Summer School Statistics

Summer school is no longer just for students who are falling behind. It has grown into a key tool for academic recovery, enrichment, and mental wellness.

More families and school districts are recognizing its value each year. The data tells a clear story: summer school works.

Summer School Structure and Funding

Not every school offers a summer program. Budgets vary widely from state to state, and that gap shapes who gets access.

• In 2009, only 35 states and the District of Columbia had policies for summer school.
• By 2022, all 50 states and the District of Columbia had summer school policies in place.
• Among the states that have programs, the average budget ranges from $24.1 million to $492.5 million.
• California proposed a $4.6 billion budget for summer school to make up for pandemic-related school year setbacks.
• Over 97% of the top universities offer summer programs for high school students and even middle school children.

In 2024, 84% of school districts nationally offered summer programs, matching the rate from 2023. However, about 56% of districts expect a drop in summer school funding for 2025. Urban districts were more likely than suburban or rural ones to offer higher-quality programs.

Funding pressure is a growing concern. 37% of schools that did not offer summer programs in 2024 pointed to lack of funding as the main reason. Another 30% said they could not find enough staff.

For more on how schools are spending their education dollars, see our Scholarship Statistics page.

Summer School Attendance

Attendance numbers show that summer school still has a long way to go in reaching all students equally.

• In 2017, 41% of 16 to 19-year olds were enrolled in summer school.
• A five week summer program represents 15% of the school year and 10% of the calendar year.
• The average daily attendance for extended summer courses varies from 60% to 80%.
• 29% of non-poor students were likely to attend summer programs in contrast to 18% of low-income students.
• 61% of white students are likely to participate in summer learning programs.
• In contrast, only 18% of Black students, 14% of Hispanic students, 5% of Asian students, and 2% of Native Americans would attend summer school.

In summer 2024, only 13% of public school students took part in academically focused summer programs, down slightly from 15% in 2023. In the same year, 58% of summer programs were at full capacity, meaning many students who wanted to attend could not get a spot.

73% of districts offered remediation-focused summer programs in 2024. Only 27% offered programs open to all students. This shows that most summer school access is still tied to academic need, not opportunity.

The Effect of Summer School

Research shows strong benefits for students at all grade levels, especially when they start young.

• Kindergarteners randomly assigned to summer school outperformed their peers by .06 of a standard deviation.
• First graders performed 0.75 of a standard deviation better than their peers who did not attend summer school.
• In general, 40% to 50% of multi-year summer school attendees held an advantage of one grade level in post-tests.
• Students with high attendance gained a 25% near-term benefit in mathematics.
• One year later, there was a 13% benefit for students in the subject.
• Extended attendance can result in between 20% and 25% in annual gain in mathematics.
• Continued attendance can result in between 20% and 23% in annual gain in language arts.

Beyond grades, summer school also helps with social skills, physical health, and mental wellbeing. More than half of school superintendents now list enrichment as one of the top three benefits of summer programs.

Students who skip summer learning can lose up to 2.6 months of math skills over the break. When they return to school, teachers typically spend 4 to 6 weeks re-teaching material from the previous year. Summer school directly reduces this loss.

To learn more about how students perform across different school types, visit our High School Statistics page.

Summer School During the Pandemic

The pandemic changed how summer school was offered and who was invited to attend.

• 79% of school districts provided summer learning online during the pandemic.
• 51% of schools recommended summer school only for children who were falling behind academically.
• Online summer school can help to prevent loss of 50% of math gains.
• Summer school during the pandemic may prevent 30% of loss in reading gains.

Since then, online options have remained popular. 77% of schools were preparing to offer online summer school classes as of 2021, and digital learning has stayed a fixture of many programs since.

For a deeper look at how online education has evolved, see our eLearning Statistics page.

Summer School Costs

Cost is one of the biggest barriers keeping summer school out of reach for many students and school districts alike.

• In 2014, the cost per attending student was between $1,070 and $1,700.
• On average, cost per student present was between $1,860 and $2,100.
• The cost per student per hour was between $6.60 and $7.50.
• In 2020, it was estimated that the cost of nationwide summer schools would be around $8.1 billion.

Despite rising costs, most school leaders are committed to keeping programs running. Two-thirds of superintendents plan to maintain their district’s summer school spending in 2025, and 16% plan to increase it. Only 18% expect to cut their programs.

Summer school delivers real results for students at every grade level. The data points to clear academic gains, stronger social development, and better mental health outcomes for those who attend.