State-by-State Analysis of Education Levels and Public School Systems

Finding the best public school is a priority for many families. There are about 51 million public school students in the United States. While far from perfect, public schools play a vital role in their respective communities, improving the welfare of children. Public schools welcome all children, no matter their income level, disability, or previous academic performance. Many schools provide school meals, which helps children from food-insecure families get nutritious food every day. 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. Unfortunately, most parents can’t afford to place their children in exclusive, private or preparatory schools that give their students greater individual attention. 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.

Overview of Educational Attainment Across the States

Over the past decade, Americans have become more educated. The rate of residents receiving a high school diploma or GED is on an upward trend. In 2011, 28% of Americans had not graduated high school or received a GED - the same percentage that had received a bachelor’s degree or higher. As of 2021, 35% of Americans have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 26% of Americans without a high school diploma or GED.

Data from the US Census Bureau’s American Communities Survey collects information on maximum educational attainment by age group, location, and gender. The data used here highlights the maximum educational attainment of the population 25 and older.

Overall, 90.3% of Americans over the age of 25 had graduated from high school in 2021, with the highest level found in the state of Massachusetts at 96.1% and the lowest in the state of California at 84.4%. 34.9% of Americans over the age of 25 had educational attainment of having a bachelor's degree or higher in 2019. The state with the highest percentage of people having a bachelor's degree or higher educational attainment was Massachusetts at 50.6%, and the lowest was West Virginia at 24.1%. Advanced Degrees, such as Master's Degrees and Doctorates were held by 16.7% of Americans at least 25 years old in 2019.

States with High Educational Attainment

Washington, DC, is continuously ranked as the most educated region in the country, with 63% of the population receiving a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2021. Massachusetts followed closely with 47% of the population obtaining a bachelor’s degree or higher. Washington, DC, is home to 19 four-year colleges/universities, and Boston, the largest city in Massachusetts, is home to 22 four-year colleges/universities, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Advanced Degrees were most common in Massachusetts, with 26.3% of Massachusetts residents holding an advanced degree of any type since 2019 (it is regarded as the best state for Higher Education), and they were least common in Mississippi, with 9.3% of Mississippi residents holding an advanced degree.

Washington, DC, had the largest increase in the share of people receiving their bachelor's degrees or higher between 2010 and 2021, with a 12.9-percentage point increase. Vermont and Maine followed with a 10.8 and 9.2 percentage point increase, respectively.

States with a Large Share of High School Graduates

Almost 60 million American’s highest educational attainment was their high school diploma/ GED. West Virginia had the largest share of high school graduates as their maximum educational attainment level (39%), followed by Arkansas (34%), as of 2021.

About 16% of Californians never graduated high school nor received a GED - the highest rate of any state. Texas followed with 15.4% of residents never receiving a high school diploma or its equivalent.

States with Lower Educational Attainment

West Virginia had the lowest rate of residents receiving a bachelor’s degree or graduate degree at 24%, as of 2021, followed by Louisiana at 26%. New Orleans, the largest city in Louisiana, is home to 11 four-year colleges. Charleston, the largest city in West Virginia, is home to one four-year college, according to NCES College database.

Utah and Wyoming tie for largest share of the population that attended some college but did not graduate at 24.7%.

Ranking of Public School Systems by State

WalletHub ranked each state’s public schools for “Quality” and “Safety” using 33 relevant metrics. Metrics included high school graduation rate among low-income students, math and reading scores, median SAT and ACT scores, pupil-teach ratio, the share of armed students, the number of school shootings between 2000 and June 2020, bullying incidence rate, and more.

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. Public elementary and secondary education money usually flows from three sources: the federal, state and local governments. Department of Education, states contribute nearly as much as local governments, while the federal government supplies the smallest share. “Getting enough funding is essential for a productive school system, but simply having more money doesn’t guarantee success. How funds are applied also plays a big role in how good a school system is, as does the quality of educators, other professionals and the curriculum.

Methodology

WalletHub evaluated those dimensions using 32 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Note: For this metric, the percentage sum may be larger than 100 percent, considering some students completed both standardized tests.

