The True Cost of Education

Education, rightfully, has been seen as the best way to train the next generation of citizens. The Founding Fathers held that it was essential for the nation’s growth to teach children citizenship and virtue. With the recent expansion of school choice options across the country, this is a good time to refocus on that goal, and examine the true cost of public education in America. This study will examine data, particularly information published by the Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau, to form a picture of the true cost of public education. Even though a large percentage of children are attending private schools, or are homeschooled, education spending has continued to skyrocket. On average, private schools have become cheaper than public schools, while still producing better results. Finally, recent universal school choice programs have shown that children can still receive an education at a fraction of the current expenditures.