The states where public school students get the most and least teacher attention, ranked

Business Insider ranked nationwide student-to-teacher ratios based on Department of Education data.
The 2022-2023 data shows Arizona had the highest ratio and Vermont had the lowest.
In the US, there are an average of 15.4 students per public school teacher.

How much individual attention a public school student receives from their teacher could depend, in part, on where they live.

Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, an agency within the Department of Education, Business Insider ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia by the number of students per public school teacher.

The data — which shows there are about 50 million students and 3.2 million teachers total in the US — covers students from pre-kindergarten to high school during the 2022-2023 school year.

Vermont, which has the fewest students overall and the third-fewest teachers behind Alaska and Wyoming, has the lowest ratio in the US, with an average of 10.5 students per teacher.

Washington, DC, with about 91,000 students and roughly the same number of teachers as Vermont, is second with a ratio of 11.3.

States such as Arizona, California, and Florida, all with seven-figure student populations, have among the highest student-to-teacher ratios, topping out at nearly 23 pupils per teacher. The nationwide average is 15.4.

A lower student-to-teacher ratio doesn't necessarily correspond with better educational outcomes. While Vermont public school students have the lowest student-to-teacher ratio, their high school graduation rates rank among the lowest in the nation.

Meanwhile, Alabama and Florida have among the highest student-to-teacher ratios but rank among the top 10 for graduation rates.

Still, Vermont ranked seventh in a July WalletHub ranking for the best school systems in the US, earning high marks for quality and safety. Utah and Florida ranked in the top 20. Washington, DC, which WalletHub said has the highest dropout rate in the US and the third-worst math test scores, ranked 30th.

See how the 50 states and the District of Columbia rank by student-to-teacher ratio.

51. Arizona

A city with a mountain in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 22.8

Number of schools: 2,429

Number of students: 1,132,223

Number of teachers: 49,566

50. Utah

The downtown area of a city from an aerial view, with snow-capped mountains in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 22.2

Number of schools: 1,102

Number of students: 691,906

Number of teachers: 31,164

49. California

An aerial view of a city, with the ocean in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 21.9

Number of schools: 10,327

Number of students: 5,851,877

Number of teachers: 267,659

48. Nevada

An aerial view of a city during dusk, with mountains in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 21.0

Number of schools: 748

Number of students: 484,192

Number of teachers: 23,076

46. Alaska (tie)

A view of a city skyline with clouds and mountains in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 18.3

Number of schools: 498

Number of students: 130,723

Number of teachers: 7,160

46. Florida (tie)

A photo of the Miami, Florida, skyline with greenery in the forefront and the ocean in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 18.3

Number of schools: 4,230

Number of students: 2,870,527

Number of teachers: 156,787

44. Alabama (tie)

Number of students per teacher: 17.9

Number of schools: 1,516

Number of students: 750,923

Number of teachers: 42,022

44. Oregon (tie)

An aerial image of a city with a river in the forefront.

Number of students per teacher: 17.9

Number of schools: 1,286

Number of students: 552,380

Number of teachers: 30,906

42. Idaho (tie)

A city skyline with brown mountains in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 17.5

Number of schools: 795

Number of students: 317,555

Number of teachers: 18,121

42. Louisiana (tie)

A city skyline with thunder clouds in the background

Number of students per teacher: 17.5

Number of schools: 1,337

Number of students: 718,145

Number of teachers: 41,110

41. Washington

A view of Seattle, Washington's Space Needle and Mt. Rainer in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 17.2

Number of schools: 2,549

Number of students: 1,090,227

Number of teachers: 63,272

40. Michigan

A city skyline with a river in the foreground and clouds in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 16.7

Number of schools: 3,510

Number of students: 1,433,914

Number of teachers: 85,880

39. Oklahoma

A small city skyline with trees and a river in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 16.6

Number of schools: 1,781

Number of students: 701,301

Number of teachers: 42,124

38. Ohio

A view of a city skyline with a bridge in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 16.4

Number of schools: 3,632

Number of students: 1,680,639

Number of teachers: 102,323

37. Colorado

Number of students per teacher: 16.3

Number of schools: 1,932

Number of students: 870,871

Number of teachers: 53,553

36. Indiana

A view of a city skyline with a river at the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 15.8

Number of schools: 1,921

Number of students: 1,036,108

Number of teachers: 65,597

35. Minnesota

A night photo of a city skyline with an icy river in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 15.5

Number of schools: 2,690

Number of students: 870,019

Number of teachers: 56,124

34. North Carolina

Number of students per teacher: 15.4

Number of schools: 2,716

Number of students: 1,541,722

Number of teachers: 99,980

32. Kentucky (tie)

An aerial photo of a city skyline during the day.

Number of students per teacher: 15.3

Number of schools: 1,542

Number of students: 660,029

Number of teachers: 43,023

32. Tennessee (tie)

An aerial photo of a city during dusk with a river and bridges in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 15.3

Number of schools: 1,900

Number of students: 1,006,752

Number of teachers: 65,781

31. Texas

A city skyline during the day, with a freeway in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 14.8

Number of schools: 9,180

Number of students: 5,519,599

Number of teachers: 373,332

30. New Mexico

An aerial photo of a city with mountains in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 14.6

Number of schools: 890

Number of students: 315,023

Number of teachers: 21,572

29. Georgia

A photo of a city skyline during the day.