Top States for Public Schools

Massachusetts: 48.8% of Massachusetts’s eligible schools ranked in the top 25% of high school rankings, a total of 167 schools. Massachusetts also has one of the lowest bullying incidence rates in the country and is considered one of the best states for teachers. Massachusetts is the state with the best school systems, boasting some of the best test scores in the country. Students at the high school level also do well, as Massachusetts has the highest share of students in the country who received a score of 3 or better on an AP exam. In addition, schools in Massachusetts are generally safe.

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Connecticut: Connecticut ranks second in the nation for public schools, ranking second for quality and 19th for safety. Connecticut students have the highest median ACT score of 25.5 and have the third-highest reading test scores. Connecticut spends about $18,958 per student, one of the highest per-pupil costs in the country. In addition, around 6.6% of Connecticut public schools are in the top 700 public schools nationwide, the sixth-highest percentage in the country. On top of that, the state has the third-highest share of students who received a 3 or higher on an AP exam. Another area where Connecticut stands out is safety. The Constitution State is one of only 17 states that require regular audits of school safety.
New Jersey: New Jersey has the third-best public schools in the United States. New Jersey has the second-lowest dropout rate among states and the third-lowest pupil-to-teacher ratio. Additionally, students have the third-highest math test scores and the second-highest reading test scores in the nation. New Jersey ranks second for the overall quality of schools and 11th for safety. The state spends about $21,866 per student on average. New Jersey has the third-best school systems in the country. It has a dedicated digital learning plan that supports technology integration in education. When it comes to test results, New Jersey has the second-best reading test scores and fifth-best math scores for both fourth and eighth graders.
Virginia: Virginia has the fourth-best public schools overall in the United States, ranking fourth for quality and third for safety. Virginia public schools were found to have the fourth-highest math test scores in the country.
New Hampshire: New Hampshire has the fifth-best public schools in the United States, ranking fourth for quality and twelfth for safety. New Hampshire schools have the fourth-highest reading test scores among states and the second-highest median ACT score of 25.1.
Maryland: The sixth-best state for public schools is Maryland. Maryland’s average ACT score is 22.3, and its average SAT score is 1058.
Delaware: Ranking seventh for public schools is Delaware, which ranks sixteenth for quality and third for safety. Delaware has the second-lowest bullying incident rate, only second to D.C.
Nebraska: At the eighth spot for states with the best public schools is Nebraska.
Minnesota: The state ranks sixth for quality, tying with Minnesota for the highest median SAT score.
Vermont: Vermont has the fifth-best public schools in the nation. Vermont ranks eighth for quality, having the lowest pupil-to-teacher ratio in the country, allowing teachers to give each student extra attention. is 16-to-1, while Vermont’s is 10.5-to-1.

States with the Worst Public Schools

On the opposite end, the five states with the worst public schools are New Mexico, Alaska, Louisiana, Arizona, and West Virginia.

Key Metrics and Rankings

The following tables provide a detailed breakdown of state rankings across various metrics:

Dropout Rate

Lowest: West Virginia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Massachusetts
Highest: Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, District of Columbia

Math Test Scores

Highest: Massachusetts, Utah, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey
Lowest: Arkansas, West Virginia, District of Columbia, Alaska, New Mexico

Reading Test Scores

Highest: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado, New Hampshire, Connecticut
Lowest: Delaware, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Alaska, New Mexico

Median SAT Score

Highest: Iowa, Kansas, Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska, Utah
Lowest: Delaware, Florida, West Virginia, District of Columbia, New Mexico

Median ACT Score

Highest: California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire
Lowest: Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Lowest: Vermont, District of Columbia, Maine, New Hampshire, New York
Highest: Florida, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona

% of Threatened/Injured High School Students

Lowest: Delaware, California, North Carolina, Maine, Massachusetts
Highest: Idaho, Texas, Kansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana

Bullying Incidence Rate

Lowest: District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Virginia
Highest: Iowa, Wyoming, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Massachusetts

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