Federal Education Spending by Level Since 1900

Federal Education spending to about 1 percent GDP in 1960 but has generally declined in the years since. Except for COVID

There was almost no federal spending on education until the 1930s, when the Feds spent about 0.3 percent of GDP on education. After World War II the feds spent up to 1 percent GDP in the late 1940s on the GI Bill, and then about 0.3 percent GDP through the 1950s.

In the late 1960s federal spending on education sharply increased to almost one percent GDP. This included Head Start (under pre-primary education) and student loans (under higher education). Under education spending not definable by level spending of about 0.5 percent GDP monies were spent on training, social services, and research.

By 1990 Head Start type programs were 0.17 percent GDP, student loans etc. were 0.19 percent GDP and miscellaneous spending was down to 0.32 percent GDP, with about half in social services. By the mid 2010s spending on pre-college was 0.2 percent GDP, colllege student loans were 0.2 percent GDP and other education spending was 0.23 percent GDP.

Then came COVID.