States with the Best School Systems (2024)

Securing a child’s academic success begins with choosing the right schools. But how can parents decide where to enroll their kids? Because children develop and learn at different rates, the ideal answer to that question varies based on each student’s needs. Those needs have become even more specialized in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused significant learning loss and decreased test scores for many students.

Unfortunately, most parents can’t afford to place their children in exclusive, private or preparatory schools that give their students greater individual attention. For the majority of U.S. families, public education is the only option. The quality of public school systems varies widely from state to state, though, and is often a question of funding. Public elementary and secondary education money usually flows from three sources: the federal, state and local governments. According to the U.S. Department of Education, states contribute nearly as much as local governments, while the federal government supplies the smallest share. Some researchers have found that more resources — or taxes paid by residents — typically result in better school-system performance.

Unlike other research that focuses primarily on academic outcomes or school finance, WalletHub’s analysis takes a more comprehensive approach. It accounts for performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials. To determine the top-performing school systems in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 32 key metrics.

Table of Contents

Main FindingsAsk the ExpertsMethodology

Main Findings

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Public School Ranking by State

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Quality	Safety
1	Massachusetts	73.02	1	1
2	Connecticut	65.60	3	6
3	New Jersey	65.40	2	19
4	Wisconsin	61.55	4	17
5	Virginia	60.28	7	5
6	New Hampshire	60.13	5	15
7	Nebraska	59.18	8	7
8	Maryland	59.00	15	4
9	Florida	57.48	10	10
10	North Dakota	57.21	6	24
11	Indiana	57.04	13	12
12	Utah	56.80	12	14
13	New York	56.44	9	16
14	Delaware	56.27	25	2
15	Maine	55.45	28	3
16	Iowa	55.08	16	21
17	Kentucky	54.93	21	13
18	Wyoming	54.86	14	25
19	South Dakota	54.79	17	23
20	Illinois	54.54	11	33
21	Vermont	54.11	24	8
22	Montana	53.38	19	26
23	Minnesota	53.25	18	36
24	Pennsylvania	53.18	20	27
25	Washington	51.70	29	11
26	Rhode Island	51.49	32	9
27	District of Columbia	51.42	22	34
28	Texas	50.73	30	18
29	California	49.76	26	37
30	Colorado	49.48	23	48
31	Tennessee	48.75	27	44
32	North Carolina	48.51	36	20
33	Arkansas	48.02	33	35
34	Missouri	46.88	31	49
35	Hawaii	46.63	39	32
36	Ohio	46.60	38	29
37	Georgia	46.55	35	43
38	Idaho	46.41	37	41
39	Kansas	46.38	34	46
40	Michigan	45.04	40	28
41	Oregon	42.73	41	45
42	South Carolina	42.09	44	30
43	Mississippi	41.00	42	51
44	Nevada	40.14	43	50
45	Alabama	39.16	45	38
46	Louisiana	37.33	46	47
47	Alaska	37.15	47	39
48	West Virginia	37.07	49	22
49	Arizona	37.05	48	40
50	Oklahoma	33.00	50	31
51	New Mexico	25.47	51	42

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Dropout Rate

Lowest

1. West Virginia
2. Iowa
3. Kentucky
4. New Jersey
5. Indiana

Highest

47. Oklahoma
T-48. Alaska
T-48. Arizona
T-48. New Mexico
T-48. District of Columbia

Best State vs. Worst State: 3x Difference

West Virginia vs. District of Columbia

Math Test Scores

Highest

Ask the Experts

Giving students a good education is crucial for the future of the country. That responsibility falls to parents, educators and leaders alike. To expand the discussion, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

Does variation in per-pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality?
What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes?
In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)?
In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top five indicators?

Ask the Experts

Benjamin R. Wellenreiter
Ed.D. – Assistant Professor, Middle Level Education; Executive Director, Illinois Council for the Social Studies, School of Teaching and Learning – Illinois State University
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Tyrone C. Howard
Ph.D. – Pritzker Family Endowed Chair in Education to Strengthen Children & Families; President--American Educational Research Association; Member, National Academy of Education; Director, UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children & Families; Director, UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, School of Education & Information Studies – University of California, Los Angeles
Read More

Angela Farmer
Assistant Clinical Professor and Early Honors Academy Program Director, Shackouls Honors College – Mississippi State University
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the best and worst states for public-school education, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions, “Quality” and “Safety.”

