12 States Where Students Receive an Above Average Education
The education Americans receive, from childhood through college, plays a crucial role in shaping their futures. However, the quality of education varies widely across the country.
To determine the best states for education, U.S. News & World Report analyzed metrics tied to higher education and pre-kindergarten through high school. They also took into account the percentage of Americans holding college degrees, college graduation rates, cost of in-state tuition, and graduate debt.
Under Consideration
For pre-K through kindergarten, U.S. News looked at preschool enrollment, standardized test scores among eighth-graders, high school graduation rate, and college readiness. They averaged the scores between these attributes and grade levels to determine the following top states for education.
1: Florida
With Florida’s egregious news headlines, it may be a surprise that it snagged the top spot for education. But The Sunshine State’s relatively affordable tuition and fees, two- and four-year graduation rates, and low debt at graduation have earned it the number one spot in higher education overall and fourteenth spot for pre-K through high school.
2: New Jersey
New Jersey is another state whose reputation precedes it, but it ranks highly in multiple key education categories. According to U.S. News, it ranks number one in the country for National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading Scores, number three for preschool enrollment and college readiness, and number four for high school graduation rate.
3: Massachusetts
Massachusetts rounds out the top three best states for education. Education is one of Massachusetts’ top employment fields, and its students rank highly for NAEP Math and Reading test scores. The Bay State also breaks the top five states for college readiness and preschool enrollment.
4: Colorado
Colorado is the eighth largest state in the US and has exceptional scores in higher education. It has the second-highest rate of citizens holding a college degree and the third-highest two-year college graduation rate.
5: Utah
If you go to college or university in Utah, chances are it won’t be as much of a financial burden. It ranked number one in the nation for low debt at graduation and number four for low tuition and fees. It also ranked among the top ten in pre-K through high school education.
6: Wisconsin
Hello, Wisconsin. The cheesy state has a lot of math-wiz students, ranking fifth in the country for NAEP Math test scores. Wisconsin’s solid educational ranking also comes from its higher-than-average high school graduation rate.
7: Nebraska
As part of the Great Plains, Nebraska’s larger cities are few and far between, but the state still landed among the top ten for the best education in the US. The Cornhusker State ranked eleventh in pre-K through high school and higher education. It also boasted excellent preschool enrollment and a high two-year college graduation rate.
8: Connecticut
Connecticut is proof that when you start education early, it can pay dividends later in life. Home to Yale University, The Constitution State ranked number one in both college readiness and preschool enrollment. It also broke the top five for NAEP Reading test scores.
9: New York
New York is another northeastern state with high-quality education across the board. A large preschool enrollment and many citizens with a college degree make New York a great place to learn.
10: Washington
Washington state comes in at number two in the country for higher education. With well-renowned schools like the University of Washington and Gonzaga University, it ranks in the top ten for affordable tuition and fees, low debt at graduation, and a high two-year graduation rate.
11: Virginia
Raising a family in Virginia means providing your children with a high-quality education, according to SmartAsset’s data. The Old Dominion State’s four-year college graduation rate ranks third in the country, and many residents hold college degrees.
12: Illinois
Illinois educators do an extraordinary job preparing their students for higher education. It earned second place for college readiness and ranked highly in the preschool enrollment category.
Worst Ranking State
New Mexico is the worst state in the country for education, according to SmartAsset’s data. It comes in 50th place for pre-K to twelfth grade education, and 24th place for higher education.
Runners Up
Parents with children, beware. Alaska, Oklahoma, and West Virginia are the second to fourth worst states for education, respectively.
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Whether you dream of being in the top 1% or think you might already be there, one thing is certain: The income a household makes to be in the top 1% club varies by state. Here’s how much you need to make to have a higher income than 99% of Americans.
