Spending was $25,000 per student in 2022-23, almost $5,000 above the national average.
By Jessica Rehberg | Illinois Policy Institute
Illinois spends more per public school student than nearly every other state.
During the 2022-23 school year, the state spent $25,000 per student, adjusted to 2024 dollars, according to a report from the National Center for Education Statistics. That’s almost $5,000 more than the U.S. average of $20,039 per student. The figure includes local and state money.
Illinois’ spending ranked seventh-highest in the nation and highest in the Midwest. Despite that, the state has struggled to show strong academic outcomes.
In the 2024-25 school year, only about half of Illinois public school students in grades 3 to 8 and in 11th grade met state reading proficiency standards. In math, just 39% were proficient.
The poor results were much more pronounced in some groups. Low-income students scored 16 to 19 percentage points below the statewide average in both reading and math.
Among Black students, 32% of those in grades 3 to 8 and 26% of 11th-graders were proficient in reading, while 14% to 15% met proficiency standards in math.
For Hispanic students, 39% to 41% were proficient in reading and 24% to 25% proficient in math across grades 3-8 and 11th grade.
These figures come after the Illinois State Board of Education lowered its proficiency benchmarks in 2025 and made student performance appear stronger on paper.
Report continues here.
Editorial note: States spending the same of more than Illinois are New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey.
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