States with the Best & Worst School Systems (2026)

Securing a child’s academic success begins with choosing the right schools. It’s important for parents to find a school system that will provide their children with all the resources they need to thrive, both academically and emotionally.

To determine the top-performing school systems in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 32 key metrics. Unlike other research that focuses primarily on academic outcomes or school finance, WalletHub’s analysis takes a more comprehensive approach. It accounts for performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials.

States With the Best School Systems

1. Massachusetts
2. Connecticut
3. New Jersey
4. New Hampshire
5. Wisconsin

Main Findings

Public School Ranking by State

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

In-Depth Look at the States With the Best School Systems

Massachusetts

Massachusetts is the state with the best school systems, boasting some of the best test scores in the country. Massachusetts ranks first in the nation in all core academic subjects this year: fourth and eighth grade math and reading scores.

Students at the high school level also do well, as Massachusetts has the highest share of students in the country who received a score of 3 or better on an AP exam. AP exams are high school classes with college-level work that are scored on a scale of 1-5.

In addition, schools in Massachusetts are generally safe. Massachusetts has the fifth-lowest share of students who report being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, the third-lowest share who have been in a physical fight at school and the fourth-lowest share who report illegal drugs being available to them on school property.

Connecticut

Connecticut has the second-best school systems in the U.S., boasting some of the best ACT test scores in the country. In addition, around 7.4% of Connecticut public schools are in the top 700 public schools nationwide, the fifth-highest percentage in the country. On top of that, the state has the seventh-highest share of students who received a 3 or higher on an AP exam. Connecticut also makes time in the classroom easier for both teachers and students with the seventh-best pupil-to-teacher ratio in the country.

Another area where Connecticut stands out is safety. The Constitution State is one of only 17 states that require regular audits of school safety. Additionally, Connecticut has the lowest prevalence of illegal drugs on school property, the second-lowest youth incarceration rate and the sixth-lowest share of students who have carried any kind of weapon on school property.

New Jersey

New Jersey has the third-best school systems in the country. It has a dedicated digital learning plan that supports technology integration in education. It also has the eighth-best pupil-to-teacher ratio in the nation, highlighting the importance of accessible digital resources for students.

When it comes to test results, New Jersey has the second-best reading test scores and fifth-best math scores for both fourth and eighth graders. It also has the third-highest share of students scoring at least a 3 on AP exams.

To top things off, New Jersey has the fourth-best share of public schools that rank in the top 700 nationwide, at around 8.5%.

Note: Spending Ranking refers to “Total Current Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Day Schools per Student” (Highest Amount = Rank 1)

The methodology can be found on the full version of the article on WalletHub.