A Ranking of the States’ Educational Systems

We will take a quick look at education rates and how they affect the economy of a state.

Education is absolutely required in order to climb the economic ladder. People in the United States who have a college degree earn more than $30,000 annually than their counterparts who simply have a high school diploma. Because education is so important to have a successful career, many people believe that kids should be provided with the education they require in order to perform at an adequate level. A step beyond equal education, equity in education ensures that all students receive the same amount of funding for their respective institutions.

Equal Treatment in the Classroom

If there isn't a focus on equity in education, it can contribute to structural inequality. Children who do not get a head start in life will not be as successful as their classmates who have had a higher level of education. As a direct consequence of this, they will be unable to provide an affordable and high-quality education for their children. It sets off a cascading effect that further exacerbates wealth inequality. However, the educational attainment levels of people in each state vary greatly from one another. The robustness of the economy of the state is one factor contributing to the disparity. Another factor is the amount of money that individual states put into their educational systems. However, the investment is not sufficient. Additionally, states are required to dedicate specific services to children who are at the greatest risk. This includes activities aimed at reducing the number of pregnancies among adolescents.

Scores for Education, State by State

It stands to reason, given the significant relationship that exists between education and wealth, that the states with the healthiest economies are also the ones that are most likely to have the highest education scores. The United States Department of Education's Nation's Report Card shows that eighth graders in the following ten states had the best reading scores:

Massachusetts
The state of New Jersey
Connecticut
Vermont
The State of New Hampshire
Utah
Wisconsin
Colorado
Ohio
Idaho

Half of these states are also among those with the highest median incomes, making up the other half of the total. New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Utah, and New Hampshire are the five states in question. These are the states that are home to the suburbs that surround large urban centers. That helps them attract universities of world-class, which improves their ranks in the education category. The following is a list of the states that have the lowest reading scores for eighth grade, with New Mexico having the worst scores of any state in the country.

Oklahoma
Hawaii
Nevada
Louisiana
Mississippi
Texas
West Virginia
Alabama
Alaska
New Mexico has three.

Agriculture, oil, and coal are the three primary industries that support these states' economies. These fields typically provide jobs with lower salaries since they do not generate as many high-paying opportunities as other fields, such as information technology, healthcare, and finance.

The Influence That Education Has on Both Individuals and the Economy

In order to enroll in college and find something that pays well, you are going to need a diploma from an accredited high school. A study conducted in 2018 by the Federal Reserve indicated that education can increase wealth in three different ways. To begin, households in which both parents have college degrees bring in a higher income than families in which both parents do not have college degrees. The children will have a head start in life as a result of this. They have the ability to attend private schools and hence acquire superior education. The second effect is known as an upward-mobility effect, and it takes place when a child is born into a family in which neither parent has attended college. The family's financial situation improves after the youngster completes their education and receives a diploma. According to the findings of the study, having a college degree can increase a family's wealth by twenty percent. The average wealth of households saw an increase of 11% when at least one member of the family had a bachelor's degree or above. The third impact is one of downward mobility being created. The wealth of children whose parents did not complete college was reduced by 10% when compared to other children. Children who had parents who had completed college but who themselves did not finish fared worse academically than their peers. Their wealth dropped by 18 percent. The National Center for Education Statistics tracks and reports on the percentage of students who graduated on time. One of the metrics reported to the US Department of Education by each state is the number of students who begin ninth grade and complete their diplomas within four years. The national average for 2017 and 2018 in the United States was 85%.

