The states with the worst education systems in 2025 tend to be New Mexico, Oklahoma, Alaska, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, West Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Hawaii. These states rank low due to factors such as low test scores, high dropout rates, low teacher salaries, high student-to-teacher ratios, and underfunding of education. New Mexico ranks last overall, with very poor math scores and dropout rates. Arizona is noted for crowded classrooms and consistently low academic achievement. Alaska also ranks poorly with a dramatic drop in ranking owing to low graduation rates and test scores.
In contrast, the best education states include Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey, which excel in standardized test scores, graduation rates, teacher qualifications, and safety measures.
Therefore, New Mexico is often considered to have the worst overall education system, closely followed by Oklahoma, Alaska, and Arizona among others.
