Which region of the country spent the most per pupil in 2013?

States Spending the Most and Least on Education

From one part of the country to another public school spending varies widely. New York is the
biggest spender, while Idaho and Utah spend only about a third of what New York does. The U.S.
Census Bureau’s data show wide variation in spending. Many factors affect the vast differences in
spending. The following are a few of the factors.

School district spending is strong related to the money available. School districts spend almost all of
the money that they receive. Those schools that depend more on state funding than on local
property taxes typically receive less money. School districts with the highest property values typically
have the most money.

There’s a particularly large variation across states in wage and salary expenses. New York spends
more than any other state -- $8,712 per student -- followed by Connecticut and New Jersey. By
comparison, some states spend as little as $3,000 per student in some cases. These usually tend to
be the states with fewer teachers and lower wages. Schools that have teachers with more
experience or who employ teachers with advanced degrees spend more on salaries.

Employee benefits like teacher pensions, health insurance, and tuition reimbursement are a large
part of school spending. Nationally, employee benefits for teachers account for about $1,700 in
spending per pupil. The highest rates of spending are $4,127 per student in Alaska and $4,660 in
New York.

The states with a higher cost of living tend to be the states that spend the most on education.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, costs are highest in the District of Columbia, Hawaii
and New York.

Class size is an important factor that determines how much a school district spends. In Utah’s
primary schools, there are nearly 28 students per class. However, Maine, Tennessee, Vermont and
Wyoming average fewer than 18 students per class. Nevada’s high school classes have an average
of 31 students, the largest size in the country.

Spending on school and executive administration accounts for a small amount of total spending.
The District of Columbia and 13 states spend more than $1,000 per student on administrative costs.
On the opposite end, Utah spends $463 and Arizona spends $450 per student. Part of this has to do
with the fact that school districts are much more fragmented in the high-spending states, notably
Illinois and New Jersey.

Many different types of policies affect funding of school systems. States employ varying funding
formulas and maintain certain laws around special education or other requirements that end up
affecting how much districts spend. Cutting spending on education is usually unpopular. Many have
criticized states like Arizona that have reduced spending on school aid.
A

the Northwest

the Southwest

the Northeast

the Southeast