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Public Schools in the US Industry Data and Analysis
Public schools have maintained modest revenue growth despite declining enrollment and intensifying competition for students. Declining birth rates are reducing enrollment, while stagnant high school retention limits enrollment gains and strains revenue as lower student counts reduce total government funding. At the same time, homeschooling and private schools have become more attractive to parents seeking more personalized educational experiences. States have expanded school choice programs that let families use public funds or tax credits for private school tuition and the Trump administration further promoted these programs by launching the first national school choice program in July 2025. Nevertheless, strong per-pupil funding, supported by state and local budgets, has offset revenue pressure from declining enrollment. Public-school revenue has grown at a 1.8% CAGR to an estimated $1.1 billion through the end of 2026, with a 0.8% increase in 2026 alone.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Public Schools industry in the United States includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released September 2026.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Public Schools industry in the United States operates under the NAICS industry code 61111a. The industry includes elementary and secondary schools supported by government funds to provide free education for a community or district’s children from kindergarten through 12th grade. All public schools operate on a nonprofit basis. Related terms covered in the Public Schools industry in the United States include magnet school, charter school, school district and no child left behind (nclb).
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Public Schools industry in the United States include Traditional primary schools, Traditional secondary schools and Special, vocational and alternative.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Public Schools industry in the United States include New York City Department of Education.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Public Schools industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Public Schools industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Public Schools industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Public Schools industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Public Schools industry in the United States. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Public Schools industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Public Schools industry in the United States. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Public Schools industry in the United States.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Public Schools industry in the United States in 2026?
The market size of the Public Schools industry in the United States is $1.1tr in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Public Schools industry in the United States in 2026?
There are 19,296 businesses in the Public Schools industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.0 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Public Schools industry in the United States?
The Public Schools industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Public Schools industry in the United States?
The Public Schools industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Public Schools industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Public Schools industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 1.8 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Public Schools industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Public Schools industry in the United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Public Schools industry in the United States?
The biggest company operating in the Public Schools industry in the United States is New York City Department of Education
What does the Public Schools industry in the United States include?
Teaching basic literacy and numeracy and Establishing foundations in science, mathematics, geography, history and other social sciences are part of the Public Schools industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Public Schools industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Public Schools industry in the United States is New York City Department of Education.
How competitive is the Public Schools industry in the United States?
The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Public Schools industry in the United States.
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