The United States is home to a wide variety of educational systems, ranging from top-notch to subpar. According to WalletHub's comprehensive analysis of public schools in every state, Massachusetts was ranked as having the best public education system in all U. S. states.
On the other end of the spectrum, Alabama and New Mexico ranked lower, with Alabama coming in at 49th and New Mexico at 50th for preschool education through twelfth grade. WalletHub's analysis is more comprehensive than other research on the best schools, considering performance, safety, class size, funding, and instructor credentials. The states with the best school systems, in order, are Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Delaware, and Maryland. These states are found both in the states with the highest educational level and in the states with the best school systems. The US News and World Report rankings also analyzed how well states are educating their students in preschool, elementary and secondary and higher education.
Florida is ranked 42nd in the country's overall education ranking due to its low quality education system and its students being among the least academically successful in the entire country. Massachusetts has the highest-ranked public schools in the United States and is the second highest-ranked state for higher education. Other states that ranked lower than Massachusetts include Alabama (49th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 47th in higher education), New Mexico (50th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 29th in higher education), Louisiana (46th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 49th in higher education), Alaska (47th in pre-K to 12th grade and 36th in higher education), Mississippi (45th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 33rd in higher education), Nevada (48th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 18th in higher education), West Virginia (42nd in preschool education through twelfth grade and 45th in higher education), South Carolina (41st in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and 46th in higher education), Arkansas (40th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 40th in higher education), Rhode Island (36th between preschool and 12th grade and 48th in higher education), Arizona (44th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 24th in higher education), Oklahoma (43rd in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade and 28th in higher education), Kentucky (32nd in preschool education through twelfth grade and 43rd in higher education), Michigan (29th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 42nd in higher education), Delaware (39th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 22nd in higher education), Tennessee (38th in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade and 23rd in higher education), Texas (33rd in preschool education through twelfth grade and 32nd in higher education), Idaho (26th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 35th in higher education), Pennsylvania (10th in preschool education through twelfth grade and 50th in higher education).Ohio ranked 18th between pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade and 38th for higher education. Georgia ranked 31st for preschool to 12th grade and 25th for higher learning. Hawaii ranked 30th for pre-K to 12th grade and 21st for higher learning.
Maine ranked sixth between pre-K to 12th grade and 34th for higher learning. Missouri ranked 21st between pre-K to 12th grade and 26th for higher learning. Montana ranked 20th for pre-K to 12th grade and 19th for higher learning. North Carolina ranked 28th between pre-K to 12th grade and 12th for higher learning. Indiana ranked 6th between pre-K to 12grade and 39th for higher learning. Delaware ranked 24th between pre-K to 12grade and 16th for higher learning.
New York ranked 25 between pre-K to 12grade and 15 for higher learning. California ranked 37 between pre-K to 12grade and fourth for higher learning. North Dakota ranked 35 between pre-K to 12grade and fifth for higher learning. Illinois ranked seventh between pre-K to 12grade and 31st for higher learning. South Dakota ranked 23rd between pre-K to 12grade and tenth for higher learning.
Minnesota ranked 12 between pre-K to 12grade and 20 for higher learning. Wyoming ranked 34 between pre-K to 12grade and third for higher learning. Kansas ranked 15 between pre-K to 12grade and 13 for higher learning. Wisconsin ranked 16 between pre-K to 12grade and eleventh for higher learning. Maryland ranked 11 between pre-K to 12grade and 17 for higher learning.
Connecticut ranked fifth between pre-K to 12grade and 44 for higher learning. Colorado ranked 14 between pre-K to 12grade and ninth for higher learning. Utah ranked 22nd between pre-K to 12grade and sixth for higher learning. Iowa ranked 13 between pre-K to 12grade and eighth for higher learning. Vermont ranked fourth between pre-K to 12grade and 41st for higher learning. Virginia ranked eighth between pre-K to 12grade and 14 for higher learning.
Nebraska ranked ninth between pre-K to 12grade and seventh for higher learning. New Hampshire ranked third between pre-K to 12grade and 37 for higher learning. Washington ranked 19 between pre-K to 12grade and second for higher learning. Florida is at the bottom of the list when it comes to overall educational ranking, coming it at 50 out of all US states with its low quality educational system that produces some of the least academically successful students across the country.
Primary and secondary educational paths cover from kindergarten up until twelfth grade, encompassing years of primary as well as secondary schooling.