We evaluated those dimensions using 32 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest quality of public K–12 education.

Finally, we determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Quality – Total Points: 80

Presence of Public Schools in “Top 700 Best U.S. Schools”: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of public schools in U.S. News & World Report’s “Top 700 Best U.S. Schools” ranking adjusted by the number of public schools for each state in the U.S. News & World Report sample.
Blue Ribbon Schools per Capita: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Note: The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
High School Graduation Rate Among Low-Income Students: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Projected High School Graduation Rate Increase Between 2022-2023 and 2033-2034 School Years: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Dropout Rate: Double Weight (~7.27 Points)
Math Test Scores: Double Weight (~7.27 Points)
Note: This metric measures the scores earned by fourth and eighth graders.
Reading Test Scores: Double Weight (~7.27 Points)
Note: This metric measures the scores earned by fourth and eighth graders.
Share of 2022 High School Class Scoring “3” or Higher on Advanced Placement Exams: Double Weight (~7.27 Points)
Median SAT Score: Double Weight (~7.27 Points)
Median ACT Score: Double Weight (~7.27 Points)
Share of High School Graduates Who Completed ACT and/or SAT: Double Weight (~7.27 Points)
Note: For this metric, the percentage sum may be larger than 100 percent, considering some students completed both standardized tests. However, no data specifying the number of students who did so are available.
Division of SAT Results by Percentile: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Division of ACT Results by Percentile: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Share of Licensed/Certified Public K–12 Teachers: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)

Safety – Total Points: 20

Existence of Digital Learning Plan: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This binary metric measures whether a state has guidelines in place for comprehensive strategies for schools deploying technology, trainings for teachers, and instructional resources for building remote lesson plans.
State Statute on Out of School Access to Instructional Materials: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This binary metric measures whether a state is ensuring digital content and instructional materials are available outside of the classroom.
State Guidance on Accessible Technologies: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This binary metric measures whether a state has accessibility assurance to acceptable technologies for providing instructional content.
Share of Threatened/Injured High School Students: Double Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of public school students in grades 9 to 12 who reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property.
Share of High School Students Not Attending School Due to Safety Concerns: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of public school students in grades 9 to 12 who reported not attending school because they felt unsafe at or on their way to or from school.
Share of Children Whose Parents Agree Their Children Go to Safe Schools: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: Share of children aged 6-17 whose parents definitely agree that their children are safe at school.
Share of High School Students with Access to Illegal Drugs: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of public school students in grades 9 to 12 who reported that illegal drugs were made available to them on school property.
Share of High School Students Participating in Violence: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of public school students in grades 9 to 12 who reported involvement in a physical fight at least once during the previous 12 months on school property.
Share of Armed High School Students: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of public school students in grades 9 to 12 who reported carrying a weapon on school property.
Number of School Shootings (2000-present (June, 2022)): Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Presence of Adopted and Enacted Laws Regulating Mandatory School Resource Officers: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Bullying Incidence Rate: Double Weight (~2.22 Points)
Disciplinary Incidence Rate: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: Rate measured per 100,000 students.
Youth Incarceration Rate: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: Rate measured per 100,000 population aged 20 and younger.
School Safety Plan Requirement: Full Weight (~1.11 Points)
Note: This binary metric measures whether a state requires or not a school safety plan.
School Safety Audit Requirement: Half Weight (~0.56 Points)
Note: This binary metric measures whether a state requires or not a school safety audit.
Safety Grade of Roads Around School: Half Weight (~0.56 Points)
Note: School safety scores and rankings are based on unsafe driving events detected by the Zendrive platform within school areas.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Education, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Center for Education Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Education Commission of the States, U.S. News & World Report, College Board, Ballotpedia, ACT, State Educational Technology Directors Association, Civil Rights Data Collection and Zendrive.

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