CT's Public Schools Ranking For 2019 May Surprise You

HARTFORD, CT — The quality of the state's public schools ranks third in the country, according to a recent report from WalletHub. Massachusetts ranked first overall and New Jersey was second.

The study utilized a range of metrics to compare public schools across the country.

"Unlike other research that focuses primarily on academic outcomes or school finance, WalletHub’s analysis takes a more comprehensive approach," the report reads. "It accounts for performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials. To determine the top-performing school systems in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 29 key metrics."

Connecticut ranked third in quality and twelfth in safety.

Rounding out the overall top ten are Virginia, Vermont, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming.

In the bottom 10 were New Mexico, Louisiana, Arizona, Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Nevada, Alaska, and Arkansas.

The study also breaks down the quality and safety of schools. The following are Connecticut's ranks in each, with first being the highest and 25th being average:

• 27th – Math Test Scores
• 4th – Reading Test Scores
• 7th – Pupil-Teacher Ratio
• 1st – Median ACT Score
• 27th – % of Licensed/Certified Public K–12 Teachers
• 15th – Dropout Rate
• 20th – Bullying Incidence Rate
• 26th – % of Threatened/Injured High School Students

States and local governments often provide the lion share of funding, with the federal government contributing the smallest share, according to WalletHub. Typically, research has found that schools with more resources contributed by residents results in better school system performance.

Connecticut had two high schools in the top 200 in the country in this year's U.S. News & World Report rankings. The state also has eight other high schools in the top 500. The publication also ranked all 163 high schools in the state.

Overall, Connecticut's schools graduate 96.5 percent of students, which is one of the best percentages in the U.S. New Jersey came in at 97 percent and Texas at 97.3 percent.

Connecticut also has some of the best public colleges in the country. A recent study placed the University of Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut State University, and Central Connecticut State University in the top 200.

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