How are public schools in North Dakota funded?
Updated May. 28, 2026Refreshed annually
North Dakota public schools are funded primarily from state governments. In the 2022–2023 school year, the most recent year of available data, about 46.6% of North Dakota public school funding came from state sources. Another 35.6% came through local programs, and the federal government provided the remaining 17.9%. Altogether, public schools in North Dakota received $2.33 billion in funding, or $19,700 per student.
$2.33B
of funding went to public schools in North Dakota (2022–2023 school year)
$19.7K
per student went to public schools in North Dakota (2022–2023 school year)
All American public schools are funded with a mix of local, state, and federal money, but the share attributable to each source — and the total amount of funding per student — differs by state. North Dakota schools received about $19,700 per student in 2022, roughly $216.45 less than the national average. The largest difference was in federal funding: the average US school received $5,100 per student from federal sources, compared to $3,500 in North Dakota.
In the 2022–2023 school year, public schools in North Dakota received $216.45 less per student than the average US school
Total public school funding by source per student
Where do local, state, and federal funds come from?
Public school districts receive funding from a combination of local, state, and federal sources.
- Local funding often comes from property taxes but can also come from fees or programs like parent-teacher associations.
- State funding is generated through a wide variety of sources that vary from state-to-state, often through personal and corporate income and retail sales taxes. Depending on the state, funding may also come from taxes on tobacco products and alcoholic beverages and from lotteries.
- Federal funding often comes to school districts through a series of targeted grants, like Title I, which supports schools serving low-income communities, or IDEA, which funds special education services. Much of this funding goes to the state, which is then allocated to individual school districts.
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In the 2022–2023 school year, local, state, and federal funds amounted to $19,700 per student in North Dakota
Total public school funding by source per student
Which school districts in North Dakota have the most funding per student? Which districts have the least?
State-level data paints an overall picture of school funding, but masks differences between school districts. Each district receives a different amount of funding per student and those amounts can vary widely within the same state. In North Dakota, some districts received around $13,400 per student (Thompson 61), while others received as much as $109,500 (Ft Yates 4).
Per-student public school funding in North Dakota ranged from $13,400 to $109,500 across districts
Total public school funding per student per school district, all sources, 2022–2023 school year
What is the local, state and federal funding breakdown in North Dakota school districts?
Districts also differ in where that funding comes from. Some rely more heavily on state-level revenue— like Thompson 61, where 70.4% of school funding came from state sources. Others receive more through local sources, such as Killdeer 16, where local dollars accounted for 82.4% of funding. In districts like New Town 1, where local revenues are lower, federal dollars made up a larger portion — about 80.4% of total funding. The breakdown by source highlights the ways North Dakota structures support for public education.
Districts differ in how they fund public schools
Share of public school funding from local, state, and federal sources for 50 largest school districts in ND, 2022–2023 school year
Total public school funding per student, by state (2022–2023 school year)
| Distict | Funding per student |
|---|---|
Ft Yates 4 | $109,500 |
Bakker 10 | $82,000 |
Edmore 2 | $60,600 |
Oberon 16 | $58,500 |
Lone Tree 6 | $43,400 |
Selfridge 8 | $42,600 |
Zeeland 4 | $41,800 |
Mandaree 36 | $41,700 |
Parshall 3 | $40,300 |
Warwick 29 | $37,600 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
