North Carolina Ranks In The Bottom Half Of School Systems Nationwide
Like it or not it’s almost time for the kids to head back to school. And one of the most important decisions a parent can make is how to educate…
Like it or not it's almost time for the kids to head back to school. And one of the most important decisions a parent can make is how to educate their child. Whether that is choosing where to live based on school districts or choosing between public, private, or home school. It's a choice that can define a child's entire life. So how does North Carolina fair in terms of education? Well, a study by WalletHub recently ranked each state on this metric and North Carolina ranks in the bottom half of all school systems nationwide. Though it's not all bad, we aren't at the very bottom, just not in the top 50%.
This comes as education remains one of the hottest and most divisive topics in the country. Between the mask requirements, vaccine requirements, online schooling, critical race theory, school safety concerns, and more. It's no wonder that parents are struggling with finding the option that works best for their families. It's no wonder people are rethinking what they have always done. And this list doesn't bode well for the public school argument. There is no one size fits all solution, but as a parent, it's important to weigh the options and feel confident in the decision you have made.
View the full study here or read on for the full rankings of states by school systems.
North Carolina Ranks In The Bottom Half Of School Systems Nationwide
1. Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts, USA skyline over Boston Common.
Total Score: 72.79
Quality: 1
Safety: 1
2. Connecticut
Sean Pavone/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 66.22
Quality: 2
Safety: 9
3. New Jersey
Steel Pier - Atlantic City, New Jersey
Total Score: 64.05
Quality: 3
Safety: 4
4. Virginia
SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images CreativeTotal Score: 61.79
Quality: 4
Safety: 4
5. Maryland
Lady-Photo/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 60.67
Quality: 7
Safety: 6
6. Delaware
AndreyKrav/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 60.05
Quality: 10
Safety: 2
7. New Hampshire
Sean Pavone/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 59.19
Quality: 8
Safety: 11
8. North Dakota
Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images plusTotal Score: 58.42
Quality: 6
Safety: 28
9. Nebraska
wellesenterprises/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 58.12
Quality: 9
Safety: 8
10. Wisconsin
Vinay Pathak/Getty ImagesTotal Score: 58.03
Quality: 5
Safety: 31
11. Vermont
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Total Score: 56.71
Quality: 16
Safety: 7
12. Maine
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Total Score: 56.09
Quality: 25
Safety: 3
13. Utah
Getty Images/legacyimagesphotographyTotal Score: 55.53
Quality: 12
Safety: 16
14. Florida
Florida directional sign
Total Score: 55.35
Quality: 15
Safety: 15
15. Minnesota
Susan Rydberg/Getty Images CreativeTotal Score: 55.21
Quality: 11
Safety: 36
16. Rhode Island
fotoguy22/ Getty Images CreativeTotal Score: 55.17
Quality: 20
Safety: 10
17. New York
The New York State Capitol Building in Albany, home of the New York State Assembly. Monument of General Sherman on horseback.
Total Score: 54.86
Quality: 13
Safety: 20
18. Pennsylvania
Spring in Pittsburgh city, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh skyline with cherry blossoms.
Total Score: 54.32
Quality: 14
Safety: 26
19. Iowa
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)Total Score: 54.25
Quality: 19
Safety: 19
20. Wyoming
George Frey/Getty ImagesTotal Score: 54.23
Quality: 17
Safety: 22
21. Kentucky
Aerial view of Jacobson Park Lake and Richmond Road in Lexington, Kentucky
Total: 53.94
Quality: 22
Safety: 17
22. Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA downtown cityscape on the White River at dusk.
Total Score: 53.52
Quality: 26
Safety: 13
23. Illinois
wellesenterprises/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 53.23
Quality: 18
Safety: 29
24. Colorado
Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
Total Score: 52.62
Quality: 23
Safety: 24
25. Montana
SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images CreativeTotal Score: 51.55
Quality: 21
Safety: 38
26. South Dakota
keeweeboy/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 51.19
Quality: 24
Safety: 37
27. Texas
Дмитрий Ларичев/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 49.36
Quality: 33
Safety: 14
28. Tennessee
AndreyKrav/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 49.18
Quality: 27
Safety: 46
29. North Carolina
Aerial view of Outer Banks North Carolina
Total Score: 49.02
Quality: 30
Safety: 32
30. District of Columbia
Washington DC aerial view with Thomas Jefferson Memorial building
Total Score: 47.65
Quality: 28
Safety: 49
31. Washington
Panoramic view of Seattle cityscape and Space Needle at sunset, Washington, USA
Total Score: 47.56
Quality: 36
Safety: 5
32. Arkansas
Sean Pavone/Getty Images CreativeTotal Score: 47.22
Quality: 32
Safety: 35
33. Kansas
Getty Images/Samantha WardTotal Score: 47.20
Quality: 31
Safety: 41
34. Ohio
State of Ohio flags waving in front of the Statehouse in Columbus, OG.
Total Score: 47.10
Quality: 40
Safety: 12
35. Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, USA at The University of Missouri.
Total Score: 46.32
Quality: 29
Safety: 50
36. Georgia
Sean Pavone/Getty Images CreativeTotal Score: 46.07
Quality: 38
Safety: 27
37. Idaho
knowlesgallery/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 45.22
Quality: 34
Safety: 44
38. Michigan
Michigan Welcome Sign - summer time.
Total Score: 44.12
Quality: 39
Safety: 42
39. Nevada
Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 44.01
Quality: 35
Safety: 47
40. California
California state - road sign map'
Total Score: 43.17
Quality: 37
Safety: 48
41. Hawaii
Beautiful rainbow over the Hawaii skyline
Total Score: 42.42
Quality: 41
Safety: 33
42. Alabama
Sean Pavone/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 39.81
Quality: 45
Safety: 23
43. Mississippi
SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 38.65
Quality: 43
Safety: 45
44. Oregon
Travelers will be welcomed to Oregon by this sign on I-5
Total Score: 44
Safety: 39
45. Oklahoma
Cavan Images/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 38.01
Quality: 46
Safety: 25
46. South Carolina
SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 37.31
Quality: 42
Safety: 51
47. West Virginia
West Virginia flag on a flagpole waving in the wind, blue sky background. 3d rendering.
Total Score: 37.18
Quality: 47
Safety: 18
48. Arizona
pmphoto/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 35.11
Quality: 48
Safety: 34
49. Louisiana
Sean Pavone/Getty Images PlusTotal Score: 34.09
Quality: 49
Safety: 40
50. Alaska
John Pennell/Getty Image CreativeTotal Score: 33.05
Quality: 50
Safety: 30
51. New Mexico
Hot air balloons drifting over the Rio Grande river in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Total Score: 26.07
Quality: 54
Safety: 43
Methodology (Per WalletHub)
In order to determine the best and worst states for public-school education, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions, “Quality” and “Safety.”
We evaluated those dimensions using 32 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest quality of public K–12 education.
Finally, we determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
