# Per capita spending on public ed. years ago.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-capita-spending-on-public-ed-years-ago/283127>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 5, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-capita-spending-on-public-ed-years-ago/283127 "2005-01-05T02:14:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-capita-spending-on-public-ed-years-ago/283127/1 "2005-01-05T02:14:28Z")

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Is there a way to find, in current dollars, what per-student spending on public education was 25/50/75 years ago? I’m sure there is but I don’t even know what to search for.

Any help on this? Thanks

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**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-capita-spending-on-public-ed-years-ago/283127/2 "2005-01-05T03:00:15Z")

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Do you mean total spending? As opposed to, say, state funding or federal funding?

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**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/per-capita-spending-on-public-ed-years-ago/283127/3 "2005-01-05T04:19:49Z")

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> [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](#):
>
> Do you mean total spending? As opposed to, say, state funding or federal funding?

Well, both would be nice. Broken into 2 sections would be nicer. 🙂