Pell Grant Statistics

Last Updated: 2026-02-22
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Fact Checked

Report Highlights. Nationwide, 32.4% of college students were awarded Pell Grants for the 2023-24 academic year.

  • 29.6% of Pell Grant recipients have family incomes of no more than $20,000 per year.
  • The average Pell Grant award was $5,300 for AY2023-24.
  • The maximum Pell Grant award for AY2025-26 is $7,395.
  • 68.2% of Pell Grants go to students attending public postsecondary institutions.
  • Pell Grant disbursements totaled $27.215 billion in AY2022-23.

Related reports include Financial Aid Statistics | Public Education Spending Statistics | How Do People Pay for College? | College Savings Statistics | How to Pay Off Student Loan Debt Fast

Line graph: Average Pell Grant by Award Year from 2008 ($3,210) to 2023 ($5,300) according to the National Center for Education Statistics

Pell Grant Award Recipients

Pell Grant awards are determined by Expected Family Contribution (EFC) based on annual family income, household size, and number of dependents. Typically, a lower EFC results in a larger Pell Grant award.

  • 6,032,974 students received Pell Grants in AY2022-23.
  • 57.8% of Pell Grant recipients have family incomes of no more than $40,000 per year.
  • 3.80% of Pell Grant recipients come from families that earn more than $80,000 annually.
  • 17,044,761 students applied for Pell Grants in AY2022-23; 35.4% applicants were ultimately accepted.

Line graph: Share of Undergraduates Receiving Pell Grants by Award Year (Fall) from 2008 (28.4%) to 2023 (32.4%) according to the National Center for Education Data Statistics

Pell Grants by School Type

The largest share of total Pell Grant funding goes to undergraduate students at public 4-year postsecondary institutions.

  • 43.5% of Pell Grant recipients attend 4-year public universities.
  • 24.6% of Pell Grant recipients attend 2-year public institutions (i.e. community college).
  • 16.2% of Pell Grant recipients attend 4-year private institutions; 0.74% attend 2-year private institutions.
  • 14.9% of Pell Grant awardees attend proprietary (private for-profit) institutions.
  • Pell Grants award to students at any public institution averaged $4,449 for AY2022-23.
  • The average Pell Grant to private college students was $4,717 in AY2022-23.
  • Proprietary college students received an average of $4,562 in Pell Grants.

National map: Share of Pell Grant Dollars Disbursed to Public Institutions, AY2022-23 according to the Office of Federal Student Aid

Pell Grant Awards by Locale

State residency has no bearing on the amount a student may receive from the Pell Grant.

  • New Hampshire college students received the smallest average Pell Grant in AY2022-23 ($2,739).
  • Among students living in the continental U.S., those in Mississippi receive the highest average Pell Grant award ($5,090).
  • Pell Grant recipients in Puerto Rico receive the highest average award ($5,484).
Pell Grant Award Average by Locale, AY2022-23
State, District, or Territory Recipients Total Awards
(in millions)
Alabama 90,363 $425.63
Alaska 6,937 $28.86
Arizona 263,159 $1,169.28
Arkansas 49,894 $232.15
California 818,941 $3,708.17
Colorado 106,137 $469.13
Connecticut 78,150 $332.27
Delaware 15,002 $63.00
District of Columbia 43,472 $188.83
Florida 422,296 $1,999.26
Georgia 199,307 $908.36
Hawaii 13,612 $59.91
Idaho 33,309 $150.41
Illinois 207,075 $929.59
Indiana 117,226 $505.56
Iowa 45,907 $201.72
Kansas 49,619 $216.97
Kentucky 86,047 $383.35
Louisiana 98,832 $462.47
Maine 21,505 $87.69
Maryland 90,757 $370.78
Massachusetts 89,315 $409.03
Michigan 141,701 $605.14
Minnesota 95,743 $383.22
Mississippi 59,239 $301.55
Missouri 87,020 $385.10
Montana 10,703 $47.83
Nebraska 31,157 $134.05
Nevada 35,825 $151.72
New Hampshire 103,839 $284.38
New Jersey 134,651 $635.37
New Mexico 35,296 $147.99
New York 357,621 $1,786.80
North Carolina 169,790 $776.39
North Dakota 9,546 $43.34
Ohio 159,641 $686.32
Oklahoma 65,695 $296.19
Oregon 57,024 $239.55
Pennsylvania 162,150 $742.70
Puerto Rico 130,099 $713.42
Rhode Island 20,739 $90.86
South Carolina 76,857 $348.07
South Dakota 10,490 $46.82
Tennessee 114,100 $528.41
Texas 534,389 $2,426.47
Utah 120,789 $529.20
Vermont 8,111 $34.63
Virginia 147,398 $656.13
Washington 73,988 $322.38
West Virginia 44,571 $188.78
Wisconsin 72,868 $309.41
Wyoming 6,648 $28.92
American Samoa 854 $4.24
Micronesia 1,773 $9.40
Guam 2,188 $10.00
Marshall Islands 1,505 $6.85
Northern Mariana Islands 1,068 $5.42
Palau 366 $1.75
Virgin Islands 670 $3.37
Total 6,032,974 $27,214.59

Pell Grant Award Limits

An individual can receive Pell Grant awards for up to six (6) academic years (12 semesters).

  • The minimum amount a Pell Grant award recipient may accept is $740 in AY2025-26.
  • Students who come from families with incomes that are over 300% above the poverty line are ineligible for Pell Grants.
  • Under certain conditions, Pell Grant recipients may receive up to 150% of their scheduled award for the year.

Line graph: Total Pell Grants Disbursed by Award Year (Fall) from 1974 ($47.6M) to 2022 ($27.2B) according to the Office of Federal Student Aid

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Education (ED) Institute of Education Sciences: National Center for Education Statistics
  2. ED Office of Federal Student Aid, Student Aid Data