WalletHub has released a new report concerning the best and worst states for early education, or pre-K.
Researchers at the website first set down three main categories — “Access,” “Quality,” and “Resources & Economic Support” — on which to grade all 50 states plus Washington D.C. Metrics such as “Share of School Districts that Offer State Pre-K Programs” and “Total Reported Spending per Child Enrolled in Preschool” were factored in for final results.
The top five states with the best early education were thus found to be:
- Washington D.C.
- Arkansas
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- West Virginia
“The District of Columbia is the state with the best early education system, boasting the highest enrollment of three- and four-year-olds in pre-K, pre-K special education or Head Start programs,” the report reads. “In the District, 77 percent of three-year olds and 95 percent of four-year-olds are enrolled…