Florida was ranked 13th in the national ranking of public education systems compiled by WalletHub for 2026, placing it among the top 15 of the 50 evaluated states.
The study analyzed 32 key metrics grouped into two main categories: educational quality, accounting for 80% of the final score, and school safety, comprising the remaining 20%.
Florida received a total score of 57.22 out of 100, ranking 16th in quality and 9th in safety, which indicates that the state stands out particularly for the safe environment in its schools.
The top three positions in the ranking were held by Massachusetts (74.74 points), Connecticut (69.29), and New Jersey (67.41), followed by New Hampshire and Wisconsin to complete the top five.
At the opposite end, the school systems with the worst results were those of Oklahoma, Alaska, and New Mexico, the latter scoring only 29.96 points out of 100.
WalletHub included Florida in the group of states with "low spending and a strong school system," alongside Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Utah, suggesting that the state achieves relatively high results in relation to its investment per student.
The quality metrics considered in the analysis include math and reading scores, AP exam results, median SAT and ACT scores, graduation rates, student-teacher ratio, and instructor credentials.
Security measures include rates of bullying, disciplinary incidents, shootings, and threats in educational facilities.
Chip Lupo, an analyst at WalletHub, emphasized that funding alone does not guarantee quality: "Having sufficient funding is essential for a productive school system, but having more money does not guarantee success. How the funds are allocated also plays an important role, as does the quality of educators and the curriculum. Furthermore, schools should focus not only on test results, but also on ensuring that students feel safe, comfortable, and supported."
The positive result in the WalletHub ranking, however, contrasts with a more concerning scenario: a report from May 2026 prepared by researchers from Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth placed Florida in last place among 35 states in academic growth in reading, with the average student more than 0.7 school grades behind the levels of 2019.
In contrast to basic education, the University of Florida ranks as the best public university in the country according to 2025 rankings, a distinction that highlights the gap between educational levels within the state itself.
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