Long-run spending on education requires closer examination: Total per-pupil expenditures on education, 1960–2021
| School year | Total expenditure per pupil |
|---|---|
| 1960 | $3,801 |
| 1962 | $4,108 |
| 1964 | $4,300 |
| 1966 | $4,793 |
| 1968 | $5,412 |
| 1970 | $5,945 |
| 1971 | $6,292 |
| 1972 | $6,514 |
| 1973 | $6,607 |
| 1974 | $6,700 |
| 1975 | $7,074 |
| 1976 | $7,352 |
| 1977 | $7,395 |
| 1978 | $7,617 |
| 1979 | $7,664 |
| 1980 | $7,790 |
| 1981 | $7,853 |
| 1982 | $8,063 |
| 1983 | $8,334 |
| 1984 | $8,674 |
| 1985 | $9,015 |
| 1986 | $9,556 |
| 1987 | $9,916 |
| 1988 | $10,317 |
| 1989 | $10,862 |
| 1990 | $11,310 |
| 1991 | $11,571 |
| 1992 | $11,577 |
| 1993 | $11,651 |
| 1994 | $11,779 |
| 1995 | $11,914 |
| 1996 | $12,047 |
| 1997 | $12,380 |
| 1998 | $12,896 |
| 1999 | $13,328 |
| 2000 | $13,738 |
| 2001 | $14,341 |
| 2002 | $14,861 |
| 2003 | $15,048 |
| 2004 | $15,200 |
| 2005 | $15,467 |
| 2006 | $15,814 |
| 2007 | $16,362 |
| 2008 | $16,784 |
| 2009 | $17,213 |
| 2010 | $16,857 |
| 2011 | $16,243 |
| 2012 | $15,852 |
| 2013 | $15,717 |
| 2014 | $15,885 |
| 2015 | $16,491 |
| 2016 | $16,989 |
| 2017 | $17,367 |
| 2018 | $17,670 |
| 2019 | $18,233 |
| 2020 | $18,631 |
| 2021 | $18,777 |
Notes: Expenditures are in real 2024 dollars. The year denotes the end of the school year. 2021 refers to FY 2020–2021.
Source: EPI analysis of National Center for Education Statistics (2025b) data.