Here are the states with the best and worst public education systems
- The United States spends more on public education than any other country but has fallen behind on quality.
- The quality of public education in the US can vary greatly depending on which state, or even which city, a student lives.
- Personal finance site WalletHub measured the quality and safety of schools across the country over 29 metrics.
- WalletHub shared data on four key categories with INSIDER.
- Scroll below to see WalletHub's ranking of states with the best and worst public education systems.
In 2019, more students are attending and graduating from high school than ever before. That's certainly a good thing, but the quality of education those students receive along their journey towards the graduation varies widely depending where they live. Wealth inequality, racial segregation, and geographic limitations all play a role in determining the quality of education any given kid in America might receive.
While some schools might have rigorous academics, fancy amenities, devoted college counselors, and enticing extracurriculars, many more US public schools are underfunded and understaffed. All of those factors have combined to leave the US lagging behind most European countries academically. According to Pew Research Center data released in 2017, the United States ranked 38th in math and 24th in science when compared against 71 other countries. Just two decades ago, the US education system ranked 6th on that list.
That steep national fall has occurred despite hefty spending as a whole. In 2015, the US spent an estimated $668 billion on public education. To put that in perspective, that's more than the entire GDP of Belgium, Israel, and Switzerland. And that's just for public schools. A full K-12 education at some of the country's most elite private schools could cost people upwards of $1.3 million. So why has such an expensive system failed so many students?
The answer to that question is multifaceted and complex but it's at least partly explained by the vast differences in the quality of schools per state. Some states choose to spend more on their students and invest more in school facilities. Figuring out which states provide the best education can prove difficult, with numerous factors to consider. To help determine which states are better than others, the personal finance site WalletHub devised a ranking.
WalletHub measured schools in every state based on 29 different factors related to school quality and school safety. Some of the factors they considered when making their ranking included the graduation rate for lower income students, student drop out rate, test scores, number of school shootings, and the percentage of people who felt safe attending school. WalletHub shared the results of four key metrics (drop out rate, lower income student graduation rate, student to teacher ratio, and number of school shootings) with INSIDER. These were all combined for a final score that attempts to illustrate how the states ultimately stack up.
Continue scrolling below to see the states with the worst and best public education system, ranked from worst to best.
51: New Mexico
Number of students: 323,066
State spending per student: $9,693
Total state spending: $139,263
Drop out rate: 28.9%
Student to teacher ratio: 15.76
WalletHub Score: 28.81
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
50: Louisiana
Number of students: 727,709
State spending per student: $11,038
Total state spending: $7,305,990
Drop out rate: 21.9%
Student to teacher ratio: 14.8
WalletHub score: 29.93
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
49: Arizona
Number of students: 1,012,068
State spending per student: $7,613
Total state spending: $7,276,067
Drop out rate: 22%
Student to teacher ratio: 23.29
WalletHub score: 34.61
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
48: Mississippi
Number of students: 493,540
State spending per student: $8,702
Total state spending: $4,246,156
Drop out rate: 17%
Student to teacher ratio: 15.13
WalletHub score: 37.40
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
47: West Virginian
Number of students: 281,209
State spending per student: $11,291
Total state spending: $3,167,977
Drop out rate: 10.6%
Student to teacher ratio: 14.15
WalletHub Score: 37.86
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
46: Alabama
Number of students: 731,251
State spending per student: $9,236
Total state spending: $6,907,539
Drop out rate: 10.7%
Student to teacher ratio: 17.51
WalletHub Score: 38.47
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
45: District of Columbia
Number of students: 78,057
State spending per student: $19,159
Total state spending: $1,007,280
Drop out rate: 26.8%
Student to teacher ratio: 12.72
WalletHub Score: 38.94
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
44: Oregon
Number of students: 550,762
State spending per student: $10,842
Total state spending: $6,457,713
Drop out rate: 23.3%
Student to teacher ratio: 19.46
WalletHub score: 39.43
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
43: Nevada
Number of students: 385,414
State spending per student: $8,960
Total state spending: $3,978,436
Drop out rate: 19.1%
Student to teacher ratio: 19.99
WalletHub score: 40.16
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
42: Alaska
Number of students: 1,012,068
State spending per student: $7,613
Total state spending: $7,276,067
Drop out rate: 22%
WalletHub score: 34.61
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
41: Arkansas
Number of students: 454,523
State spending per student: $9,846
Total state spending: $4,750,938
Drop out rate: 12%
Student to teacher ratio: 13.81%
WalletHub score: 40.67
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
40: Oklahoma
Number of students: 626,160
State spending per student: $8,097
Total state spending: $5,474,468
Drop out rate: 17.4%
Student to teacher ratio: 16.89
WalletHub score: 41.03
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
39: South Carolina
Number of students: 699,198
State spending per student: $10,249
Total state spending: $7,746,894
Drop out rate: 16.4%
Student to teacher ratio: 15.19
WalletHub score: 41.67
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
38: California
Number of students: 6,298,928
State spending per student: $11,495
Total state spending: $72,641,244
Drop out rate: 17.3%
Student to teacher ratio: 23.26
WalletHub score: 42.43
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
37: Michigan
Number of students: 1,757,604
State spending per student: $11,668
Total state spending: $15,860,412
Drop out rate: 19.8%
Student to teacher ratio: 18.29%
