What does the Office of Postsecondary Education do?

Updates published annually

The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) is a subdivision of the US Department of Education responsible for promoting and ensuring access to quality postsecondary education. The agency administers programs that support higher education institutions, provide financial assistance to students, and promote innovation and improvement in postsecondary education. It also works to ensure equal access to education and to foster educational excellence throughout the nation. It was established in 1980.

In FY 2024,

$3.51B

was spent by the Office of Postsecondary Education

In FY 2024,

1.3%

of Dept. of Education spending was by the Office of Postsecondary Education

How much does the Office of Postsecondary Education spend?

The Office of Postsecondary Education spent a net total of $3.51 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 1.3% of the $268.4 billion spent by the Department of Education, which itself was 4% of all federal spending. The OPE ranked 4th 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 Office of Postsecondary Education ranked 4th 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 Office of Postsecondary Education’s federal spending has increased from $2.02 billion in 1980 to $3.51 billion in 2024.

The Office of Postsecondary Education’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by OPE, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Office of Postsecondary Education's spending has increased 73.7%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.

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. OPE spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, OPE accounted for 0.052% 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 Office of Postsecondary Education’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by OPE as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

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 Office of Postsecondary Education transferred 18.2% of its total spending to states and local governments.

The chart below outlines all net OPE spending.

How did the Office of Postsecondary Education spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to OPE, FY 2024

How many people work for the Office of Postsecondary Education?

Some 193 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Office of Postsecondary Education as of September 2024. This is 20.9% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Office of Postsecondary Education has decreased 20.9% since 2010.

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

The Office of Postsecondary Education accounts for 0.0083% 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 (0.012%).

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 Office of Postsecondary Education's share of the workforce (0.0083%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.052%).

Who leads the Office of Postsecondary Education?

The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) is led by the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. This individual is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education reports to the Secretary of Education. The term length for this position is not fixed, and the Assistant Secretary serves at the pleasure of the President.

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