Department of Education
ED · FY2025 spending data
Distributes federal financial aid for higher education, enforces civil rights in schools, collects education data, and administers grants to K-12 schools serving disadvantaged students. Hands out $51 billion in grants while spending $2.5 billion on contracts.
💰 Taxpayer Accountability
Created in 1979, the department has presided over stagnant test scores and soaring college costs, leading many to question whether federal education spending improves outcomes at all. The federal student loan portfolio now exceeds $1.7 trillion — a taxpayer liability that grows with every loan forgiveness proposal.
Total Spending
$54.0B
Total Contracts
$2.5B
Total Grants
$51.4B
Budget Growth (FY17→25)
+28.1%
+$21.1B
Contracts vs Grants
Spending Breakdown
Contracts
$2.5B
4.6% of total spending
Grants
$51.4B
95.4% of total spending
Historical budget trend data is not available for this agency. FY2025 contract and grant totals shown.
How This Agency's Growth Compares
Department of Education grew +28.1% from FY2017 to FY2025 — #13 growing of 18 major agencies.
| # | Agency | Growth % | Growth $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Energy | +154.4% | +$49.4B |
| 2 | Department of Homeland Security | +153.1% | +$44.4B |
| 3 | General Services Administration | +107.7% | +$12.9B |
| 4 | Department of Transportation | +97.4% | +$66.5B |
| 5 | Department of the Interior | +90.5% | +$8.8B |
| 6 | Department of State | +84.0% | +$16.2B |
| 7 | Department of Health and Human Services | +66.7% | +$809.9B |
| 8 | Social Security Administration | +64.9% | +$643.6B |
| 9 | Department of Defense | +52.8% | +$173.1B |
| 10 | Department of Agriculture | +49.9% | +$61.7B |
| 11 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | +43.8% | +$23.7B |
| 12 | Department of Veterans Affairs | +41.7% | +$84.8B |
| 13 | → Department of Education | +28.1% | +$21.1B |
| 14 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | +24.4% | +$4.5B |
| 15 | Railroad Retirement Board | +15.1% | +$1.9B |
| 16 | Department of Labor | +10.1% | +$1.1B |
| 17 | Department of Justice | -2.5% | -$292.0M |
| 18 | Agency for International Development | -26.6% | -$4.4B |
Related Agencies
Related Pages
Budget Functions
How federal spending is categorized by purpose and function.
Read more →Top Contractors
Which companies receive the most federal contract dollars.
Read more →Spending Explosion
How federal spending has grown dramatically since 2017.
Read more →Sub-Agencies
Detailed spending by sub-agencies and bureaus.
Read more →Source: USASpending.gov · U.S. Department of the Treasury