What Arizona School Districts Spend Per Student
The median Arizona school district spends $10,770 per student per year, $3,773 below the national median of $14,543, across all 628 districts the state reports. The 203 of them a ZIP code can reach are listed below, and their 880,281 students account for $9.2 billion of current spending in fiscal year 2022.
Arizona at a Glance
| Median district, per student | $10,770 |
|---|---|
| National median district | $14,543 |
| Districts listed | 203 of 628 |
| Students listed | 880,281 |
| Median district, math | ≈39% |
| Median district, reading | ≈42% |
Every Arizona District, by Enrollment
Spending is current spending divided by fall membership for fiscal year 2022. Proficiency and graduation rates are school year 2018-19, the last year before the pandemic interrupted state testing, so the money and the results are not from the same year. A figure marked ≈ is one the federal file published as a range rather than a value, so small groups of children stay unidentifiable; it is the middle of that range and within ten points of the real one. A dash means the federal files publish no value under that district's ID. 425 further Arizona districts are missing because the federal boundary file places them in no ZIP code, which is normal for charter and virtual districts with no attendance area.
| District | Students | Per student | Math | Reading | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa Unified District | 57,447 | $11,160 | 46% | 46% | 82% |
| Chandler Unified District | 43,411 | $9,696 | 57% | 59% | 93% |
| Tucson Unified District | 41,084 | $11,545 | 31% | 34% | 86% |
| Peoria Unified School District | 35,971 | $9,168 | 50% | 50% | 97% |
| Gilbert Unified District | 33,180 | $9,253 | 57% | 59% | 93% |
| Deer Valley Unified District | 32,382 | $9,561 | 59% | 61% | 95% |
| Paradise Valley Unified District | 28,361 | $11,154 | 50% | 53% | 89% |
| Phoenix Union High School District (high school district) | 27,890 | $11,816 | 37% | 33% | 80% |
| Dysart Unified District | 22,946 | $9,891 | 44% | 45% | 93% |
| Scottsdale Unified District | 21,255 | $9,802 | 63% | 63% | 93% |
| Washington Elementary District (elementary district) | 19,535 | $10,856 | 35% | 35% | — |
| Glendale Union High School District (high school district) | 16,695 | $10,022 | 61% | 50% | 89% |
| Kyrene Elementary District (elementary district) | 14,815 | $9,753 | 57% | 60% | — |
| Cartwright Elementary District (elementary district) | 14,545 | $11,851 | 29% | 28% | — |
| Sunnyside Unified District | 14,401 | $9,713 | 30% | 29% | 80% |
| Vail Unified District | 14,000 | $9,396 | 71% | 68% | 90% |
| Tolleson Union High School District (high school district) | 13,335 | $9,583 | 35% | 36% | 89% |
| Higley Unified District | 13,019 | $8,545 | 66% | 66% | 96% |
| Tempe Union High School District (high school district) | 12,997 | $9,314 | 57% | 56% | 89% |
| Marana Unified District | 12,488 | $9,931 | 42% | 42% | 86% |
| Amphitheater Unified District | 12,290 | $10,331 | 45% | 48% | 85% |
| Queen Creek Unified District | 11,957 | $8,699 | 63% | 59% | 93% |
| Yuma Union High School District (high school district) | 11,068 | $9,544 | 26% | 26% | 93% |
| Tempe School District (elementary district) | 10,685 | $11,917 | 36% | 39% | — |
| Litchfield Elementary District (elementary district) | 10,557 | $8,750 | 56% | 57% | — |
| Alhambra Elementary District (elementary district) | 10,142 | $11,648 | 29% | 27% | — |
| Glendale Elementary District (elementary district) | 9,722 | $9,522 | 31% | 29% | — |
| Florence Unified School District | 9,452 | $8,692 | 27% | 31% | 86% |
| Agua Fria Union High School District (high school district) | 9,219 | $9,930 | 56% | 49% | 93% |
| Flagstaff Unified District | 9,010 | $11,218 | 34% | 39% | 87% |
| Yuma Elementary District (elementary district) | 8,589 | $9,775 | 36% | 36% | — |
| Maricopa Unified School District | 7,922 | $9,227 | 38% | 38% | 80% |
| Pendergast Elementary District (elementary district) | 7,905 | $9,983 | 32% | 34% | — |
