changes
These are model amounts and estimates published by the Wyoming Department of Education in 2026. They are not final FY2024 expenditures and should not be merged with the Census finance totals.
| Model item | 2026–27 amount | Unit | Change from 2025–26 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated statewide funding increase | $114.1M | Estimated total | +8.6% | Final amount depends on final data |
| Technology and equipment | $250 | Per student | No change | Recalibrated model amount |
| Professional development | $191.43 | Per student | No change | Recalibrated model amount |
| Short-cycle assessments | $25 | Per student | Up from $0 | New model resource |
| Central office non-personnel | $606 | Per student | Up from $556.27 | Recalibrated model amount |
| Gifted and talented | $25 | Per student | Down from $61.26 | Excluded from future external cost adjustments |
| Baseline average teacher salary | $68,277 | Model salary baseline | New recalibrated baseline | Funding-model input |
2026–27 model amounts
- The projected statewide increase is $114.1 million, or 8.6%, but WDE states that final funding depends on final data.
- Short-cycle assessments receive a new $25 per-student model amount.
- Gifted and talented resources fall to $25 per student from $61.26 in 2025–26.
What the Wyoming Data Shows
The state profile is shaped by scale, reporting basis and funding structure. None of these measures alone represents school quality.
Small statewide enrollment, broad operating structure
Wyoming enrolled fewer than 90,000 students while operating 360 schools and 62 districts. Total spending remains modest beside large states, but fixed school, district, transportation and facility functions are distributed across a small enrollment base.
Total spending and per-pupil rank measure different things
Wyoming’s $1.874 billion in current spending reflects a small state system. Its $20,521 per-pupil figure ranked 15th among the 50 states and District of Columbia because the denominator is much smaller than in high-enrollment states.
Federal share differs from the national mix
Federal funds represented 15.5% of Wyoming revenue in FY2024, compared with 11.6% nationally. The state share was nearly identical to the national share, while the local share was lower.
2026 funding changes are forward-looking
The recalibrated 2026–27 model describes prospective state funding resources. It does not revise the final FY2024 revenue and expenditure values reported by the Census Bureau.
Data Sources and Measurement
NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25 final Version 1a. Counts include prekindergarten through grade 13 and exclude adult education students.
Wyoming Department of Education fall enrollment reports use an October 1 snapshot. WDE regular K–12 enrollment excludes prekindergarten, which is reported separately.
U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances, FY2024. Dollar amounts are nominal and are not adjusted for inflation or regional price levels.
Wyoming Department of Education four-year federal cohort rate for school year 2024–25. The reported cohort contained 7,683 students and 6,385 graduates.
Wyoming Department of Education guidance for the recalibrated K–12 funding model beginning in school year 2026–27.
Dollar values are rounded to the nearest dollar, thousand or million as displayed. Students per school, shares and differences were calculated from the cited official totals; displayed figures may not sum exactly because of rounding.
School-year membership and fiscal-year finance enrollment are separate official measures. The page does not use NCES membership as the denominator for Census per-pupil spending. State and national finance shares come from the same FY2024 survey tables.
SY 2024–25 school counts, FY2024 finance data, SY 2024–25 graduation outcomes and SY 2026–27 model estimates describe different reporting periods. Nominal spending comparisons do not control for inflation, regional prices, district geography, student needs or service mix. Spending levels and outcome rates should not be read as a causal relationship.