Number of students per teacher: 14.4

Number of schools: 2,316

Number of students: 1,750,972

Number of teachers: 121,301

28. Maryland

A photo of a city skyline with a harbor in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 14.3

Number of schools: 1,410

Number of students: 889,960

Number of teachers: 62,236

26. Delaware (tie)

People walk on a boardwalk next to a river.

Number of students per teacher: 14.2

Number of schools: 229

Number of students: 141,465

Number of teachers: 9,991

26. Hawaii (tie)

An aerial view of a city with the ocean next to it.

Number of students per teacher: 14.2

Number of schools: 295

Number of students: 170,209

Number of teachers: 11,984

24. Iowa (tie)

A photo of a city skyline with a flag in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 14.1

Number of schools: 1,327

Number of students: 511,297

Number of teachers: 36,138

24. South Carolina (tie)

An aerial view of a small city with a church steeple in the foreground and a river in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 14.1

Number of schools: 1,264

Number of students: 789,231

Number of teachers: 55,947

22. Nebraska (tie)

A photo of a city with a black building in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 13.8

Number of schools: 1,092

Number of students: 329,234

Number of teachers: 23,911

22. South Dakota (tie)

A photo of a city skyline in the background with red rocks and tiered, small waterfalls in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 13.8

Number of schools: 720

Number of students: 141,888

Number of teachers: 10,261

19. Illinois (tie)

A photo of a city skyline at sunset with a body of water in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 13.7

Number of schools: 4,408

Number of students: 1,852,242

Number of teachers: 135,363

19. Montana (tie)

Brick buildings of a city stand together with a mountain in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 13.7

Number of schools: 826

Number of students: 150,733

Number of teachers: 11,036

19. Wisconsin (tie)

A city skyline with a river in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 13.7

Number of schools: 2,235

Number of students: 823,040

Number of teachers: 60,011

18. Virginia

An aerial shot of a city with a pier and ocean next to it.

Number of students per teacher: 13.6

Number of schools: 2,132

Number of students: 1,260,351

Number of teachers: 92,651

17. West Virginia

An aerial image of a city with a river and bridge in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 13.5

Number of schools: 684

Number of students: 251,224

Number of teachers: 18,670

16. Pennsylvania

An image of a city with a bridge and river in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 13.3

Number of schools: 2,936

Number of students: 1,693,347

Number of teachers: 127,037

15. Mississippi

Buildings of a city stand together with an American flag waving in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 13.0

Number of schools: 1,038

Number of students: 440,285

Number of teachers: 33,768

14. Kansas

An aerial shot of a city at sunset, with thunderclouds in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 12.9

Number of schools: 1,355

Number of students: 487,978

Number of teachers: 37,885

13. Missouri

A photo of a city skyline with a river in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 12.8

Number of schools: 2,473

Number of students: 892,246

Number of teachers: 69,838

11. Arkansas (tie)

A photo of a city skyline at sunset with a river and a bridge in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 12.7

Number of schools: 1,098

Number of students: 493,130

Number of teachers: 38,815

11. Rhode Island (tie)

A photo of a city skyline and red brick buildings.

Number of students per teacher: 12.7

Number of schools: 316

Number of students: 137,449

Number of teachers: 10,786

10. Wyoming

A photo of a populated Midwest town with a small mountain in the background.

Number of students per teacher: 12.6

Number of schools: 361

Number of students: 92,467

Number of teachers: 7,312

9. North Dakota

Number of students per teacher: 12.4

Number of schools: 511

Number of students: 118,513

Number of teachers: 9,581

8. Massachusetts

An aerial photo of a city at dusk with a river separating the two sides of the city.

Number of students per teacher: 12.0

Number of schools: 1,837

Number of students: 923,349

Number of teachers: 76,978

7. New Jersey

A photo of a major American city during sunset, with the sky reflected in the water at the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 11.8

Number of schools: 2,562

Number of students: 1,383,830

Number of teachers: 117,661

5. Connecticut (tie)

A view of a city at dusk, with a river and bridge in the foreground.

Number of students per teacher: 11.7

Number of schools: 1,013

Number of students: 513,513

Number of teachers: 44,007

5. New York (tie)

A view of New York City's Brooklyn Bridge.

Number of students per teacher: 11.7

Number of schools: 4,812

Number of students: 2,532,888

Number of teachers: 215,761

4. New Hampshire

A photo of a city filled with red brick buildings.

Number of students per teacher: 11.5

Number of schools: 502

Number of students: 168,909

Number of teachers: 14,731

3. Maine

Sea smoke surrounds a small island with a city skyline in the background at sunrise.

Number of students per teacher: 11.4

Number of schools: 597

Number of students: 173,853

Number of teachers: 15,192

2. District of Columbia

Number of students per teacher: 11.3

Number of schools: 244

Number of students: 91,001

Number of teachers: 8,052

1. Vermont

An aerial image of a small downtown area surrounded by trees adorned with fall colors.

Number of students per teacher: 10.5

Number of schools: 305

Number of students: 83,654

Number of teachers: 7,934

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The states where public school students get the most and least teacher attention, ranked

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