As the U.S. president and Congress debate how much money will be spent on social services, education is a huge part of the debate. Will student loans be forgiven? When can schools safely reopen as the COVID-19 pandemic continues? The administration has proposed several hundred billion dollars to improve education results from kindergarten to community college to four-year institutions of higher education.
Ranking K-12 schools and colleges has become an industry unto itself. US News has made a major business from ranking colleges and universities. It has been joined by other evaluations from Niche, Forbes and the Princeton Review. Ratings of high schools also have emerged as a business. US News is a major force in these evaluations, along with TheBestSchools.org.
Scholarship portal Scholaroo has just released a study titled “2022 Student Success Rankings: States with Best & Worst School Systems.” The research has a complex methodology, which determines the strength of states based on a 100-point scale. The primary categories are “Student Success,” “Student Safety” and “School Quality.” Together, these categories are based on 42 metrics.
Student Success constitutes 50 of the 100-point rating. It included high school graduation and dropout rates, SAT scores, reading and math scores, and measures of how many students stay in school through high school graduation.
Student Quality makes up 30 of the 100 points. This includes measures of spending per pupil, pupil/teacher ratio, school ranking from independent researchers and the education level and salaries of teachers.
Student Safety includes measures of “bullying rates” and presence of illegal drugs, as well as data on robbery, the presence of weapons, rаpe, and other physical attacks.
The state with the best schools is Massachusetts, which has a score of 86.12. The primary reason is its number one ranking for the Student Success category. New Jersey and Connecticut follow, at 85.51 at 81.44, respectively. No other state has a score above 80.
At the low end of the list is Arizona at 51.56. It has unusually low scores across all three of the metrics.
Click here to see the states with America’s best schools
Source: tonda / Getty Images
50. Arizona
> Overall score: 51.56
> State ranking for Student Success: #46
> State ranking for School Quality: #50
> State ranking for Student Safety: #45
[in-text-ad]
Source: Jaimie Tuchman / Getty Images
49. Louisiana
> Overall score: 51.95
> State ranking for Student Success: #49
> State ranking for School Quality: #49
> State ranking for Student Safety: #38
24/7 Wall St.
Source: volvob12b / Flickr
48. Alaska
> Overall score: 53.98
> State ranking for Student Success: #48
> State ranking for School Quality: #39
> State ranking for Student Safety: #36
Source: Dean_Fikar / Getty Images
47. New Mexico
> Overall score: 54.30
> State ranking for Student Success: #50
> State ranking for School Quality: #24
> State ranking for Student Safety: #35
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: 4kodiak / Getty Images
46. Nevada
> Overall score: 56.73
> State ranking for Student Success: #47
> State ranking for School Quality: #42
> State ranking for Student Safety: #21
Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
45. Oklahoma
> Overall score: 56.92
> State ranking for Student Success: #45
> State ranking for School Quality: #46
> State ranking for Student Safety: #15
[in-text-ad]
Source: SpVVK / Getty Images
44. California
> Overall score: 58.55
> State ranking for Student Success: #20
> State ranking for School Quality: #37
> State ranking for Student Safety: #50
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
43. Alabama
> Overall score: 59.25
> State ranking for Student Success: #40
> State ranking for School Quality: #44
> State ranking for Student Safety: #29
Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
42. West Virginia
> Overall score: 59.38
> State ranking for Student Success: #44
> State ranking for School Quality: #27
> State ranking for Student Safety: #25
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
41. Mississippi
> Overall score: 59.61
> State ranking for Student Success: #43
> State ranking for School Quality: #43
> State ranking for Student Safety: #17
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
40. South Carolina
> Overall score: 60.48
> State ranking for Student Success: #42
> State ranking for School Quality: #17
> State ranking for Student Safety: #44
[in-text-ad]
Source: vkbhat / Getty Images
39. Idaho
> Overall score: 60.71
> State ranking for Student Success: #38
> State ranking for School Quality: #47
> State ranking for Student Safety: #10
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Nick Fox / Shutterstock.com
38. Montana
> Overall score: 61.21
> State ranking for Student Success: #29
> State ranking for School Quality: #41
> State ranking for Student Safety: #48
Source: Adam-Springer / Getty Images
37. Hawaii
> Overall score: 61.78
> State ranking for Student Success: #36
> State ranking for School Quality: #30
> State ranking for Student Safety: #41
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: ehrlif / Getty Images
36. Michigan
> Overall score: 61.94
> State ranking for Student Success: #32
> State ranking for School Quality: #25
> State ranking for Student Safety: #49
Source: RickSause / Getty Images
35. North Carolina
> Overall score: 62.14
> State ranking for Student Success: #31
> State ranking for School Quality: #40
> State ranking for Student Safety: #42
[in-text-ad]
Source: 4nadia / Getty Images
34. Oregon
> Overall score: 62.68
> State ranking for Student Success: #39
> State ranking for School Quality: #29
> State ranking for Student Safety: #23
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
33. Georgia
> Overall score: 63.27
> State ranking for Student Success: #41
> State ranking for School Quality: #15
> State ranking for Student Safety: #26
Source: BlazenImages / Getty Images
32. Arkansas
> Overall score: 64.17
> State ranking for Student Success: #35
> State ranking for School Quality: #28
> State ranking for Student Safety: #24
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
31. Tennessee
> Overall score: 64.39
> State ranking for Student Success: #33
> State ranking for School Quality: #35
> State ranking for Student Safety: #28
Source: marchello74 / Getty Images
30. Florida
