🎓
The Best States for Education (2026)
Education quality shapes economic opportunity and long-term prosperity. Our education score draws from WalletHub's Best School Systems 2026 ranking and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data. These sources evaluate K-12 performance, graduation rates, teacher quality, and school funding. Education accounts for 15% of our composite score. Northeastern states tend to lead in education quality, driven by higher per-pupil spending and stronger graduation rates. Several Midwestern states also perform well, while some Southern states are working to close achievement gaps.
Weight12%
National Avg54.0
💰 Economy🛡️ Safety🏥 Health🎓 Education💼 Fiscal Health📈 Growth🏠 Affordability🌿 Environment🏞️ Outdoor Access🚇 Transportation🎭 Livability
Education Score by State
| Rank | State | Grade | Education Score | Overall Score | Key Metrics | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | B+ | 100.0 | 70.3 | Education rank #1 of 50 | Northeast |
| 2 | Connecticut | A | 98.0 | 73.5 | Education rank #2 of 50 | Northeast |
| 3 | New Jersey | B | 95.9 | 65.1 | Education rank #3 of 50 | Northeast |
| 4 | Utah | A+ | 93.9 | 81.5 | Education rank #4 of 50 | West |
| 5 | New Hampshire | A+ | 91.8 | 86.6 | Education rank #5 of 50 | Northeast |
| 6 | South Dakota | A+ | 89.8 | 80.2 | Education rank #6 of 50 | Midwest |
| 7 | Minnesota | A+ | 87.8 | 77.1 | Education rank #7 of 50 | Midwest |
| 8 | Rhode Island | B+ | 85.7 | 69.3 | Education rank #8 of 50 | Northeast |
| 9 | Nebraska | A | 83.7 | 74.5 | Education rank #9 of 50 | Midwest |
| 10 | North Dakota | A | 81.6 | 77.1 | Education rank #10 of 50 | Midwest |
| 11 | Virginia | A | 81.6 | 74.3 | Education rank #10 of 50 | South |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | B | 79.6 | 58.2 | Education rank #11 of 50 | Northeast |
| 13 | Iowa | B+ | 77.6 | 68.7 | Education rank #12 of 50 | Midwest |
| 14 | Maine | A | 75.5 | 76.8 | Education rank #13 of 50 | Northeast |
| 15 | Vermont | A+ | 73.5 | 77.5 | Education rank #14 of 50 | Northeast |
| 16 | Colorado | B+ | 73.5 | 67.4 | Education rank #14 of 50 | West |
| 17 | Illinois | C+ | 71.4 | 50.5 | Education rank #15 of 50 | Midwest |
| 18 | Kansas | B | 69.4 | 59.5 | Education rank #16 of 50 | Midwest |
| 19 | Maryland | B+ | 67.3 | 66.9 | Education rank #17 of 50 | Northeast |
| 20 | Hawaii | B | 65.3 | 64.8 | Education rank #18 of 50 | West |
| 21 | Wisconsin | B | 65.3 | 63.7 | Education rank #18 of 50 | Midwest |
| 22 | Oregon | B | 63.3 | 60.0 | Education rank #19 of 50 | West |
| 23 | Montana | B+ | 61.2 | 70.8 | Education rank #20 of 50 | West |
| 24 | New York | B | 59.2 | 56.8 | Education rank #21 of 50 | Northeast |
| 25 | Washington | B | 57.1 | 63.2 | Education rank #22 of 50 | West |
| 26 | Florida | C+ | 57.1 | 51.7 | Education rank #22 of 50 | South |
| 27 | Ohio | C+ | 55.1 | 49.1 | Education rank #23 of 50 | Midwest |
| 28 | Michigan | C | 53.1 | 45.0 | Education rank #24 of 50 | Midwest |
| 29 | Indiana | C+ | 51.0 | 49.6 | Education rank #25 of 50 | Midwest |
| 30 | Delaware | C+ | 49.0 | 52.4 | Education rank #26 of 50 | Northeast |
| 31 | California | C | 46.9 | 42.9 | Education rank #27 of 50 | West |
| 32 | Missouri | C+ | 44.9 | 48.7 | Education rank #28 of 50 | Midwest |
| 33 | Georgia | C+ | 42.9 | 51.3 | Education rank #29 of 50 | South |
| 34 | Idaho | B+ | 40.8 | 69.2 | Education rank #30 of 50 | West |
