A pair of recent fact sheets from the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) provide a national overview of teacher shortages in 2025 and insights into teacher shortages by subject area across states.
Relying on the latest state-level data available, LPI found that at least 365,967 teachers who were not fully certified for their assignments were employed across 48 states and the District of Columbia. In the 31 states and D.C. where data was published on unfilled positions, the total number was 45,582.
“Together, these estimates indicate that, at a minimum, 411,549 positions were either unfilled or filled by teachers not fully certified for their assignments, representing about one in eight of all teaching positions nationally,” according to LPI. “Compared to LPI’s 2024 scan, these numbers represent an increase of approximately 4,600 teaching positions that were either unfilled or filled with teachers not fully certified for their assignments.”
The was an estimated 3.25 million full-time equivalent teachers worked in the U.S. based on the most recent data.
The two primary factors contributing to teacher shortages are pipeline issues and issues with attrition as veteran educators retire and others leave the job to pursue other endeavors.
For 2024–25, national data indicates that all states and D.C. experienced shortages in more than one teacher area with the most common being special education, science and math.
Student learning is known to suffer due to persistent teacher shortages, with some groups, like students from lower-income backgrounds, students of color and rural districts, among the most impacted demographics. Local educational agencies’ budgets are also affected due to costs associated with separating from employees and hiring new ones.
The fact sheets provide recommendations to policymakers to improve the situation, including investing in high-quality, widely accessible and financially supported pathways into teaching; providing early-career teachers with mentoring and induction supports; and offering competitive compensation and better working conditions.
View the individual resources to learn more:
LPI also released its State Teacher Shortages 2025 Update tool, which has full breakdowns by state. For 2022–23, the year considered for California, LPI estimates that at least 32,252 teachers weren’t fully certified for their assignment. The state opts not to publish statewide data on unfilled positions.
