School Quality by State: Ranked by Student Outcomes
Published March 28, 2026 · NCES / EDFacts data
School quality varies dramatically across U.S. states. The gap between the highest- and lowest-performing states is enormous when measured by proficiency rates and graduation data. Here are all 50 states ranked by average school outcomes.
State Rankings by Average Proficiency
| Rank | State | Avg Proficiency | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 59.7% | 500 |
| 2 | Vermont | 56.6% | 289 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 56.3% | 2,509 |
| 4 | South Dakota | 56.3% | 698 |
| 5 | Utah | 56.2% | 1,068 |
| 6 | North Dakota | 55.8% | 499 |
| 7 | Wyoming | 54.5% | 351 |
| 8 | Maine | 54.2% | 570 |
| 9 | Idaho | 54.1% | 778 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 53.4% | 1,010 |
| 11 | Connecticut | 53.4% | 1,005 |
| 12 | Iowa | 53.3% | 1,326 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 53.0% | 2,205 |
| 14 | Ohio | 52.8% | 3,586 |
| 15 | Colorado | 51.4% | 1,923 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 51.4% | 309 |
| 17 | Hawaii | 50.8% | 295 |
| 18 | Kansas | 50.4% | 1,354 |
| 19 | Delaware | 50.0% | 223 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 49.9% | 1,844 |
What Drives State Differences
Three factors explain most of the variation: funding levels (higher-spending states tend to have better outcomes, though the relationship is not linear), socioeconomic demographics (states with higher poverty rates face steeper challenges), and policy choices (curriculum standards, teacher certification, and accountability systems matter).
For individual school rankings, see best public schools 2026. For charter school analysis, see charter vs. public schools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut consistently rank among the top states for public school performance based on NAEP scores and proficiency rates.
States in the Deep South and parts of the Southwest tend to rank lowest on student outcome measures. However, state averages mask enormous variation, every state has both excellent and struggling schools.
Different ranking systems use different metrics. Some weight spending or teacher qualifications (inputs), while OpenSchoolData focuses on student outcomes (outputs). Rankings also differ based on whether they adjust for demographics and socioeconomic factors.
About This Data
School data from NCES Common Core of Data via Urban Institute Education Data API. See our methodology.
Real federal data: NCES CCD enrollment (2022), EDFacts proficiency rates (2020, district-level), EDFacts graduation rates (2019, district-level).