Children And Education

Maintaining


Per Student Spending

What does this measure?

Total spending by public school districts, divided by total pupils.

Why is this important?

Higher spending for schools can mean better facilities, programs, and a greater range of opportunities available to students. It may also signal public support for education and a better paid, more experienced teaching workforce. However, studies have found higher spending does not necessarily lead to higher student achievement, given many other factors that contribute to student success, including socioeconomic and parental influences.

How does our county compare?

In 2021, Lancaster County school districts spent about $19,200 per student, about 2% less than the statewide level of $19,700. The county rate represented a 56% increase since 2001, compared to a 48% increase at the statewide level.

The Lancaster City School District spent about $23,800 per student, a 78% increase since 2001.

Among surrounding counties, 2021 per-student spending was higher in Chester ($20,300), similar in York ($19,400) and Berks ($18,900), and less in Dauphin ($18,100), Cumberland ($18,000) and Lebanon ($16,200). Since 2001, per-student spending increased more than Lancaster in only York (64%). Chester and Dauphin saw the lowest percent increase from 2001 at 32% and 26% respectively.

Notes about the data

Figures are from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and have been adjusted to 2021 dollars. Per pupil expenditures are calculated by dividing a district's operating costs by its average enrollment across the school year.

Per Student Spending
200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Pennsylvania$13,346$13,814$14,141$14,751$15,054$15,437$15,748$16,014$16,602$17,013$17,075$16,651$17,008$17,191$18,126$18,544$19,606$18,973$19,386$19,982$19,717
Lancaster County$12,305$12,472$12,889$13,252$13,350$13,645$14,568$15,054$15,814$15,921$15,769$15,593$16,004$16,391$17,272$17,536$18,331$18,498$18,955$18,941$19,245
Berks County$12,696$12,794$12,917$13,287$13,748$14,092$14,826$14,886$15,792$16,459$16,096$16,223$16,757$16,346$18,112$17,504$18,592$18,301$18,658$18,968$18,842
Chester County$15,337$15,880$16,332$17,293$17,605$17,864$18,575$18,372$18,939$19,028$18,595$18,346$18,574$18,513$19,218$20,183$20,420$20,405$20,745$20,252$20,272
Cumberland County$12,383$12,698$12,885$13,083$13,574$13,804$14,407$15,203$15,406$15,353$16,135$14,945$15,708$15,410$16,304$16,873$16,956$16,838$16,580$16,823$18,042
Dauphin County$14,340$14,883$14,857$14,979$15,732$16,534$16,644$17,511$17,681$17,780$17,726$16,861$17,181$18,089$17,738$20,943$18,415$18,590$18,911$19,031$18,098
Lebanon County$11,713$12,238$12,085$12,292$12,543$12,927$13,760$14,418$14,805$15,374$14,503$14,391$14,982$15,151$15,090$15,783$16,368$16,508$16,308$15,977$16,227
York County$11,817$12,160$12,590$12,935$13,848$14,876$14,328$14,822$15,879$16,242$16,241$15,752$16,417$16,197$17,792$17,806$18,229$17,767$18,393$19,298$19,360

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Notes: Figures are in constant 2021 dollars.




Total Spending
200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Pennsylvania$24,019,443,192$24,905,677,388$25,597,169,703$26,745,966,127$27,257,269,710$27,995,569,903$28,491,315,720$28,839,993,293$29,677,616,288$30,234,136,974$30,233,393,149$29,223,795,999$29,735,720,528$29,906,630,269$31,309,756,825$31,961,001,349$33,711,439,945$32,600,957,484$33,276,567,620$34,292,547,702$33,329,984,873
Lancaster County$847,767,333$867,217,933$900,658,836$928,830,703$940,982,014$967,434,795$1,030,285,636$1,059,805,015$1,108,019,269$1,109,077,137$1,100,976,667$1,085,561,674$1,114,867,632$1,134,194,404$1,190,447,512$1,203,225,933$1,257,121,813$1,266,338,010$1,290,624,598$1,280,238,254$1,280,140,820
Berks County$809,956,052$830,177,036$863,314,296$902,187,334$952,799,764$996,441,186$1,061,115,847$1,061,654,685$1,119,755,750$1,163,364,717$1,147,150,673$1,150,446,734$1,178,322,877$1,138,659,838$1,253,608,773$1,211,018,085$1,282,093,174$1,266,853,128$1,294,436,038$1,316,769,323$1,289,690,922
Chester County$1,001,702,879$1,054,663,826$1,111,265,445$1,195,875,988$1,237,757,582$1,284,387,078$1,351,502,376$1,350,328,139$1,401,460,334$1,425,028,907$1,400,783,207$1,386,457,895$1,407,646,377$1,412,813,553$1,462,001,342$1,533,422,566$1,566,941,673$1,577,528,030$1,612,590,124$1,582,334,031$1,552,830,451
Cumberland County$352,989,476$362,350,639$369,602,289$377,656,690$390,261,124$401,951,187$422,441,448$444,543,377$447,735,960$448,881,949$472,773,052$440,880,622$465,749,482$462,726,160$490,678,200$509,896,687$520,953,602$522,485,334$522,313,442$539,918,124$571,054,434
Dauphin County$549,813,917$570,904,028$568,933,598$579,035,606$605,710,005$636,200,877$639,654,430$669,779,216$674,918,700$664,880,554$657,552,044$608,116,340$626,517,639$661,266,931$651,711,671$774,164,039$688,740,693$707,142,875$728,864,296$741,726,950$703,957,742
Lebanon County$211,649,581$223,241,287$222,866,932$230,711,272$239,498,855$247,465,005$265,469,450$281,133,528$286,986,871$298,880,648$280,192,169$279,942,032$295,353,867$296,756,009$297,570,273$312,114,302$323,645,320$336,591,392$333,752,645$328,390,956$328,542,487
York County$784,359,426$809,940,473$845,482,958$880,479,791$951,107,989$1,040,368,544$1,013,528,986$1,050,020,316$1,123,263,841$1,143,305,249$1,148,418,171$1,113,451,029$1,154,569,736$1,136,921,160$1,245,215,441$1,254,079,670$1,284,100,705$1,257,887,439$1,301,892,545$1,374,998,504$1,350,998,673

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Notes: Figures are in constant 2021 dollars.




INDICATORS TREND


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