The 10 best states for public schools are in: Here's who came out on top

Massachusetts has the best public school system in the United States, while New Mexico ranks last, according to WalletHub's 2026 report comparing K-12 education across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The annual study evaluated school systems using 32 metrics measuring both educational quality and student safety.

The report places Connecticut second overall, followed by New Jersey, Virginia, and New Hampshire, giving the Northeast four of the nation's top five school systems. At the opposite end of the rankings, New Mexico was followed by Oklahoma, Alaska, Arizona, and Oregon as the five lowest-performing school systems.

WalletHub based its rankings on two broad categories: educational quality, which accounted for 80% of the final score, and school safety, which made up the remaining 20%. Researchers analyzed standardized test scores, graduation rates, class sizes, teacher credentials, Advanced Placement performance, school funding, bullying, violence, and campus safety indicators.

"Getting enough funding is essential for a productive school system, but simply having more money doesn't guarantee success," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. "How funds are applied also plays a big role in how good a school system is, as does the quality of educators, other professionals and the curriculum."

Massachusetts earned the top spot after leading the nation in fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading scores. The state also has the highest percentage of students scoring at least a 3 on Advanced Placement exams and ranked among the safest school systems, with relatively low rates of students reporting weapons, physical fights and illegal drugs on school campuses.

Connecticut, the nation's second-ranked school system, stood out for having some of the country's highest ACT scores, while New Jersey ranked third thanks to strong reading and math performance and one of the highest concentrations of nationally recognized public schools. Virginia and New Hampshire rounded out the top five.

Top 10 public school systems in the U.S.

1. Massachusetts
2. Connecticut
3. New Jersey
4. Virginia
5. New Hampshire
6. Wisconsin
7. Rhode Island
8. Indiana
9. Maryland
10. New York

Florida ranked 21st overall. While the Sunshine State finished ninth nationally for school safety, it ranked just 27th for educational quality. Florida also had the country's 47th-highest pupil-to-teacher ratio, meaning classrooms tend to be larger than in most other states.

California ranked 30th overall despite being the only state where the average public school teacher earns more than $100,000 annually, highlighting that higher spending or salaries do not necessarily translate into better educational outcomes.

The District of Columbia finished 24th overall. Although it ranked only 21st in educational quality, it performed better in several safety measures and had one of the nation's lowest pupil-to-teacher ratios.

Bottom 10 public school systems

1. Hawaii
2. Alabama
3. Louisiana
4. West Virginia
5. Nevada
6. Oregon
7. Arizona
8. Alaska
9. Oklahoma
10. New Mexico

New Mexico received the lowest overall score after ranking last in educational quality. According to WalletHub, the state posted the nation's lowest math and reading scores and ranked near the bottom in several other academic indicators, although it did not finish last in school safety.

The study underscores the sharp differences in educational opportunities across the country. While many of the highest-ranked states are concentrated in the Northeast, the lowest-performing systems are largely found in the South and West, reflecting persistent disparities in academic achievement, classroom resources and student outcomes.

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