New Jersey ranked No. 1 in education in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best States rankings
NEW JERSEY — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and civic journalism, has announced its 2025 Best States rankings, and New Jersey has secured the top placement in the education category.
The rankings evaluate all 50 states across key categories including health care, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime & corrections, and natural environment. For the third consecutive year, Utah ranked No. 1 overall.
New Jersey ranked No. 1 overall in the education category and placed in the top five for all pre-K-12 metrics, including preschool enrollment, standardized test scores, and high school graduation rate. Florida followed in second place for education, with a strong showing in higher education due to low college tuition and fees and strong graduation rates.
Other highlights from the report include Hawaii ranking No. 1 in health care, and Utah ranking in the top 20 across seven of the eight categories despite a low score in the environment category.
The 2025 rankings are based on 71 metrics and thousands of data points. Categories were weighted according to survey responses on what matters most to residents. The rankings provide a data-driven picture of how each state serves its residents and are designed to help business leaders, investors, policymakers, and citizens better understand the strengths of each state.
To view the full rankings, click here.
