Just the other week, District Administration brought to you WalletHub’s report ranking states based on the quality of their school systems. States like Massachusetts and Connecticut placed high on that list. Is that also the case for pre-K education?
Not so much, according to WalletHub’s latest research exploring the best and worst early education systems nationwide. The ranking was developed by comparing states across several key metrics, including the share of school districts that offer a state pre-K program, the number of pre-K quality benchmarks met and the total reported spending per child enrolled.
“Having access to quality early education gives students a jump start that can improve their future performance in school, as well as lead to better job opportunities and higher earnings in the long-term,” WalletHub analyst Cassandra Hobe said in a public statement.
America’s best pre-K systems
Arkansas offers some of the best pre-K programs in the country, the report declares. Pre-K education is available to all and parents don’t have to pay co-payment fees for child care. The state also spends more than $13,000 per child enrolled in preschool each year, the fifth-most in the country.
It’s also only one of 17 states that require schools to be audited to ensure they meet regulations. Finally, it has the fourth-highest share of three-year-olds enrolled in pre-K, pre-K special education or Head Start programs, and the 12th-highest share of four-year-olds.
Top 10 states with the best pre-K systems
Now, let’s take a look at WalletHub’s ranking of the 10 best states in the country according to their school systems:
- Arkansas
- District of Columbia
- Nebraska
- Maryland
- Oregon
- West Virginia
- South Carolina
- New Jersey
- Vermont
- Connecticut
To see where your state ranks, click here or view the interactive map below:
