What does the do?

Refreshed 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 2025,

$673M

was spent by the Institute of Education Sciences
In FY 2025,

1.9%

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 $673 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 1.9% of the $34.7 billion spent by the Department of Education, which itself was 0.5% 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 2025.

ED net spending by division, FY 2025

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 $1.12 billion in 2002 to $673 million in 2025.

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The Institute of Education Sciences’s federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 2002.

Yearly federal net spending by IES, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 2002–2025

Since 2002, Institute of Education Sciences spending has decreased 39.8%, while overall spending has increased 94.5%.
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 2025, IES accounted for 0.0096% 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 2025 was lower than in FY 2002.

Net spending by IES as a share of federal spending, FYs 2002–2025

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 2025, the Institute of Education Sciences transferred 5.3% 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 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to IES, FY 2025

How many people work for the Institute of Education Sciences?

Some 31 of the 2.03 million total civilian federal employees work for the Institute of Education Sciences as of May 2026. This is 83.3% fewer people than the division staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Institute of Education Sciences has decreased 83.3% since 2012.

Number of federal employees working for IES, May 2012–2026

The Institute of Education Sciences accounts for 0.0015% 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 May 2026 compared to 2012 (0.0088%).
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 (0.0015%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.0096%).

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.

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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.