US back-to-school spending hits record $146.8 billion

The National Retail Federation forecasts that U.S. families will spend a total of $146.8 billion on back‑to‑school items in the 2026 season, including about $43.3 billion for K‑12 students and $103.5 billion for college students. Early shopping is accelerating: 62 % of shoppers had begun purchasing by early July and one‑third started by early June, the highest level since the NRF began tracking the metric in 2018. Prices are expected to remain elevated, with 78 % of shoppers anticipating higher costs, and 47 % saying they will buy only essential items.

A Motley Fool Money survey of 2,000 U.S. parents finds that roughly one‑third will rely on a credit card as their primary payment method for back‑to‑school purchases, an average $864 per family. Debit cards remain the most common choice (49 %), while 34 % cite credit cards, 12 % cash, and 5 % buy‑now‑pay‑later services. Credit‑card use climbs sharply with income: 58 % of parents earning $150 k or more name a credit card as primary, versus 22 % of those earning under $50 k. Fathers are also more likely than mothers to use credit cards (42 % vs. 25 %).