Education costs in the United States vary, with both public and private options available to parents. While public schools are funded by taxpayers and don’t require tuition, there are still expenses for parents, such as extracurricular activities.
According to GradePower Learning, parents can expect to spend about $163,000 on their child’s education from kindergarten to 12th grade in public schools. Data from the 2021 Annual Survey of School System Finances by the US Census Bureau shows that the average spending per student in public schools was $14,347.
The states with the highest spending per student in fiscal year 2021 were New York, the District of Columbia, Vermont, Connecticut, and New Jersey. On the other hand, the states with the lowest spending per student were Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Mississippi, and Florida.
For private education, parents need to cover tuition costs, which can range from $5,330 to $25,180 per year. According to GradePower Learning, parents can expect to spend nearly $300,000 on private education from kindergarten to 12th grade. Financial aid options like scholarships, loans, or publicly funded vouchers may be available for those who need assistance.