The United States spends more per student on education than every other major economy in the Group of 20. But spending the most in the world on students doesn’t mean the U.S. gets the best academic scores in the world.
The U.S. Department of Education recently released a report comparing academic data across the G-20 countries. The U.S. spends more per student than every other country in the G-20 on K-12 education ($10,900) and on higher education ($19,700), as of 2010 data. It also devotes the highest portion of that funding to “core education services.” The U.S. and South Korea are tied for the highest portion of GDP devoted to education (6.8 percent). On starting salaries for teachers, Germany spends most ($47,500 for primary school), but the U.S. is second ($37,600).
For all that taxpayer money going to education, one might expect the U.S. to get world-class results. Not exactly.
Across 44 different measures of student learning, the U.S. ranks best in none of them. Zero.
Thankfully, it also ranks worst in none of them. Most of the U.S. rankings are middling.
The U.S. ranks:
Tenth out of 15 in average math literacy for 15-year-olds.
Eighth out of 15 in portion of 15-year-olds with average or better reading scores.
Fifth out of 10 in portion of eighth graders with intermediate or better science scores.
Seventh out of 10 in average geometry score for eighth graders.
Tenth out of 15 in the average scores for 15-year-olds in understanding the mathematical concepts of space and shape, as well as the concept of quantity.
No matter how you look at it, the U.S. is decidedly average at educating students. Compared to its international rivals, the country is not getting its money’s worth.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
