NJ Among 10 Best States For Education, New Report Says

NEW JERSEY — Families in the Garden State can rejoice knowing New Jersey landed among the top 10 best states for education, according to U.S. News latest ranking released on Tuesday.

New Jersey ranked at number 4 in Education out of the 50 states. Specifically, its Pre-K to 12 program ranked 2nd highest in the country while its higher education came in at number 35.

U.S. News surveyed the educational landscape in each state as part of the 2024 Best States rankings, examining 10 metrics in two spheres: higher education and prekindergarten through 12th grade.

Metrics used by U.S. News to determine the best for education included:

• Preschool Enrollment - NJ ranked #1
• College Readiness - NJ ranked #3
• NAEP Reading Scores - NJ ranked #1
• NAEP Math Scores - NJ ranked #7
• High School Graduation Rate - NJ ranked #31
• Debt at College Graduation - NJ ranked #46
• College Tuition and Fees - NJ ranked #45
• Educational Attainment - NJ ranked #7
• 2-Year-College Graduation Rate - NJ ranked #31
• 4-Year-College Graduation Rate - NJ ranked #6

Overall, Florida ranked best for education, followed by Utah and Massachusetts. Here is a list of the 10 Best States for Education:

1. Florida
2. Utah
3. Massachusetts
4. New Jersey
5. Colorado
6. Wisconsin
7. Wyoming
8. Connecticut
9. New Hampshire
10. Virginia

See here to learn more about how states are assessed in U.S. News' methodology.