Federal agency contract profile
Department of Education: Federal Contract Spending & Top Vendors
Data through 2026-08-19 · FY2026 to date
- Obligations, FY2026 to date
- $2.2B
- Contract awards
- 652
- Average award size
- $3.3M
- vs. prior full fiscal year
- 13.9% decline
| Item | Obligations |
|---|---|
| FY21 | $2.7B |
| FY22 | $2.4B |
| FY23 | $2.4B |
| FY24 | $2.7B |
| FY25 | $2.5B |
| FY26 | $2.2B |
Obligations fell 13.9% year over year, from $2.5B in FY2025 to $2.2B in FY2026 to date.
The Department of Education obligated $2.2B on federal contracts in FY2026 to date. The Department of Education recorded 652 awards with an average award size of $3.3M. Obligations fell 13.9% year over year. Contracting is concentrated in a few large categories. Other Activities Related to Credit Intermediation accounted for $939M and Computer Systems Design Services accounted for $659M. Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities totaled $144M. A mix of financial services, computer services, and education support work fills out the top ten categories. A short list of vendors received the majority of dollars. ACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC received $340M and NELNET SERVICING LLC received $294M. MAXIMUS EDUCATION LLC and EDFINANCIAL SERVICES LLC received $251M and $198M respectively. The FY2026 to date totals are partial, fiscal year to date, so annual totals may change as the year completes. This snapshot shows where current spending is centered and which vendors and NAICS categories dominate the Department of Education contract obligations so far in the fiscal year.
How has contract spending trended this fiscal year?
The Department of Education obligated $2.2B in FY2026 to date, down 13.9% year over year. The Department of Education made 652 awards with an average award size of $3.3M, indicating fewer or smaller awards compared with the prior year. Fiscal year totals from FY21 through FY26 show prior-year peaks at $2.7B in FY21 and FY24, with FY26 at $2.2B so far.
| Item | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Other Activities Related to Credit Intermediation | $939M |
| Computer Systems Design Services | $659M |
| Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | $144M |
| Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities | $68.9M |
| Other Computer Related Services | $68M |
| Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services | $54.1M |
| Custom Computer Programming Services | $50M |
| Collection Agencies | $36.2M |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $30.1M |
| Educational Support Services | $23.7M |
Other Activities Related to Credit Intermediation was Education's largest contract category, with $939M obligated (43.6% of contract spending).
What are the dominant contract types and vendors right now?
Other Activities Related to Credit Intermediation is the largest category at $939M, followed by Computer Systems Design Services at $659M and Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities at $144M. ACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC is the top vendor at $340M, with NELNET SERVICING LLC at $294M and MAXIMUS EDUCATION LLC at $251M rounding out the largest recipients.
| Item | Obligations |
|---|---|
| ACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC | $340M |
| NELNET SERVICING LLC | $294M |
| MAXIMUS EDUCATION LLC | $251M |
| EDFINANCIAL SERVICES LLC | $198M |
| MAXIMUS FEDERAL SERVICES, INC. | $160M |
| MISSOURI HIGHER EDUCATION LOAN AUTHORITY | $149M |
| CENTRAL RESEARCH INC | $70.2M |
| WESTAT, INC. | $63.2M |
| PERATON ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS LLC | $48M |
| EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE | $46.4M |
ACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC led all Education contractors with $340M, 15.8% of obligations.
| Rank | Vendor | Obligations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC | $340M |
| 2 | NELNET SERVICING LLC | $294M |
| 3 | MAXIMUS EDUCATION LLC | $251M |
| 4 | EDFINANCIAL SERVICES LLC | $198M |
| 5 | MAXIMUS FEDERAL SERVICES, INC. | $160M |
| 6 | MISSOURI HIGHER EDUCATION LOAN AUTHORITY | $149M |
| 7 | CENTRAL RESEARCH INC | $70.2M |
| 8 | WESTAT, INC. | $63.2M |
| 9 | PERATON ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS LLC | $48M |
| 10 | EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE | $46.4M |
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Department of Education spend on contracts?
The Department of Education obligated $2.2B on contracts in FY2026 to date. The Department of Education recorded 652 awards with an average award size of $3.3M, and obligations fell 13.9% year over year. The FY2026 totals are partial, fiscal year to date.
What does Education buy?
The Department of Education buys a mix of financial services, IT services, research, and education support. The Department of Education obligated $939M for Other Activities Related to Credit Intermediation, $659M for Computer Systems Design Services, and $144M for Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities, among other categories.
Who are Education's largest contractors?
The Department of Education's largest contractors are primarily large IT and student-services firms. ACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC received $340M, NELNET SERVICING LLC received $294M, and MAXIMUS EDUCATION LLC received $251M, with EDFINANCIAL SERVICES LLC at $198M and MAXIMUS FEDERAL SERVICES, INC. at $160M following behind.
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