Report: South Dakota, Minnesota School Systems Among America’s Best

South Dakota and Minnesota have some of the best school systems in America.

Every parent wants the best for their child’s education, but where in the U.S. can students access the strongest school systems? A new study from the University of Technology Sydney Online has revealed just that.

Picking the Best

The study analyzed all 50 states based on multiple education quality metrics, including standardized test scores, teacher qualifications, classroom sizes, school safety, and dropout rates.

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New Jersey tops the charts with the safest schools, the smallest class sizes, and the nation’s lowest dropout rate.

Massachusetts leads academically, with the highest Grade 8 reading and math scores, but slips to second due to staffing concerns.

South Dakota Ranking

South Dakota boasts the most certified teaching workforce, with just 3.1% of teachers lacking proper credentials.

The Mount Rushmore State is eighth overall. Students perform well academically, scoring 260 in reading and 281 in math. Its average SAT score is 1214, eighth in the nation. The downside? South Dakota does not have a digital learning plan, which sets it behind several top-performing states.

Minnesota Ranking

In ninth is Minnesota, which performs well in math (282) and SAT (1215), but dips slightly in ACT average (20.7). The biggest issue? 15.5% of its teachers are uncertified, the highest rate in the top ten. That said, Minnesota still maintains a low dropout rate (1.8%) and solid classroom performance, proving that academic excellence can sometimes shine through administrative challenges.

Bottom of the Barrel

At the bottom of the rankings are New Mexico, Alaska, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Nevada. These states scored poorly across a range of key metrics, including reading and math scores, SAT/ACT performance, dropout rates, and school safety.

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