Where your state ranks among the best and worst pre-K education systems

Choosing a quality pre-K program is one of the most important decisions for a family to make. According to a 2021 report from the National Education Association, children who enroll in a high-quality pre-K program see five significant benefits:

1. They are less likely to repeat a grade
2. They are less likely to be identified as having special needs
3. They become more academically prepared
4. They are more likely to graduate high school
5. They are more likely to earn more in their careers

In an effort to provide parents with insight on the best early education systems, WalletHub analyzed pre-K programs across the U.S. and ranked them based on the following metrics: access, quality, and resources and economic support.

Here are the main findings:

The best and worst early education systems ranked

Here’s a list of U.S. states and how they rank in accordance with their pre-K programs:

1. Arkansas (74.66)
2. Nebraska (70.59)
3. Maryland (69.85)
4. District of Columbia (68.00)
5. Rhode Island (63.45)
6. Alabama (63.11)
7. Oregon (61.32)
8. Vermont (61.07)
9. West Virginia (60.88)
10. New Mexico (58.45)
11. New Jersey (55.81)
12. Oklahoma (55.76)
13. Delaware (53.78)
14. Tennessee (53.37)
15. South Carolina (53.34)
16. Louisiana (53.33)
17. Illinois (52.54)
18. Washington (51.22)
19. Kentucky (51.12)
20. Connecticut (50.62)
21. Iowa (50.38)
22. Virginia (49.98)
23. Maine (48.69)
24. Wisconsin (48.14)
25. Texas (48.12) 
26. Hawaii (47.34)
27. Utah (47.18)
28. Kansas (46.41)
29. Alaska (46.21)
30. Ohio (45.23)
31. Georgia (44.36)
32. California (43.75)
33. Mississippi (43.72)
34. Arizona (42.76)
35. North Carolina (42.52)
36. Michigan (41.52)
37. Nevada (41.34)
38. Massachusetts (41.23)
39. Pennsylvania (41.03)
40. Colorado (40.95)
41. Florida (40.05)
42. Wyoming (39.06)
43. South Dakota (38.79)
44. New York (37.88)
45. Idaho (37.11)
46. Montana (36.97)
47. New Hampshire (35.49)
48. Minnesota (33.89)
49. Missouri (29.29)
50. North Dakota (29.23)
51. Indiana (20.90)

Other key findings:

Share of 3 and 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-K programs:

Top five

1. District of Colombia
2. Vermont
3. Massachusetts
4. New Mexico
5. Oklahoma

Lowest five

• New Hampshire (#47)
• Indiana (#48)
• Hawaii (#49)
• Idaho (#50)
• Nevada (#51)

Income requirement for state pre-K eligibility

Highest:

1. North Carolina
2. Connecticut
3. Nevada
4. Arizona
5. Arkansas
6. Ohio

Lowest:

• Alabama (tied for #30)
• Oklahoma (tied for #30)
• New Mexico (tied for #30)
• Alaska (tied for #30)
• Vermont (tied for #30)
• District of Columbia (tied for #30)

Spending per child

Highest:

1. District of Columbia
2. New Jersey
3. Hawaii
4. Oregon
5. Maryland

Lowest:

• New Hampshire (tied for #46)
• Wyoming (tied for #46)
• South Dakota (tied for #46)
• Indiana (tied for #46)
• Idaho (tied for #46)
• Montana (tied for #46)

Total state Head Start program spending per child

Highest:

1. Oregon
2. Alaska
3. Pennsylvania
4. Minnesota
5. Rhode Island

Lowest:

• Tennessee (tied for #12)
• New Jersey (tied for #12)
• Arizona (tied for #12)
• Arkansas (tied for #12)
• North Dakota (tied for #12)
• California (tied for #12)

Monthly child care co-payment fees based on percentage of family income

Highest:

1. New York
2. Alaska
3. Oklahoma
4. California
5. Oregon
6. Iowa

Lowest:

• New Hampshire (tied for #46)
• Pennsylvania (tied for #46)
• Kentucky (tied for #48)
• Texas (tied for #48)
• North Carolina (#50)
• Hawaii (#51)

More from DA: Teachers prefer using master learning to close learning gaps