| Laveen Elementary District (elementary district) | 7,337 | $9,365 | 40% | 41% | — |
| Roosevelt Elementary District (elementary district) | 7,236 | $13,151 | 21% | 22% | — |
| Kingman Unified School District | 6,876 | $9,335 | 30% | 33% | 72% |
| Casa Grande Elementary District (elementary district) | 6,324 | $10,041 | 28% | 33% | — |
| Sahuarita Unified District | 6,219 | $8,583 | 46% | 53% | 88% |
| Crane Elementary District (elementary district) | 5,841 | $8,920 | 38% | 40% | — |
| Avondale Elementary District (elementary district) | 5,747 | $9,503 | 43% | 40% | — |
| Littleton Elementary District (elementary district) | 5,594 | $9,585 | 26% | 31% | — |
| Madison Elementary District (elementary district) | 5,588 | $10,014 | 58% | 58% | — |
| Buckeye Elementary District (elementary district) | 5,510 | $9,490 | 24% | 28% | — |
| Nogales Unified District | 5,503 | $9,608 | 40% | 38% | 93% |
| Humboldt Unified District | 5,445 | $9,076 | 44% | 51% | 85% |
| Lake Havasu Unified District | 5,343 | $8,219 | 55% | 49% | 87% |
| Flowing Wells Unified District | 5,329 | $9,504 | 42% | 44% | 83% |
| Creighton Elementary District (elementary district) | 5,257 | $11,033 | 22% | 24% | — |
| Buckeye Union High School District (high school district) | 5,176 | $9,255 | 51% | 37% | 93% |
| Phoenix Elementary District (elementary district) | 5,146 | $15,390 | 28% | 32% | — |
| Isaac Elementary District (elementary district) | 5,120 | $13,884 | 18% | 19% | — |
| Catalina Foothills Unified District | 5,102 | $9,138 | 67% | 70% | 95% |
| Gadsden Elementary District (elementary district) | 4,880 | $10,085 | 34% | 32% | — |
| Cave Creek Unified District | 4,817 | $8,436 | 66% | 67% | 94% |
| Sierra Vista Unified District | 4,816 | $9,151 | 46% | 49% | 90% |
| J. O. Combs Unified School District | 4,440 | $8,666 | 37% | 38% | 90% |
| Liberty Elementary District (elementary district) | 4,190 | $8,165 | 43% | 41% | — |
| Casa Grande Union High School District (high school district) | 3,822 | $10,261 | 29% | 31% | 83% |
| Douglas Unified District | 3,800 | $9,602 | 28% | 31% | 90% |
| Prescott Unified District | 3,705 | $9,912 | 50% | 57% | 78% |
| Fowler Elementary District (elementary district) | 3,638 | $10,395 | 26% | 31% | — |
| Santa Cruz Valley Unified District | 3,554 | $9,524 | 31% | 35% | 94% |
| Chinle Unified District | 3,228 | $17,103 | 34% | 28% | 77% |
| Apache Junction Unified District | 2,996 | $9,806 | 32% | 33% | 79% |
| Safford Unified District | 2,878 | $9,046 | 47% | 45% | 84% |
| Saddle Mountain Unified School District | 2,820 | $8,894 | 43% | 35% | ≈98% |
| Somerton Elementary District (elementary district) | 2,757 | $10,939 | 43% | 35% | — |
| Tolleson Elementary District (elementary district) | 2,749 | $10,791 | 26% | 31% | — |
| Snowflake Unified District | 2,699 | $7,928 | 64% | 55% | ≈98% |
| Osborn Elementary District (elementary district) | 2,571 | $12,098 | 37% | 30% | — |
| Show Low Unified District | 2,550 | $8,008 | 41% | 43% | ≈87% |
| Page Unified District | 2,452 | $11,586 | 22% | 24% | ≈82% |
| Coolidge Unified District | 2,387 | $10,304 | 14% | 16% | ≈62% |
| Bullhead City School District (elementary district) | 2,348 | $10,308 | 27% | 28% | — |
| Chino Valley Unified District | 2,307 | $9,394 | 43% | 48% | ≈92% |
| Payson Unified District | 2,304 | $10,239 | 41% | 48% | ≈42% |
| Balsz Elementary District (elementary district) | 2,255 | $13,090 | 27% | 25% | — |
| Whiteriver Unified District | 2,238 | $13,940 | 19% | 13% | ≈62% |
| Tanque Verde Unified District | 2,178 | $9,354 | 54% | 62% | ≈98% |
| Colorado River Union High School District (high school district) | 1,874 | $9,234 | ≈32% | ≈37% | 77% |
| Blue Ridge Unified District | 1,843 | $11,107 | 32% | 42% | ≈82% |
| Parker Unified School District | 1,834 | $11,883 | 28% | 25% | ≈87% |
| Thatcher Unified District | 1,825 | $8,460 | 52% | 53% | ≈98% |
| Winslow Unified District | 1,825 | $10,962 | 39% | 31% | ≈87% |
| Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District | 1,821 | $10,435 | 27% | 35% | — |
| Holbrook Unified District | 1,745 | $13,821 | 29% | 35% | ≈82% |
| Union Elementary District (elementary district) | 1,694 | $9,744 | 25% | 29% | — |
| Window Rock Unified District | 1,677 | $16,623 | 20% | 21% | ≈82% |
| Kayenta Unified District | 1,610 | $19,507 | 18% | 22% | ≈87% |
| Camp Verde Unified District | 1,602 | $9,402 | 26% | 30% | ≈87% |
| Globe Unified District | 1,517 | $10,517 | 22% | 26% | ≈87% |
| Tuba City Unified District | 1,456 | $16,380 | 24% | 16% | ≈77% |
| Round Valley Unified District | 1,376 | $11,193 | 42% | 47% | ≈82% |
| San Carlos Unified District | 1,350 | $17,750 | 5% | 5% | ≈77% |
| Morenci Unified District | 1,342 | $11,255 | 49% | 56% | ≈92% |
| Mingus Union High School District (high school district) | 1,329 | $9,380 | ≈47% | ≈37% | 81% |
| Benson Unified School District | 1,281 | $10,529 | 52% | 49% | ≈98% |
| Fountain Hills Unified District | 1,259 | $10,759 | 53% | 55% | ≈87% |
| Wickenburg Unified District | 1,258 | $10,362 | 43% | 42% | ≈82% |
| Murphy Elementary District (elementary district) | 1,220 | $12,692 | 17% | 16% | — |
| Mohave Valley Elementary District (elementary district) | 1,129 | $10,333 | 31% | 33% | — |
| Ganado Unified District | 1,062 | $17,033 | 11% | 17% | ≈77% |
| Pima Unified District | 1,046 | $8,884 | 28% | 34% | ≈92% |
| Willcox Unified District | 1,044 | $11,384 | 42% | 38% | ≈92% |
| Wilson Elementary District (elementary district) | 1,029 | $13,564 | 28% | 27% | — |
| Indian Oasis-Baboquivari Unified District | 1,018 | $21,898 | 14% | 16% | ≈57% |
| Nadaburg Unified School District | 981 | $12,232 | 34% | 38% | — |
| Toltec Elementary District (elementary district) | 969 | $9,874 | 16% | 23% | — |
| St. Johns Unified District | 928 | $10,322 | 58% | 55% | ≈72% |
| Pinon Unified District | 923 | $23,951 | 24% | 12% | ≈72% |
| Tombstone Unified District | 871 | $11,790 | 27% | 34% | ≈98% |
| Fort Huachuca Accommodation District (elementary district) | 857 | $13,464 | 58% | 59% | — |
| Palominas Elementary District (elementary district) | 851 | $14,210 | 49% | 47% | — |
| Riverside Elementary District (elementary district) | 792 | $12,049 | 32% | 34% | — |
| Eloy Elementary District (elementary district) | 750 | $12,015 | 18% | 20% | — |
| Sedona-Oak Creek Joint Unified District | 694 | $12,052 | 24% | 33% | ≈72% |
| Williams Unified District | 652 | $11,747 | 36% | 39% | ≈95% |
| Bisbee Unified District | 644 | $12,557 | 30% | 27% | ≈87% |
| Sanders Unified District | 641 | $20,044 | 13% | 15% | ≈75% |
| Fort Thomas Unified District | 612 | $18,154 | 23% | 19% | ≈85% |
| Continental Elementary District (elementary district) | 608 | $14,419 | 46% | 42% | — |
| Altar Valley Elementary District (elementary district) | 537 | $16,270 | 28% | 28% | — |
| Mayer Unified District | 530 | $12,881 | 34% | 39% | ≈85% |
| Mammoth-San Manuel Unified District | 510 | $12,698 | 34% | 32% | ≈85% |
| Colorado City Unified District | 502 | $18,183 | 53% | 49% | ≈55% |
| Sacaton Elementary District (elementary district) | 462 | $21,872 | 8% | 10% | — |
| Joseph City Unified District | 450 | $14,158 | 49% | 58% | ≈90% |
| Red Mesa Unified District | 450 | $25,276 | 19% | 15% | ≈85% |
| Clarkdale-Jerome Elementary District (elementary district) | 439 | $9,665 | 45% | 59% | — |
| Gila Bend Unified District | 437 | $13,389 | 22% | 16% | ≈70% |
| Palo Verde Elementary District (elementary district) | 434 | $12,569 | 47% | 46% | — |
| Bagdad Unified School District | 430 | $15,416 | 33% | 36% | ≈90% |
| Red Rock Elementary District (elementary district) | 423 | $10,225 | 38% | 41% | — |
| Stanfield Elementary District (elementary district) | 398 | $11,430 | 15% | 14% | — |
| Ajo Unified District | 396 | $9,947 | ≈27% | ≈27% | ≈90% |
| Heber-Overgaard Unified District | 395 | $14,433 | 57% | 46% | ≈90% |
| St. David Unified District | 383 | $10,953 | ≈42% | ≈42% | ≈90% |
| Duncan Unified District | 380 | $11,608 | ≈32% | ≈37% | ≈90% |
