National report ranks TN among worst 10 states for spending per student
A national educators association said in its 2025 report that Tennessee spent around $12,616 per student, putting the state at 44th in the nation.
Author: Chris Salvemini
Published: 5:04 PM EDT April 30, 2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A national report found that Tennessee teachers make just over the state’s minimum living wage, on average, and said that the state ranks among the worst in the country for spending per student.
The National Education Association, the United States’ largest professional employee organization, released its 2025 Rankings and Estimates Report on Tuesday. The report explores teacher pay, education support and student spending across the country.
It found that, on average, Tennessee pays its teachers a $58,630 yearly salary, putting the state in 38th place for teacher salary. However, the state’s minimum living wage is $58,440, according to the report. Effectively, it said that the state gives its teachers an average of $190 more than the wage they need to make to afford housing, groceries and other necessities in the state.
However, the state ranked 29th across the country for the average starting salary of teachers, at $44,897 per year. Governor Bill Lee previously made it a goal to raise all teacher salaries across the state to at least $50,000 by the 2026-2027 school year.
The state ranked near the bottom for the amount it spends on students. The report said the state spends an average of $12,616 per student, making it the 44th state in the nation. Democratic state lawmakers said in a release that Tennessee was the worst state in the South for the metric.
Tennessee was also among the worst five states for its pay rates for educator support roles. On average, the association said Tennessee custodial workers, clerical workers and other kinds of support roles made $29,362 per year.
The state also ranked 47th in the nation for similar positions in higher education settings, at $40,297 per year.
New York was the top state in the nation for per-student spending, at $31,514.