Best, worst states for teachers ranked as student scores drop

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(The Center Square) – Virginia is the No. 1 state for teachers' pay and public spending per student.

At the same time, it's No. 51 for students' math scores, behind 49 states and Washington, D.C.

More pay for teachers and more spending for schools don't necessarily equal better performances by students, according to a Center Square comparison of reports from various sources.

A report released by WalletHub Monday revealed the best and worst states for teachers, as student testing performance continues to decline nationwide.

To determine the teacher-friendliest states in America, WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia on compensation, tenure, state spending per student, student-teacher ratio and school-system quality, among other factors.

According to the data, the best states for teachers in 2025 are Virginia, Utah, Washington, New York and Illinois. 

The worst states for teachers in 2025 are South Dakota, New Hampshire, Maine, Montana and Hawaii. 

“Despite having one of the most crucial jobs in America – educating the next generation – teachers are often underpaid and underappreciated. The states that make a teaching career the most rewarding are those that compensate educators well, invest heavily in educational resources, pass laws that improve school-system quality, and provide supportive conditions that lead to low turnover,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst.

The second report Monday came from the U.S. Department of Education, which pointed to the National Assessment of Educational Progress' finding that nationwide test scores are at an all-time low. 

“Today’s NAEP results confirm a devastating trend: American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12. At a critical juncture when students are about to graduate and enter the workforce, military, or higher education, nearly half of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said. “Despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programs, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading than ever before.”

The department plans to invest grants totaling $500 million for charter schools to support education choice in 2025.

According to reporting by The Center Square, the average total per-student spending in Washington state is $18,944, based on school districts receiving $39.37 billion from state, local and federal sources in the 2023-25 operating budget.

Washington ranked as the third best state for teachers in the WalletHub report, but it was 27th in the nation last year in student performance in an analysis from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Ten years ago, the state was 20th. According to the foundation, in 2024, more than two-thirds of Washington's fourth graders failed to meet reading standards, and 70% of eighth graders weren't proficient in math.

The Office of Financial Management in December 2024 stated that 1,071,082 students were enrolled in Washington’s K-12 public education system, and as of May 2025, there are more than 68,000 teachers. That's a ratio of 15 students per teacher. 

Washington uses the Smarter Balanced Assessment, a comprehensive assessment program for English language literacy and mathematics.

According to the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 71% of students were determined to have “foundational” knowledge at grade level or above in English Language Arts, while 63% of students exhibited grade-level knowledge or above in math.

In 2024, the average American College Testing score for Washington state is 24.5; Virginia, 24.8, Utah, 20; New York, 25.4; Illinois, 24.5. The highest possible score on an ACT is 36.

Utah K-12 schools spend $9,977 per student. The amount spent per students in K-12 in New York was $33,437; Virginia, $16,445; and Illinois, $21,829.

Given that an average of $18,944 is being spent per student in Washington, test scores should go up, not down, state Rep. Michael Keaton, R-Puyallup, told The Center Square. 

“States like Idaho, Wyoming, especially Mississippi, that spend a lot less on public education than we do, their scores are rocketing up,” Keaton said. 

According to the Nation's Report Card, in fourth-grade math, Idaho, Wyoming and Mississippi ranked above the national average score of 237 out of 500. 

Idaho fourth and eighth-graders had higher proficiency rates than their national peers in reading and math, according to the 2024 results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). 

The same goes for the states of Wyoming and Mississippi.

Wyoming K-12 schools spend $20,159 per pupil. Idaho spends $9,387 and Mississippi spends $12,394 per pupil. 

Wyoming ranked 46th on WalletHub as the friendliest state for teachers. 

Ranked No. 1 on the WalletHub list, Virginia has increased public school spending by 53% since 2020. 

But the state currently ranks 51st in the U.S. behind all other states and Washington, D.C., in math. In reading, Virginia ranks 41st.

“That is unacceptable,” U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia, said.

“We need to raise teachers’ salaries, and bring and attract people into the profession and ensure every educator has the respect they deserve for the incredible work they do,” said Spanberger. 

At the bottom of the list, Montana ranked 50th as the friendliest state to teachers. 

This year, the state passed new legislation that focuses on teacher pay. The Student and Teacher Advancement for Results and Success Act, or “STARS,” passed by the 2025 Legislature, aims to enhance educational outcomes by providing targeted support for students and teachers. The new law says the starting teacher salary must be 62% of the district-wide average for districts to qualify for funding.

“So when we were giving the teachers a raise, we were not just doing them a favor. We were being fair because $40,000 in 2020 is not what $40,000 is in 2025. What we were really giving, as a district, was being eaten up by inflation,” said Erwin Garcia, the superintendent of Billings Public Schools, the largest public school district in Montana.

For the five states that are ranked last on the WalletHub list, the average ACT score in 2024 for South Dakota was 21.1; New Hampshire, 25.9; Maine, 25; Montana 19.5; and Hawaii 17.7.

South Dakota K-12 schools spend $13,636; New Hampshire, $21,898; Maine, $19,310; Montana, $15,500, and Hawaii, $19,719. All of those amounts are per pupil.