FILE - Children listen to their teacher as they sit in a classroom. (Photo by MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images)
Choosing a new place to live is a daunting task already, but when your kids’ education is added to the mix, it can be a lot of pressure.
While many parents may want to pay for private or live in an area that can offer their kids the best education, that is not always accessible. For most families, public education is the only (but still good) option.
The quality of public school systems varies widely from state to state.
WalletHub ranked the states that had the best and least best schools.
States were ranked based on 32 relevant metrics, which included safety, overall quality, test scores, and more.
Where did your state rank?
Dig deeper:
The top three states with the best public schools were Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey, respectively.
Massachusetts boasts some of the best testing scores in the country and ranks first in the nation in all core academic subjects this year: fourth and eighth grade math and reading scores, according to WalletHub.
In addition to having schools with high academic standings, Massachusetts schools are generally safe.
Connecticut had the second-best ACT scores in the United States, as well as having the third-highest share of students who received a 3 or higher on an AP exam.
New Jersey had the second-best reading test scores and fifth-best math scores for both fourth and eighth graders. New Jersey also had the third-best share of public schools that rank in the top 700 nationwide, at around 8.6%.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from a WalletHub study that used data collected on June 23, 2025, from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Education, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Center for Education Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Education Commission of the States, U.S. News & World Report, College Board, ACT, State Educational Technology Directors Association, Civil Rights Data Collection, Riedman, David (2025) K-12 School Shooting Database and Zendrive.