WalletHub score: 44.15
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
36: Hawaii
Number of students: 183,609
State spending per student: $13,748
Total state spending: $2,516,444
Drop out rate: 17.3%
Student to teacher ratio: 15.41%
WalletHub score: 9.30%
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
35: Georgia
Number of students: 1,522,611
State spending per student: $9,769
Total state spending: $17,118,329
Drop out rate: 19.4%
Student to teacher ratio: 15.37
WalletHub score: 45.66
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
34: Tennessee
Number of students: 911,636
State spending per student: $8,810
Total state spending: $8,886,616
Drop out rate: 10.2%
Student to teacher ratio: 15.58
WalletHub score: 45.98
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
33: Texas
Number of students: 4,331,751
State spending per student: $9,016
Total state spending: $45,886,733
Drop out rate: 10.3%
Student to teacher ratio: 15.19
WalletHub score: 46.44
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
32: Idaho
Number of students: 252,120
State spending per student: $7,157
Total state spending: $1,971,800
Drop out rate: 20.3%
Student to teacher ratio: 18.34
WalletHub score: 46.56
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
31: North Carolina
Number of students: 1,360,209
State spending per student: $8,792
Total state spending: $12,917,195
Drop out rate: 13.4%
Student to teacher ratio: 15.47%
WalletHub score: 46.97
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
30: Missouri
Number of students: 918,038
State spending per student: $10,313
Total state spending: $9,417,531
Drop out rate: 11.7%
Student to teacher ratio: 13.47
WalletHub score: 47.14
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
29: Washington
Number of students: 1,021,349
State spending per student: $11,534
Total state spending: $12,569,546
Drop out rate: 20.6%
Student to teacher ratio: 18.73
WalletHub score: 47.67
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
28: Ohio
Number of students: 1,845,428
State spending per student: $12,102
Total state spending: $20,561,122
Drop out rate: 15.8%
Student to teacher ratio: 16.67
WalletHub score: 47.98
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
27: Pennsylvania
Number of students: 1,821,146
State spending per student: $15,418
Total state spending: $26,261,079
Drop out rate: 13.4%
Student to teacher ratio: 14.10
WalletHub score: 48.77
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
26: Florida
Number of students: 2,600,203
State spending per student: $8,920
Total state spending: $25,339,845
Drop out rate: 17.7%
Student to teacher ratio: 15.12
WalletHub score: 49.05
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
25: Montana
Number of students: 148,356
State spending per student: $11,348
Total state spending: $1,657,624
Drop out rate: 14.2%
Student to teacher ratio: 13.87
WalletHub score: 49.33
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
24: New York
Number of students: 2,882,218
State spending per student: $22,366
Total state spending: $61,447,337
Drop out rate: 18.2%
Student to teacher ratio: 13.05
WalletHub score: 51.07
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
23: Utah
Number of students: 491,206
State spending per student: $6,953
Total state spending: $4,095,444
Drop out rate: 14%
Student to teacher ratio: 22.88
WalletHub score: 51.20
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
22: Indiana
Number of students: 1,011,130
State spending per student: $9,856
Total state spending: $9,959,771
Drop out rate: 16.2%
Student to teacher ratio: 17.45
WalletHub score: 51.42
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
21: South Dakota
Number of students: 125,538
State spending per student: $9,176
Total state spending: $1,248,905
Drop out rate: 16.3%
Student to teacher ratio: 13.94
WalletHub score: 52.50
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
20: Kansas
Number of students: 470,500
State spending per student: $9,960
Total state spending: $4,941,714
Drop out rate: 13.5%
Student to teacher ratio: 13.66
WalletHub score: 52.65
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
19: Maryland
Number of students: 869,113
State spending per student: $14,206
Total state spending: $12,516,025
Drop out rate: 12.3%
Student to teacher ratio: 14.84
WalletHub score: 53.04
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
18: Rhode Island
Number of students: 159,342
State spending per student: $15,532
Total state spending: $2,242,317
Drop out rate: 15.9%
Student to teacher ratio: 13.30
WalletHub score: 53.48
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
17: Colorado
Number of students: 756,912
State spending per student: $9,575
Total state spending: $8,519,780
Drop out rate: 20.9%
Student to teacher ratio: 17.40
WalletHub score: 53.49
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
16: Illinois
Number of students: 2,100,403
State spending per student: $14,180
Total state spending: $29,223,830
Drop out rate: 13%
Student to teacher ratio: 15.72
WalletHub score: 54.24
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
15: Maine
Number of students: 201,549
State spending per student: $13,278
Total state spending: $2,491,632
Drop out rate: 13.1%
Student to teacher ratio: 12.24
WalletHub score: 54.36
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
14: Iowa
Number of students: 481,226
State spending per student: $11,150
Total state spending: $5,694,316
Drop out rate: 9%
Student to teacher ratio: 14.24
WalletHub score: 54.45
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
13: Kentucky
Number of students: 663,886
State spending per student: $9,863
Total state spending: $6,834,081
Drop out rate: 10.3%
Student to teacher ratio: 16.27%
WalletHub score: 54.86
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
12: Delaware
Number of students: 117,777
State spending per student: $14,713
Total state spending: $1,845,143
Drop out rate: 13.1%
Student to teacher ratio: 14.89
WalletHub score: 55.10
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
11: Wisconsin
Number of students: 880,031
State spending per student: $11,456
Total state spending: $9,959,870
Drop out rate: 11.4%
Student to teacher ratio: 14.65
WalletHub score: 55.57 Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
10: Wyoming
Number of students: 87,462
State spending per student: $16,442
Total state spending: $1,560,764
Drop out rate: 13.8%
Student to teacher ratio: 12.55
WalletHub score: 56.76
Sources: WalletHub, National Center for Education Statistics, Governing.com
9: North Dakota
Number of students: 102,233
State spending per student: $13,373
Total state spending: $1,460,308