New York education funding exceeds $33,000 per pupil, highest in nation

New York State is lavishing record amounts of taxpayer dollars on its K-12 public education system – with little to show for it.

The Empire Center for Public Policy, a nonpartisan think tank, has launched its newest project – K-12 SOS – to show parents and policymakers the current state of public education.

The project notes New York is spending more tax dollars per pupil than any other state in the country, but its reading and math proficiency remains lackluster.

New York spends an average of $33,400 on every K-12 student, according to 2025 data. 

The only other states coming close are Connecticut ($25,000), New Jersey ($26,000) and Vermont ($27,000). The national average is only about $17,000.  

Contrary to common perception, this makes public education more expensive than the average cost of tuition at a private school. 

However, the state barely met national averages in recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exams. 

Only 31% of students ranked proficient in reading and just 26% of eighth graders met standards in math. 

The Empire Center also compared its local school district of Albany to other state districts and found no significant correlation between spending and learning outcomes. 

Its data disproves the assumption that increased funding improves education, as the highest spending schools appeared just as likely to be at or below average as their lower spending counterparts. 

Similar results came from a 2023 study from Connecticut’s Yankee Institute surveying per-pupil spending in multiple districts. 

Funding ranged from $23,000 per student in one district to $17,000 in another. Despite having the biggest difference in funding – over $6,400 – the two districts had the smallest achievement gap in the entire state. 

Furthermore, charter schools – which receive much less public funding than traditional public schools – have significantly better academic results.  

Meanwhile, countless private and religious schools have a reputation for providing high-quality education while keeping costs low. 

Even in New York State, average private school tuition is just over $21,000 – over $10,000 cheaper than public schools.