Public education is funded in part by the federal government, but that doesn’t mean that it’s equal across all states, or even all school districts.
There’s a good reason that the local school system is a key concern for families when relocating. Differences in state education standards and laws, differences in funding, and differences in philosophy and focus can make school effectiveness vary widely.
The latest study examines all fifty U.S. states (plus the District of Columbia) and ranks their education systems from best to worst.
The Top Ten States & A Regional Distinction
In order, from highest to lowest, the top-ten ranked states in the study are Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Indiana, Maryland, and New York.
The northeastern United States clearly stands out for holding a large percentage of these highest rankings. Wallet Hub ranked the schools in a scoring system built on several factors, including test scores (Massachusetts, for example, has the highest percentage of students who scored a three or better on an AP exam); graduation rate among low-income students; and school safety, among others.
States like Connecticut rate highly both because of test scores and student safety:
“Connecticut has the lowest prevalence of illegal drugs on school property, the second-lowest youth incarceration rate and the sixth-lowest share of students who have carried any kind of weapon on school property.”
Other states that made this top ten also rate well for fourth-grade and eighth-grade math and reading scores that stand out, student access to instructional materials, and students’ sense of safety in attending schools.
The Ten Lowest-Ranked States
At the bottom of the rankings are, from lowest-ranked up, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Alaska, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, West Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Hawaii.
Again, many factors contribute to these states having lower scores. For instance, New Mexico ranked dead last on math scores, and in a multi-way tie for worst dropout rate, with DC, Arizona, Alaska, and Idaho.
Alaska, DC, West Virginia, and Arkansas also follow New Mexico closely for the worst scores in math.
Some significant factors that can push a school lower in the rankings (by causing lower performance) are high student-to-teacher ratios, challenges in retaining teachers, and disparities in school districts by income level.
How We Can Improve Schools Everywhere
To improve education, communities, states, and the nation need to step up.
Parents can work with their children at home and encourage a love of learning. This is a necessary step for individual success — but it’s far from the whole picture, especially when we see that failure isn’t just happening at the personal level, but rather among school systems and districts.
Communities must agree that education is valuable and invest in school systems. This can mean financial support, including tax revenue and other forms of support. For instance, I live in a school district where local churches and businesses ensure that schools have the supplies and other needs through donations.
However, that support, too, isn’t only financial. Communities need to show educators that they are valued and prioritize keeping schools safe. We can also press our legislators to budget teacher pay commensurate with the demands, and fight to keep schools safer.
When we see significant disparities across the nation, it’s clear that there is work to do.