Rates of Completion of Secondary Education

Both New Jersey and Iowa share the distinction of having the nation's highest graduation rate (91 percent). In the state of Iowa, there is a unique program known as SUCCESS that provides children who are most at risk with case managers who can assist them. The case manager is the only adult who advocates for some of these pupils, making them the only adult advocates for some of these students. The majority of these pupils did not continue their education. The following states have a percentage of 90 percent: Wisconsin, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The state of West Virginia developed an Early Warning System in order to identify students who are in danger of not completing their education. The system evaluates 45 different aspects, including attendance, behavior, and grades, among others. It gives teachers the opportunity to provide the necessary help for these kids to continue their education. Only Nebraska, Montana, Arkansas, and New Hampshire have graduation rates of 89 percent or higher for their respective student populations. North Dakota, Virginia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts are the next four states with 88 percent or higher graduation rates for their students.

Rates of High School Completion That Are Lower

New Mexico is the state with the lowest number of kids who graduate high school, coming in at 74 percent. Following that, at a rate of 79 percent, came the states of Oregon, Arizona, and Alaska. Both New Mexico and Alaska have poor reading scores for students in the eighth grade. It seems reasonable that students who struggle with reading at this level will have a more difficult time passing the class. In addition, Alaska has one of the highest birth rates in the country overall. The rate of high school dropouts among teenage moms there is significantly higher. The states of Colorado, Louisiana, Idaho, and Michigan, together with South Carolina, graduated 81 percent of their students, while the states of Oklahoma, Ohio, Georgia, and Wyoming graduated 82 percent of their students.

Per-Student Spending

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2017, the average cost of educating a pupil at a public elementary school in the United States was $13,962. When compared to their budgets, the top ten states spent between 30 and 100 percent more than the average.

$25,985 worth of New York
Connecticut — $21,647
$21,531.00-State of New Jersey
Wyoming—$20,508
Delaware—$20,035
Vermont—$19,702
Massachusetts, $19,101
Alaska—$18,897
Pennsylvania—$18,149
$18,020 worth of Rhode Island

In addition to this, four of these states are also in the top ten states in terms of reading scores. The states in question are as follows: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont. On the other hand, high spending does not necessarily result in high results. There are a total of six states that are not included in the top ten: New York, Delaware, Alaska, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wyoming. In point of fact, Alaska is one of the ten worst states. The ten states with the lowest overall spending are together responsible for more than a quarter of the nation's total savings.

Alabama—$10,590
Nevada—$10,384
Florida—$10,227
Tennessee—$10,062
Mississippi—$9,838
$9,342.00-State of North Carolina
Arizona — $9,214
Oklahoma—$9,167
Utah—$8,726
Idaho—$8,6659

The Crux of the Matter

There is a direct correlation between education and earning capacity. In general, individuals who have access to higher and higher quality levels of education make more money and have greater economic mobility. Others who have little or no access may not have the same financial opportunities as those who do. Graduates with a college degree have a better probability of increasing their wealth than those with just a high school diploma. Those who do not complete their degrees at a college or university will not be eligible for employment that pays more, will not be able to enhance their current standard of living, and will not be able to finance a suitable education for their children. Generally speaking, states that have high median incomes also have high levels of educational attainment. For instance, the states of Massachusetts and New Jersey are home to numerous colleges that are among the best in the world. On the other hand, states like New Mexico and Alaska that have a low quality of education have typical salaries that are below the national average. These areas have also had a relatively low number of people who complete their high school education.

Questions That Are Typically Asked (FAQs)

How does each state stack up relative to the others when it comes to funding higher education?

The state government of Alaska spent $19,672 on each full-time equivalent student attending one of the state's public colleges in the year 2020. Following Hawaii in second place with $19,088 was Wyoming with $15,795 and Connecticut with $14,449, respectively. The average cost across the nation was $7,566.

How do the federal, state, and local levels of government share the responsibility for education?

Although the primary responsibility for education is with local and state governments, the federal government does contribute approximately 8% of the total spending for elementary and secondary education. In addition to that, it protects civil rights. The degree of authority delegated to local jurisdictions is determined at the state level. For instance, in the state of California, school districts have an unusually high amount of authority in comparison to other types of local authorities. As long as their acts do not go against the laws of the state, people are free to basically do whatever they want without having to get permission from the government.