| Ray Unified District | 374 | $11,420 | 22% | 30% | ≈85% |
| Oracle Elementary District (elementary district) | 367 | $19,308 | 24% | 27% | — |
| Littlefield Unified District | 365 | $11,082 | 34% | 37% | ≈75% |
| Superior Unified School District | 341 | $12,496 | ≈17% | ≈27% | ≈95% |
| Beaver Creek Elementary District (elementary district) | 313 | $14,895 | ≈32% | ≈27% | — |
| Santa Cruz Valley Union High School District (high school district) | 302 | $16,997 | ≈15% | ≈35% | ≈77% |
| Naco Elementary District (elementary district) | 301 | $14,425 | 14% | 13% | — |
| Ash Fork Joint Unified District | 284 | $12,845 | ≈67% | ≈67% | ≈90% |
| Hayden-Winkelman Unified District | 275 | $17,338 | ≈22% | ≈22% | ≈90% |
| Arlington Elementary District (elementary district) | 270 | $12,241 | ≈37% | ≈32% | — |
| Grand Canyon Unified District | 263 | $20,848 | ≈32% | ≈42% | ≈90% |
| Antelope Union High School District (high school district) | 198 | $17,227 | — | — | ≈85% |
| Fredonia-Moccasin Unified District | 185 | $13,973 | ≈22% | ≈27% | ≈90% |
| Santa Cruz Elementary District (elementary district) | 180 | $19,356 | ≈47% | ≈57% | — |
| Solomon Elementary District (elementary district) | 174 | $15,293 | ≈42% | ≈57% | — |
| Concho Elementary District (elementary district) | 160 | $22,269 | ≈17% | ≈37% | — |
| Picacho Elementary District (elementary district) | 160 | $11,669 | ≈12% | ≈22% | — |
| Wellton Elementary District (elementary district) | 153 | $16,261 | ≈17% | ≈27% | — |
| Quartzsite Elementary District (elementary district) | 149 | $13,403 | ≈12% | ≈22% | — |
| Mohawk Valley Elementary District (elementary district) | 145 | $17,345 | ≈42% | ≈42% | — |
| Seligman Unified District | 143 | $23,098 | ≈25% | ≈35% | — |
| Canon Elementary District (elementary district) | 142 | $21,239 | ≈27% | ≈37% | — |
| Bicentennial Union High School District (high school district) | 136 | $17,022 | ≈10% | ≈15% | ≈95% |
| Pearce Elementary District (elementary district) | 135 | $11,622 | ≈35% | ≈35% | — |
| Aguila Elementary District (elementary district) | 129 | $18,597 | ≈47% | ≈37% | — |
| Morristown Elementary District (elementary district) | 126 | $16,516 | ≈32% | ≈27% | — |
| Sonoita Elementary District (elementary district) | 122 | $17,967 | ≈37% | ≈42% | — |
| Cedar Unified District (elementary district) | 119 | $32,387 | ≈12% | ≈8% | — |
| Pomerene Elementary District (elementary district) | 115 | $13,670 | ≈52% | ≈57% | — |
| Topock Elementary District (elementary district) | 115 | $15,800 | ≈47% | ≈37% | — |
| San Simon Unified District | 114 | $21,105 | ≈35% | ≈35% | — |
| Maine Consolidated School District (elementary district) | 113 | $22,655 | ≈52% | ≈47% | — |
| Valley Union High School District (high school district) | 107 | $20,131 | — | — | ≈90% |
| Vernon Elementary District (elementary district) | 105 | $22,400 | ≈32% | ≈47% | — |
| Paloma School District (elementary district) | 104 | $22,038 | ≈22% | ≈32% | — |
| Congress Elementary District (elementary district) | 100 | $24,410 | ≈62% | ≈57% | — |
| Elfrida Elementary District (elementary district) | 100 | $11,640 | ≈22% | ≈27% | — |
| Bonita Elementary District (elementary district) | 99 | $19,444 | ≈45% | ≈55% | — |
| Patagonia Elementary District (elementary district) | 98 | $14,745 | ≈22% | ≈32% | — |
| Hyder Elementary District (elementary district) | 96 | $25,854 | ≈47% | ≈37% | — |
| Salome Consolidated Elementary District (elementary district) | 94 | $21,585 | ≈22% | ≈22% | — |
| Valentine Elementary District (elementary district) | 92 | $12,728 | ≈5% | ≈15% | — |
| Pine Strawberry Elementary District (elementary district) | 91 | $42,615 | ≈52% | ≈52% | — |
| Cochise Elementary District (elementary district) | 84 | $22,583 | ≈55% | ≈45% | — |
| Kirkland Elementary District (elementary district) | 82 | $18,000 | ≈35% | ≈45% | — |
| Wenden Elementary District (elementary district) | 80 | $20,700 | ≈22% | ≈22% | — |
