FILE-A teacher interacts with students virtually while sitting in an empty classroom. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
Parents placing their children in good schools can go a long way in setting them up for success.
A major step for parents securing the right school is predicated on their neighborhood school systems that provide suitable resources for their kids' development.
In a new report, WalletHub takes a deeper dive into the best and worst school systems in the U.S. The personal finance website collected data by comparing 50 states and Washington, D.C. using 32 key metrics.
Best school systems in the U.S.
Local perspective:
WalletHub created its ranking of best and worst states using two key criteria, "quality" and "safety." These categories were measured using 32 metrics which were graded on a 100-point scale, with a perfect score representing the highest quality of public K–12 education.
1. Massachusetts
2. Connecticut
3. New Jersey
4. New Hampshire
5. Wisconsin
6. Virginia
7. Vermont
8. New York
9. Rhode Island
10. North Dakota
Worst school systems in the U.S.
1. New Mexico
2. Alaska
3. Oklahoma
4. Oregon
5. West Virginia
6. Arizona
7. Nevada
8. Louisiana
9. Alabama
10. Hawaii
See the complete list of rankings here.
An analysis of the states with the best school systems
Dig deeper:
WalletHub ranked Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey as the top three states with the best school systems. Here’s a breakdown of each state’s ranking.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts topped WalletHub’s list as the state with the best school systems, with the state ranking first in the U.S. in core academic subjects in 2026: fourth and eighth grade math and reading scores.
According to WalletHub, the state has the highest number of students in the nation who received a score of 3 or better on an AP exam, which is a high school class with college-level work that is scored on a scale of 1–5.
Massachusetts also has the fifth-lowest number of students who report being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, the third-lowest number who have been in a physical fight at school and the fourth-lowest number who report illegal drugs available on school grounds.
Connecticut
Connecticut ranked second on the list of the best school systems in the U.S. with public schools in the state ranking in the top 700 public schools nationwide, the fifth-highest percentage in the nation.
Meanwhile, the state also has the seventh-highest number of students who received a 3 or higher on an AP exam.
The state also is one of the best school systems for safety and is one of only 17 states that require regular audits of school safety. Additionally, Connecticut has the lowest occurrence of illegal drugs on school property, the second-lowest youth incarceration rate and the sixth-lowest number of students who have carried any type of weapon on school grounds.
New Jersey
New Jersey is third on WalletHub’s list based in part on its digital learning plan that supports technology integration in education. The report noted that the state has the second-best reading test scores and fifth-best math scores for both fourth and eighth graders.
And it also has the third-highest number of students scoring at least a 3 on AP exams. Furthermore, the state has the fourth-best number of public schools that rank in the top 700 nationwide.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by WalletHub, which ranked the best and worst states for school systems by comparing 50 states and Washington, D.C. across key metrics, which were graded on a 100-point scale. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.