| 35 | North Carolina | C+ | 38.8 | 53.5 | Education rank #31 of 50 | South |
| 36 | Wyoming | B+ | 36.7 | 68.2 | Education rank #32 of 50 | West |
| 37 | Tennessee | C | 34.7 | 45.3 | Education rank #33 of 50 | South |
| 38 | Texas | C | 32.7 | 45.9 | Education rank #34 of 50 | South |
| 39 | Kentucky | D | 28.6 | 38.0 | Education rank #36 of 50 | South |
| 40 | South Carolina | C | 26.5 | 43.2 | Education rank #37 of 50 | South |
| 41 | Oklahoma | C | 22.4 | 41.8 | Education rank #39 of 50 | South |
| 42 | Alabama | C | 18.4 | 39.4 | Education rank #41 of 50 | South |
| 43 | Louisiana | F | 16.3 | 25.2 | Education rank #42 of 50 | South |
| 44 | Arkansas | F | 14.3 | 29.9 | Education rank #43 of 50 | South |
| 45 | New Mexico | D | 12.2 | 32.6 | Education rank #44 of 50 | West |
| 46 | Arizona | C | 10.2 | 44.3 | Education rank #45 of 50 | West |
| 47 | Nevada | D | 8.2 | 39.2 | Education rank #46 of 50 | West |
| 48 | West Virginia | D | 6.1 | 32.5 | Education rank #47 of 50 | South |
| 49 | Mississippi | D | 4.1 | 31.4 | Education rank #48 of 50 | South |
| 50 | Alaska | D | 0.0 | 39.3 | Education rank #50 of 50 | West |
Top 10 States for Education
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best state for education in 2026?
Massachusetts has the best education system in 2026, followed by Connecticut and New Jersey, based on NAEP scores and WalletHub data.
Which states have the worst schools?
The lowest-ranked states for education in 2026 are Alaska, Mississippi, and West Virginia, based on K-12 performance and graduation rates.
How is the education score calculated?
The education score draws from WalletHub's Best School Systems and NAEP test score data, evaluating K-12 performance, graduation rates, and teacher quality. Education carries a 15% weight.
Explore Other Categories
Data Sources
📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (Dec 2025)📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024📎FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2024📎America's Health Rankings, 2025📎WalletHub/NAEP, 2025📎U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024📎Cook Political Report, PVI 2024📎Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2025📎ALEC Rich States Poor States, 2025📎WalletHub Tax Burden Study, 2025📎U.S. Census Bureau / FHFA, 2025📎BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023📎EPA AirData, Median AQI by County 2024📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024📎FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, 2025📎U.S. Census Bureau, Net Domestic Migration 2024📎FCC / BroadbandNow, Broadband Access 2025📎National Park Service API, 2024📎USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US), 2024📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (Commuting)📎FHWA Highway Statistics, 2023📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024📎EIA Natural Gas Prices, 2024📎DOL National Database of Childcare Prices, 2023📎BEA Regional Price Parities (Food), 2023📎NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), 2023-24📎EDFacts ACGR Graduation Rates, 2021-22📎NCES School District Finance Survey (F-33), 2022-23📎BEA GDP by State (SAGDP9), 2023📎NASBO Fiscal Survey of States, FY2023📎Census Bureau State Government Finances, FY2022📎Pew Charitable Trusts Fiscal 50, FY2023📎Pew Charitable Trusts, FY2022📎S&P/Moody's via Ballotpedia, 2025📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES (May 2023)📎IRS Statistics of Income, Migration Data 2021-2022