Virginia Has the 4th Best School System in the Country, Even With Nationally Low Teacher Pay

Virginia was the highest Southern state ranked in the study.

RICHMOND-A recent study by WalletHub shows that Virginia ranks fourth in the nation in terms of public schools, making it the highest Southern state listed. 

WalletHub, a personal finance website launched in 2013, compared all 50 states and Washington D.C. across 33 different metrics to come up with their data. The 33 metrics range from the presence of public schools in the “top 700 U.S public schools” to high school graduation rates among low-income students.

That ranking comes despite having low teacher pay compared to other states. The average salary of $52,000 for Virginia teachers puts the state at 31st in the country, according to a recent report by the legislature. Teachers were finally scheduled to get a pay raise, until the coronavirus put the state’s budget in question.

ABC 13 reported that the study used the metrics to compare all the states across two main dimensions- the safety and quality of public schools. 

According to the study, Virginia is the fourth-best school in the United States, ranking fourth in quality and third for safety. The commonwealth also was in the top five for highest math test scores and lowest bullying incidence rate. 

Here were the top ten best and worst state public school systems according to WalletHub.

The Top Ten Highest Ranked State Public Schools Systems

1. Massachusetts
2. Connecticut
3. New Jersey
4. Virginia
5. Vermont
6. New Hampshire
7. Minnesota
8. Wisconsin
9. Delaware
10. Maryland
    

The Top Ten Lowest Ranked State Public Schools System

1. New Mexico
2. Louisiana
3. Arizona
4. Alaska
5. Oklahoma
6. Mississippi
7. Nevada
8. Alabama
9. South Carolina
10. Arkansas
    

The Associated Press contributed to this report.