What does the Institute of Education Sciences do?

Updates published annually

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is a subdivision of the US Department of Education responsible for providing rigorous and relevant evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and sharing this information broadly. The agency conducts research, evaluates programs, and collects and analyzes education statistics to improve the quality of education in the United States. It was established in 2002.

In FY 2024,

$785M

was spent by the Institute of Education Sciences

In FY 2024,

0.3%

of Dept. of Education spending was by the Institute of Education Sciences

How much does the Institute of Education Sciences spend?

The Institute of Education Sciences spent a net total of $784.9 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.3% of the $268.4 billion spent by the Department of Education, which itself was 4% of all federal spending. The IES ranked 8th among ED subdivisions in net spending.

Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Institute of Education Sciences ranked 8th among Department of Education divisions in net spending in 2024.

ED net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Institute of Education Sciences’ federal spending has decreased from $1.09 billion in 2002 to $784.9 million in 2024.

The Institute of Education Sciences’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 2002.

Yearly federal net spending by IES, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 2002–2024

Since 2002, the Institute of Education Sciences' spending has decreased 27.9%, while overall spending has increased 92.4%.

As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. IES spending grew less than overall federal spending since 2002, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, IES accounted for 0.012% of overall federal spending.

Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Institute of Education Sciences’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 2002.

Net spending by IES as a share of federal spending, FYs 2002–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.

In FY 2024, the Institute of Education Sciences transferred 4.4% of its total spending to states and local governments.

The chart below outlines all net IES spending.

How did the Institute of Education Sciences spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to IES, FY 2024

How many people work for the Institute of Education Sciences?

Some 186 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Institute of Education Sciences as of September 2024. This is 8.4% less people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Institute of Education Sciences has decreased 8.4% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for IES, September 2010–2024

The Institute of Education Sciences accounts for 0.008% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.0096%).

While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Institute of Education Sciences' share of the workforce (0.008%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.012%).

Who leads the Institute of Education Sciences?

The IES is led by a director. This individual is appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The director of the IES reports to the Secretary of Education. The director serves a term of six years.

Keep exploring

Enter some text...

Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

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.

Office of Personnel Management
FedScope
Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury
Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement