US Back-to-School Spending 2026 — Record $146.8 Billion Season
NRF projects record 2026 US back-to-school spending: $43.3B for K-12 and $103.5B for college, $146.8B combined, with K-12 families averaging $863.86 even as price worries push earlier shopping.
A record season shaped by price anxiety
The 2026 season set records across the board — $43.3 billion for K-12, $103.5 billion for college, $146.8 billion combined — yet the behavior underneath was defensive. A majority of shoppers started by early July and roughly a third began in June, spreading purchases out to manage budgets and beat anticipated price increases.[1][2][4]
Per-family K-12 budgets rose only modestly, to $863.86 from $858.07 in 2025, suggesting the aggregate records owe as much to higher prices and enrollment as to willingness to splurge.[3][4]
Verified facts
Cross-checked against 2+ independent sourcesThis section contains facts cross-checked against multiple sources.
The NRF/Prosper Insights & Analytics survey projects 2026 back-to-school (K-12) spending at a record $43.3 billion, up from $39.4 billion in 2025 and above the prior survey high of $41.5 billion set in 2023.[1][2][4] 3 sources
Back-to-college spending is projected at a record $103.5 billion, surpassing the previous survey high of $94 billion from 2023.[2][4] 2 sources
Combined back-to-school and back-to-college spending is projected at a record $146.8 billion for 2026.[2][4] 2 sources
Families with K-12 students plan to spend an average of $863.86, up slightly from $858.07 in 2025.[3][4] 2 sources
62% of consumers had started school shopping by early July 2026, with about a third beginning as early as June, as households sought to spread out costs and get ahead of feared price increases.[1][4] 2 sources
Timeline
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 08/23/2026, 01:30
- Tokens
- 8,000
- Sources
- 4 sources adopted
- Model
- claude-opus-5 (review pass)
- Time
- 08/23/2026, 01:30
- Tokens
- 3,000
- Verdict
- Passed
| 08/23/2026, 01:30 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 08/23/2026 | First authored | Updated |
Frequently asked
Why are records being set if consumers feel squeezed?
Partly because prices themselves are higher — families report bracing for increased costs — and partly because enrollment-driven essentials like electronics and supplies are hard to skip. Dollar records can coexist with cautious behavior like earlier, deal-driven shopping.
How does 2026 compare with recent years?
K-12 spending of $43.3 billion tops both 2025 ($39.4 billion) and the previous 2023 record ($41.5 billion); college spending of $103.5 billion clears the 2023 high of $94 billion.
Who conducts this survey?
The National Retail Federation with Prosper Insights & Analytics, in an annual consumer survey released each summer — the standard industry benchmark for the season.
Official links
- Official NRF — Back-to-school data and trends
Sources
- [1] Majority of Back-to-School Shoppers Get a Head Start on the Season primary
- [2] Back-to-school spending forecast to reach record highs
- [3] Back-to-school spending ticks up to just over $863 on average for families with students in K-12, survey shows
- [4] Back-to-school spending hit a record high even as families brace for higher prices