Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in United States of America

United States of America: Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ was 362,265 millions in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
362,265 millions
Change on year
down 6.1%
World rank
1st
of 164 countries
All-time high
385,938 millions
in 2020
All-time low
220,603 millions
in 2016
Years of data
7
2015–2021

Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in United States of America, 2015–2021

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k2015201820212015: 239.3k millions2016: 220.6k millions2017: 273.3k millions2018: 249.1k millions2019: 278.5k millions2020: 385.9k millions2021: 362.3k millions

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in millions.

Analysis

United States of America recorded 362,265 millions for government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.1% on the previous year and up 51.4% over ten years.

United States of America ranks 1st of 164 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ (millions) in United States of America, 2015 to 2021.
Year millions Change
2015 239,344 millions
2016 220,603 millions -7.8%
2017 273,300 millions +23.9%
2018 249,145 millions -8.8%
2019 278,535 millions +11.8%
2020 385,938 millions +38.6%
2021 362,265 millions -6.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 252,185 millions 220,603 millions 278,535 millions 5
2020s 374,102 millions 362,265 millions 385,938 millions 2

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 2 China 150,308 millions compare
  2. 3 Germany 54,106 millions compare
  3. 4 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 43,434 millions compare

See the full ranking of 164 places →

More education data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in United States of America?
Government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in United States of America was 362,265 millions in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 385,938 millions in 2020.
What is the lowest government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 220,603 millions in 2016.
How does United States of America rank for government expenditure on tertiary education, us$?
United States of America ranks 1st out of 164 countries with data for 2021.
Is government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is up 51.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ (millions). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-us-millions-2/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ (millions)
Unit
millions
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
164 places, 3,651 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release