Maryland has been ranked as having the 14th best school system in the nation, according to a new 2026 report from personal finance website WalletHub.
The study compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 32 measures of school quality and safety, including factors such as pupil-to-teacher ratios, graduation and dropout rates, and standardized test scores.
Overall, Maryland ranked 14th in the nation. The state placed 26th in the report’s Quality category while earning a 4th-place ranking for Safety, one of the highest marks in the country.
WalletHub released the rankings as public education spending in the United States now exceeds $16,500 per student annually, aiming to help families compare school systems across the country.
Massachusetts was ranked as the nation’s best school system, followed by Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. Virginia was the highest-ranked neighboring state at No. 6. At the other end of the rankings, New Mexico ranked last, preceded by Alaska, Oklahoma, Oregon, and West Virginia.
The report also highlighted several notable findings nationwide. Mississippi and New Jersey tied for the nation’s lowest high school dropout rate, while Vermont had the country’s lowest pupil-to-teacher ratio. Delaware reported the lowest share of high school students who said they had been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, and the District of Columbia had the nation’s lowest percentage of students who reported being bullied online.
WalletHub’s rankings are based on 32 indicators measuring both the quality and safety of public school systems across the United States. To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-best-schools/5335