| Tonto Basin Elementary District (elementary district) | 77 | $23,974 | ≈55% | ≈55% | — |
| Patagonia Union High School District (high school district) | 74 | $25,649 | ≈50% | ≈50% | ≈70% |
| Bowie Unified District | 59 | $28,136 | ≈10% | ≈30% | — |
| Alpine Elementary District (elementary district) | 55 | $22,709 | ≈55% | ≈75% | — |
| Bouse Elementary District (elementary district) | 50 | $19,380 | ≈30% | ≈30% | — |
| McNeal Elementary District (elementary district) | 49 | $18,735 | ≈30% | ≈50% | — |
| Young Elementary School District | 49 | $31,490 | ≈30% | ≈30% | — |
| Hackberry School District (elementary district) | 46 | $26,630 | ≈70% | ≈70% | — |
| Yucca Elementary District (elementary district) | 39 | $19,333 | ≈50% | ≈50% | — |
| Double Adobe Elementary District (elementary district) | 37 | $17,622 | ≈50% | ≈30% | — |
| Sentinel Elementary District (elementary district) | 36 | $40,306 | ≈70% | ≈50% | — |
| Skull Valley Elementary District (elementary district) | 36 | $25,167 | — | — | — |
| Yarnell Elementary District (elementary district) | 31 | $38,161 | ≈25% | ≈25% | — |
| Ash Creek Elementary District (elementary district) | 28 | $28,286 | — | — | — |
| Mobile Elementary District (elementary district) | 24 | $42,000 | — | — | — |
| San Fernando Elementary District (elementary district) | 19 | $26,368 | — | — | — |
| Owens-Whitney Elementary District (elementary district) | 18 | $28,556 | — | — | — |
| Apache Elementary District (elementary district) | 6 | $42,167 | — | — | — |
| Crown King Elementary District (elementary district) | 6 | $24,500 | — | — | — |
Sources
Spending and enrollment come from the NCES School District Finance Survey (F-33) for fiscal year 2022. Proficiency and graduation rates come from EDFacts for school year 2018-19. Districts are matched to ZIP codes through the NCES EDGE geographic relationship file. Nothing on this page is estimated or modelled: a figure is read from a federal source file or it is left blank.
Questions About Arizona School Spending
How much does the average Arizona school district spend per student?
The middle, or median, Arizona district spent $10,770 per student in fiscal year 2022, $3,773 below the national median of $14,543. The median is the better summary here: a few very small districts spend several times what a large one does, and an average would follow them. That median covers all 628 districts the state reports. Across the 203 a ZIP code can reach, which are the ones listed on this page, 880,281 students account for $9.2 billion of current spending.
Which Arizona districts spend the most and least per student?
Pine Strawberry Elementary District reports the highest figure in the table at $42,615 per student for 91 students, and Snowflake Unified District the lowest at $7,928 for 2,699 students. Enrollment is the denominator, so a small district with one building and one bus route honestly produces a high figure; read the two columns together.
Why are some Arizona districts missing from this table?
Arizona has 628 districts with federal finance data and 203 of them appear here. The rest are placed in no ZIP code by the federal boundary file, which is normal for charter and virtual school districts that have no attendance area, so there is no ZIP code a reader could use to find them.
Does this money follow a child who is homeschooled?
No. The figure is what the district spends on a seat in its own schools, funded from local property tax, state formula aid and federal programs. Withdrawing a child removes the child from the count rather than sending the money home. TheHomeschoolingCompany is $1,788 for one student for a school year by comparison, less for each child after the first.
Look Up Your Own District
Enter a ZIP code and the calculator returns the district that serves it, what it spends per student, how its students score, and what the same school year costs at home.
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Spending Per Student in Other States
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