The National Retail Federation puts back-to-school and back-to-college spending at a combined record of 146.8 billion dollars this year, which is more than Americans spend on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter and the Super Bowl put together. Families with kids in elementary through high school expect to spend an average of 863.86 dollars, barely up from 858.07 last year. Families with a college student expect 1,437.79, which is about 111 dollars more than last year. Those two averages tell very different stories.
The K-12 number is basically flat and that is the real news
Per-family K-12 spending moved from 858.07 to 863.86. That is a rounding error, well under the rate of general price increases, which means households are holding the line by buying differently rather than buying less. Meanwhile the total K-12 figure jumped roughly ten percent to 43.3 billion. Flat per family plus a big total increase means more households are shopping, not that anyone got more generous.
College is where the money actually moves
The college side is estimated at 103.5 billion, up around seventeen percent from 88.8 billion. That is the entire story of this record in one line. Dorm furnishings, electronics, and the enormous category of things a nineteen year old decides they need in the first week are what pushed the number. A single laptop replacement can be more than the entire average K-12 budget for a family.
Everybody started shopping in early July
The majority of back-to-school shoppers had already begun buying by early July. That is a behavioral shift, and it is mostly defensive. People have learned that the summer sale events in mid-July are where the actual discounts live, and that waiting until the second week of August means paying full price for whatever is left in the picked-over aisle. Starting early is no longer eager. It is just correct. The one caveat is that early shopping only saves money if you actually stop, since retailers count on the July trip being the first of three. Make the list once, buy against it, and treat the mid-August aisle as a place you visit for one forgotten binder rather than a second full run.
The list is not a shopping list
Here is the practical thing almost nobody does. The supply list a school sends home is a maximum, assembled by a teacher who does not know your budget and often includes bulk classroom items. Buy the consumables and the required specifics, then wait two weeks on everything else. A meaningful share of what is on that list either never gets used or gets covered by the classroom. Two weeks of patience is worth more than any coupon.
Clothes are where the overspend happens
Apparel is consistently the largest single slice of the K-12 budget and it is also the one with the least durable value, because children grow and preferences change in October. The version of this that works is buying shoes properly and everything else provisionally. One good pair of shoes that fits and survives a winter beats four cheap pairs, and it is the only category where paying up genuinely pays off.
Electronics are being replaced too often
A laptop or tablet that still works is still a laptop. The pressure to replace a functioning device before a school year is largely manufactured, and it has gotten worse as prices on electronics have crept up. If a machine is slow, a battery replacement and a clean install of the operating system usually costs a small fraction of a new device and buys two more years. Check whether the school actually requires a specific spec before assuming it does.
Watch out for the seasonal credit trap
Retailers push store cards and installment plans hardest in exactly this window, and the offer always looks like a discount. Splitting 900 dollars across four payments does not make it cost less, it moves the pressure to October, which is when the heating bill arrives. If the total does not fit in the month you buy it, the sale did not save you anything. It is worth noticing that the same squeeze shows up in how long people are spending out of work right now, which is the other half of why household budgets feel tighter than the headline numbers suggest.
The college number is where to negotiate hardest
If you are sending a student off, the single largest savings lever is refusing to buy the dorm room out of a catalog. Most of what gets purchased in July gets abandoned in May. Buy the mattress topper, the surge protector, the shower shoes and the laundry basket, then wait until the student has actually lived in the room for two weeks before buying anything decorative or organizational. Roommates also duplicate constantly, so one message about who is bringing the microwave and the mini fridge routinely saves a couple of hundred dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are families spending on back to school in 2026?
An average of 863.86 dollars per family for elementary through high school, and 1,437.79 for families with a college student, according to the National Retail Federation.
What is the total back to school spending figure?
About 146.8 billion dollars combined, made up of roughly 43.3 billion for K-12 and 103.5 billion for college.
Is that more than last year?
Yes. K-12 total spending is up around ten percent and college total spending is up around seventeen percent, though per-family K-12 spending is nearly flat.
When is the best time to shop?
Mid-July sale events tend to have the deepest discounts, which is why most shoppers had already started by early July. Late August is the worst time.
Do I have to buy everything on the school supply list?
Usually not immediately. Buy the required consumables first and hold off two weeks on the rest, since some items are covered in the classroom or never used.
Are store credit cards worth it for this?
Rarely. The upfront discount is small relative to the interest, and installment plans simply move the cost into a later month.