> Overall score: 64.58
> State ranking for Student Success: #30
> State ranking for School Quality: #38
> State ranking for Student Safety: #18
[in-text-ad]
Source: pabradyphoto / Getty Images
29. South Dakota
> Overall score: 64.88
> State ranking for Student Success: #17
> State ranking for School Quality: #45
> State ranking for Student Safety: #32
Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images
28. Indiana
> Overall score: 64.89
> State ranking for Student Success: #25
> State ranking for School Quality: #36
> State ranking for Student Safety: #46
Source: csfotoimages / Getty Images
27. North Dakota
> Overall score: 65.65
> State ranking for Student Success: #24
> State ranking for School Quality: #34
> State ranking for Student Safety: #33
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: dszc / Getty Images
26. Texas
> Overall score: 65.82
> State ranking for Student Success: #37
> State ranking for School Quality: #22
> State ranking for Student Safety: #5
Source: Adventure_Photo / Getty Images
25. Utah
> Overall score: 66.09
> State ranking for Student Success: #11
> State ranking for School Quality: #48
> State ranking for Student Safety: #9
[in-text-ad]
Source: Cliff / Wikimedia Commons
24. Wyoming
> Overall score: 66.16
> State ranking for Student Success: #21
> State ranking for School Quality: #26
> State ranking for Student Safety: #39
Source: Pung / Shutterstock.com
23. Washington
> Overall score: 67.54
> State ranking for Student Success: #28
> State ranking for School Quality: #14
> State ranking for Student Safety: #14
Source: Planet Unicorn / Getty Images
22. Colorado
> Overall score: 68.01
> State ranking for Student Success: #19
> State ranking for School Quality: #33
> State ranking for Student Safety: #6
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Ronald E Grafe / Getty Images
21. Ohio
> Overall score: 68.02
> State ranking for Student Success: #34
> State ranking for School Quality: #13
> State ranking for Student Safety: #4
Source: benkrut / iStock
20. Kansas
> Overall score: 68.15
> State ranking for Student Success: #16
> State ranking for School Quality: #31
> State ranking for Student Safety: #12
[in-text-ad]
Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images
19. Kentucky
> Overall score: 68.34
> State ranking for Student Success: #22
> State ranking for School Quality: #23
> State ranking for Student Safety: #22
Source: benkrut / Getty Images
18. Missouri
> Overall score: 68.65
> State ranking for Student Success: #27
> State ranking for School Quality: #18
> State ranking for Student Safety: #3
Source: RudyBalasko / Getty Images
17. Illinois
> Overall score: 70.03
> State ranking for Student Success: #15
> State ranking for School Quality: #11
> State ranking for Student Safety: #47
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Paulaandreaonline / Getty Images
16. Maine
> Overall score: 70.45
> State ranking for Student Success: #12
> State ranking for School Quality: #21
> State ranking for Student Safety: #7
Source: KudicM / Getty Images
15. Iowa
> Overall score: 70.81
> State ranking for Student Success: #7
> State ranking for School Quality: #32
> State ranking for Student Safety: #27
[in-text-ad]
Source: ChrisBoswell / Getty Images
14. Nebraska
> Overall score: 71.93
> State ranking for Student Success: #9
> State ranking for School Quality: #19
> State ranking for Student Safety: #11
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
13. Wisconsin
> Overall score: 71.94
> State ranking for Student Success: #6
> State ranking for School Quality: #20
> State ranking for Student Safety: #31
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
12. Rhode Island
> Overall score: 72.16
> State ranking for Student Success: #23
> State ranking for School Quality: #5
> State ranking for Student Safety: #30
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
11. Pennsylvania
> Overall score: 72.24
> State ranking for Student Success: #18
> State ranking for School Quality: #10
> State ranking for Student Safety: #34
Source: Gian Lorenzo Ferretti Photography / Getty Images
10. Minnesota
> Overall score: 72.61
> State ranking for Student Success: #4
> State ranking for School Quality: #16
> State ranking for Student Safety: #43
[in-text-ad]
Source: AndreyKrav / Getty Images
9. Delaware
> Overall score: 74.07
> State ranking for Student Success: #26
> State ranking for School Quality: #6
> State ranking for Student Safety: #1
24/7 Wall St.
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
8. Maryland
> Overall score: 74.33
> State ranking for Student Success: #14
> State ranking for School Quality: #9
> State ranking for Student Safety: #16
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
7. Vermont
> Overall score: 74.82
> State ranking for Student Success: #10
> State ranking for School Quality: #8
> State ranking for Student Safety: #20
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
6. New Hampshire
> Overall score: 74.91
> State ranking for Student Success: #8
> State ranking for School Quality: #7
> State ranking for Student Safety: #37
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
5. Virginia
> Overall score: 75.59
> State ranking for Student Success: #5
> State ranking for School Quality: #12
> State ranking for Student Safety: #40
[in-text-ad]
Source: FilippoBacci / Getty Images
4. New York
> Overall score: 77.38
> State ranking for Student Success: #13
> State ranking for School Quality: #1
> State ranking for Student Safety: #19
24/7 Wall St.
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
3. Connecticut
> Overall score: 81.44
> State ranking for Student Success: #3
> State ranking for School Quality: #4
> State ranking for Student Safety: #13
Source: Creative-Family / Getty Images
2. New Jersey
> Overall score: 85.51
> State ranking for Student Success: #2
> State ranking for School Quality: #2
> State ranking for Student Safety: #2
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
1. Massachusetts
> Overall score: 86.12
> State ranking for Student Success: #1
> State ranking for School Quality: #3
> State ranking for Student Safety: #8
Sponsored: Want to Retire Early? Here’s a Great First Step
Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?
Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.
Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
