This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.
The numbers are in that indicate how well the education system in the United States is serving its students. Education Week released its 17th annual ratings for the quality of education in each of the 50 states, awarding letter grades to schools similar to those found on student report cards. Unfortunately, the report card indicated there was still plenty of work to do for most states across the country, with an average national grade of a C+ overall. However, there were a number of bright spots across the survey as well, particularly in the top-rated states where education appeared to be thriving in many ways. These rankings are historical and should not be interpreted as current 2026 state rankings. Public School Review's Public School Rankings: Are They Accurate in 2026? provides additional context on interpreting current school rankings.
“Quality Counts”
The survey, titled “Quality Counts,” used six key metrics to grade the quality of education in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The metrics were as follows:
- K-12 Achievement
- Assessment and Accountability
- Transitions and Alignment
- Standards
- Students’ Chances for Long-Term Success
- The Teaching Profession
Within these six metrics were more than 100 indicators that included such factors as graduation rates, education funding, and achievement gaps, according to reports on the survey. Data was collected from sources like the U.S. Department of Education and the Census Bureau to compile these rankings.
For current comparisons, the National Center for Education Statistics provides state-level results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, including the latest 2024 state assessment results.
Interesting Note on Findings
When discussions on education quality arise, many of them tend to center on school funding. The general school of thought is that the more money that is pumped into public schools, the higher the education quality will be. However, the numbers in this survey suggest this is not always the case.
The survey found that while some states with the most funding received high marks, others did not. At the same time, states with the lowest amount of funding did tend to receive lower marks overall, but some of those states, such as Texas, actually made it to the top of the rankings. While funding does appear to play a role in the quality of education, it is not the make-or-break factor that some believe. Along with a minimum threshold of per-student funding, it appears schools must be committed to other areas of raising the education bar if the level of education is to achieve a certain level for students.
The funding figures from the original survey are now historical. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, public school current spending per pupil nationwide reached $17,619 in fiscal year 2024, up 6.6 percent from $16,526 in fiscal year 2023. The Census Bureau notes that these figures are not adjusted for inflation or differences in the cost of living. Public School Review's How Are U.S. Public Schools Doing in 2026? provides additional context on current academic performance and school funding.
Another metric used in this survey appeared to be more consistent throughout the states with the highest level of education quality. Those that fared well on transitions and alignment seemed to receive high marks overall, while those that did not make high grades tended to score low in this particular area as well. Transitions and alignment refers to the ability of schools in the state to prepare students for the next step in the academic process. For example, how well students moved from pre-K to kindergarten, from middle school to high school, and from high school to college or the professional world. This relatively new metric appeared to be a key component in the success of a state’s public education system.
And the Winners Are…
The top five states for education that year, according to the Education Week survey, included:
- Massachusetts – scored 74.74% (B)
- Connecticut – scored 69.29% (C+)
- New Jersey – scored 67.41% (C+)
- New Hampshire – scored 63.63% (C)
- Wisconsin – scored 60.57% (C-)
These rankings have been updated with 2026 stats.
As the top-rated state, Maryland came in 16th for per-student funding, with $12,953 spent on each student. The state also came in 13th for graduation rates, with 77.9 percent of its students graduating on time from the state’s high schools. Massachusetts and New York both had higher graduation rates, at 79.1 percent and 78.4 percent, respectively. Virginia and Arkansas each spent much less per student than Maryland, at $9,786 and $11,275, respectively.
Maryland scored a number of “A’s” in that year’s survey, in areas like early foundations and adult outcomes. The state also fared very well in standards, school accountability, transitions and alignment, early childhood education and college and workforce readiness.
“Every year, there’s a challenge to sustain the big investment we’ve made in education,” Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley told the Washington Post. “But when you see the results, and the greater number of kids graduating and taking AP courses and entering kindergarten ready to learn, those accomplishments make it a little easier to justify and defend the investment.”
Massachusetts also earned a number of “A’s” in various areas, including early foundations, chance for success and adult outcomes. The state performed well in school accountability and workforce readiness as well. However, the transitions and alignment grade for Massachusetts was a “C,” early childhood education was a “C-,” and college readiness received a barely passing grade of “D-.” It appeared clear where this state needed to focus efforts in the future to raise its top grade even higher.
Bottom of the Survey
The five states at the bottom of that year’s Education Week survey included:
- West Virginia – scored 40.72% (F)
- Oregon – scored 40.10% (F)
- Oklahoma – scored 38.73% (F)
- Alaska – scored 34.68% (F)
- New Mexico – scored 29.96% (F)
These rankings have been updated with 2026 stats.
Most of these states were also ranked low in terms of graduation rates and per-pupil expenditures. Nevada had the lowest graduation rate in the country, with just 59.2 percent of students earning their high school diplomas on time. Exceptions included South Dakota, which was the 21st highest in terms of per-pupil expenditures at $11,859, and Alaska, with the third-highest per-pupil expenditure at $16,675.
Current graduation figures are considerably different. The National Center for Education Statistics reports a national public high school averaged a freshman graduation rate of 87.4 percent for the 2022-23 school year, the latest year in that table. Public School Review's Graduation Rates on the Rise at Public Schools Nationwide provides additional context on graduation trends.
The original survey found that states were improving their quality of education overall, although improvements appeared to be somewhat slower than educators and lawmakers would like. The complete historical rankings remain useful as a snapshot of state education systems at the time, while current achievement, graduation, and funding data should be used to evaluate conditions in 2026. Public School Review's When a Higher-Rated School Isn't the Better Fit also explains why families should consider factors beyond rankings when evaluating a public school.
