We spend an average $10,995 in public dollars on each US elementary and secondary student, but other countries spend less to get better reading, math and science test scores. Japan spends $8,301 per student and South Korea spends less, at $6,723, but both outpace US academic performance. The US outlay per student is $2,826 more than the average in industrialized countries. Then again, the biggest spenders per student – Luxembourg, Norway, and Switzerland – have mixed results compared to the US.
Money can’t buy genius
Released Aug. 1, 2012The U.S. spends almost $11,000 on every K-12 student. Other nations spend less – and get better results.
Sources:
- US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics: “The Condition of Education 2012” report (Indicators 22 and 26, Tables A-22-1, A-26-1 through A-26-30)
- OECD: “Annual Expenditures per Student, by Educational Institutions on Core Services, Ancillary Services and R&D (2008)” (Table B1.2)
- Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
What do others say?
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: Harvard University: “Achievement growth: International and U.S. state trends in student performance” More
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: New York Review of Books: “Schools we can envy” More
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: Newsmax: “Department of Education deserves a time-out” More
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StudentsFirst video: “The U.S. education system vs the world”StudentsFirst.org
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Vimeo Documentary Preview: “Korean High School”Kelley Katzenmeyer - Vimeo
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