At a time when parents are facing difficult decisions about when and where to send their children to school, a new study by WalletHub points to the wide variance in quality among the nation's state public school systems.
The personal finance website evaluated all states and the District of Columbia on the quality and safety of their school systems, using 33 metrics to rank them from the best to the worst.
The study looked at school system performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials, according to WalletHub.
The report noted that the quality of public schools is an important issue since most people can't afford private schools.
"Based on how schools handle coronavirus, some parents may decide to move their children to different schools in the future. Unfortunately, most parents can’t afford to place their children in exclusive, private or preparatory schools that give their students greater individual attention," the report said. "For the majority of U.S. families, public education is the only option. But the quality of public school systems varies widely from state to state and is often a question of funding."
The following state public school systems, in ascending order, were deemed the best by WalletHub:
10. Maryland
The state's school systems ranked 11th for quality and ninth for safety.
9. Delaware
Delaware's schools have the second-lowest bullying incidence rate in the nation behind the District of Columbia. The state ranks 15th in school quality and second for school safety.
8. Wisconsin
The state's students are tied for first in the nation for the highest median SAT score. The state's schools rank fifth for quality and 24th for safety.
7. Minnesota
The state's students have the nation's second-highest math test scores and are tied for first for the highest median SAT score. Minnesota schools rank sixth for quality and 22nd for safety.
6. New Hampshire
New Hampshire schools have the fifth-lowest pupil-teacher ratio, as well as the nation's fourth-highest reading test scores. It is tied for second for the highest median ACT score. State schools rank seventh for quality and sixth for safety.
5. Vermont
Vermont schools have the nation's lowest pupil-teacher ratio and are tied for first for the lowest percentage of threatened/injured high school students. Vermont schools rank eighth for quality and fourth for safety.
4. Virginia
The state's schools have the fourth-highest math test scores and fourth-lowest bullying rate. The system ranks fourth for quality and third for safety.
3. New Jersey
Schools in New Jersey have the nation's second-lowest dropout rate, the third-highest math scores, the second-highest reading scores and the fourth-lowest pupil-teacher ratios; they are tied for fourth for the highest median ACT score. The state ranks third for quality and 15th for safety.
2. Connecticut
State schools have the nation's best median ACT score and the third-highest reading test scores. They rank second in the nation for quality and 19th for safety.
1. Massachusetts
Students in the state top the nation in both math and reading test scores, and they're tied for second for the highest median ACT score. The state also has the lowest percentage of threatened/injured high school students and fifth-lowest bullying rate. State schools rank first in quality and first in safety.
The full report can be viewed here.
