Washington students have access to some of the best public education in the country, according to a new study.
In a study published last week, market research outlet Consumer Affairs looked at statewide test scores, graduation rates and school funding, among other metrics, to determine which states offer the best public education. Washington took fourth place in the country, far outranking any of its west coast neighbors.
Washington ranks fourth in the country
Using data from the College Board, the National Education Association and the National Center for Education Statistics, among other sources, the study gave every state a score on a scale from one to 100. 30 points each were assigned to the K-12 performance, school funding and higher education categories, with the remaining ten points determined by school safety metrics.
Washington ended up with 64.7 points, behind only Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey, and just ahead of Pennsylvania and Vermont. The next-highest ranking state on the west coast was Oregon at 31st, although only a little farther east, Montana and Wyoming both cracked the top 20.
Why does Washington rank high for public education?
The main driver of Washington's ranking was its score in the higher education category, which was the fourth-highest in the country as it earned particularly high marks for the amount of grant aid it offers students.
It ranked 11th in the school funding category, largely attributed to Washington having the fourth-highest average teacher salary in the country.
Its lowest scores came in the school safety category, where it ranked 24th, and the K-12 performance category, where it ranked 16th.
The study also pointed out that Washington's average ACT score is around 25% above the national average, and its eighth grade reading proficiency levels are among the best in the country.
Another factor in Washington's high ranking is that it was one of few states to score in the top half in every category. Several of the top-ranked states scored poorly in a category or two. Even Massachusetts, which took the top spot, placed 38th in the higher education category and 37th for school safety.
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