For the third year in a row, Massachusetts has the best school systems in the nation, according to WalletHub’s 2024 States with the Best & Worst School Systems report.
Selecting the right schools is high on the list of priorities for homebuyers with families, making it crucial for them to find a school system that offers the resources to help their children excel both academically and emotionally.
WalletHub compared public school systems in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across 32 key metrics based on quality and safety, including performance, funding, class size and instructor credentials.
“Getting enough funding is essential for a productive school system, but simply having more money doesn’t guarantee success,” said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub analyst. “How funds are applied also plays a big role in how good a school system is, as does the quality of educators, other professionals and the curriculum. In addition, schools need to focus not just on test scores but also on making sure that students feel safe, comfortable and cared for.”
Once again, Massachusetts came out on top, nabbing the No. 1 spot with a score of 74.36, taking first place for quality and second for safety.
The Bay State also ranked No. 1 for math test scores and reading test scores. It tied for first in ACT test scores with Connecticut and Washington, D.C. Massachusetts also had the fifth-lowest percentage of threatened/injured high school students in the study.
Massachusetts also took the No. 1 spot for eighth-grade math and fourth-grade reading scores, and ranked No. 2 for fourth-grade math and eighth-grade reading. It also had the highest percentage of students in the U.S. who scored 3 or higher on an AP exam.
When it comes to safety, Bay State schools also fared well.
Massachusetts ranks fifth in the nation for the lowest percentage of students who report being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, third for the fewest students involved in physical fights at school and fourth for the lowest availability of illegal drugs on school grounds.
Connecticut took second place on the list, followed by Maryland, New Jersey and Wisconsin.
Last year Boston was named one of the most educated cities in America in WalletHub’s 2023 Most and Least Educated Cities in America list, ranking seventh among the 150 largest metros across the nation.