But Ratings Are Lower for Student Safety, Reading Scores
By Hank Russell
A recent study found that New York State was in the top 10 for having one of the best school systems in the nation. However, not all the statistics are rosy when compared to specific aspects of its educational system.
According to WalletHub, New York was in the top 10 in having the best school system. To determine those rankings, WalletHub researchers took into consideration student performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials.
Massachusetts was ranked as the top school system, while New Mexico had the worst, based on WalletHub data.
When it came to digital learning, New York was top of the list, according to WalletHub. In addition, the state also had the fifth-highest median ACT scores. The District of Columbia had the highest scores, while the lowest were in Arizona, Nevada and Oklahoma.
However, there were some negatives to these reports. WalletHub found that New York was behind 26 other states when it came to reading scores. Data from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) showed that students in grades three to eight had a 53% proficiency rate in English language arts, with fifth-graders showing the greatest proficiency (57%), while seventh-graders had the lowest (51%).
Hawaii had the highest reading scores, according to WalletHub, while New Mexico had the lowest.
Although New York had the sixth-lowest student-to-teacher ratio (Vermont had the highest, while California had the lowest, based on WalletHub data), it was only 27th in the percentage of public school teachers who are licensed and/or certified. Another issue is the lack of experience, with 19% of teachers and 37% of principals considered to be inexperienced, based on data from NYSED; in addition, 9% had to teach out of their subject or field of certification.
School safety was another issue, with New York only 19th in that category, WalletHub said. Delaware had the safest schools, while Missouri had the most dangerous. New York was also behind 18 other states in the lowest dropout rates (Mississippi and New Jersey had the lowest rates, while the District of Columbia had the highest) and 18 other states and D.C. had lower bullying incidence rates (the District of Columbia had the lowest incidence rates, while Alaska had the highest, according to WalletHub.
New York is one of the big spenders when it comes to educational funding. The Empire Center for Public Policy found that the Empire State intends to spend $37,033 per pupil for the 2026-2027 school year, which is 4.9% more than what was spent this past school year and more than twice the national average of $17,619 in 2024. However, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said more spending does not guarantee improvements in student performance.
“Getting enough funding is essential for a productive school system, but simply having more money doesn’t guarantee success,” Lupo said. “How funds are applied also plays a big role in how good a school system is, as does the quality of educators, other professionals and the curriculum. In addition, schools need to focus not just on test scores but also on making sure that students feel safe, comfortable and cared for.”