It’s been decades since the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education declared school segregation unconstitutional in 1954, though it took years for schools to actually adopt that ruling. Now, no one can be denied enrollment in a school due to the color of their skin, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that educational conditions are equal for all students.
A recent study found that school districts that have a high concentration of white students receive $23 billion more per year in funding than those that have a high concentration of non-white students. Lower funding can lead to lower quality education, which can affect not only a person’s income trajectory but also their career trajectory for the rest of their life.
In order to determine which states have the most racial equality in education, WalletHub compared the 50 states across six key metrics. Our data compares the difference between white and black Americans in areas such as high school and college degrees, test scores and graduation rates.
Main Findings
State Education Systems with the Most Racial Equality
| Overall Rank* | State | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | 77.24 |
| 2 | Wyoming | 76.47 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 75.28 |
| 4 | Oregon | 66.02 |
| 5 | Vermont | 62.79 |
| 6 | Hawaii | 62.11 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 60.38 |
| 8 | Texas | 58.32 |
| 9 | Arizona | 58.26 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 57.03 |
| 11 | Maine | 56.56 |
| 12 | Delaware | 55.72 |
| 13 | Montana | 54.15 |
| 14 | Arkansas | 53.50 |
| 15 | Georgia | 53.46 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 52.60 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 52.51 |
| 18 | Alabama | 51.30 |
| 19 | Mississippi | 50.93 |
| 20 | Indiana | 50.18 |
| 21 | Alaska | 49.00 |
| 22 | Nevada | 48.70 |
| 23 | North Dakota | 48.25 |
| 24 | Washington | 48.13 |
| 25 | South Dakota | 47.58 |
| 26 | Idaho | 47.31 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | 44.92 |
| 28 | Florida | 43.74 |
| 29 | North Carolina | 43.72 |
| 30 | California | 42.80 |
| 31 | Utah | 39.91 |
| 32 | Iowa | 39.72 |
| 33 | Louisiana | 38.47 |
| 34 | Kansas | 38.21 |
| 35 | Maryland | 38.05 |
| 36 | Missouri | 36.78 |
| 37 | Virginia | 34.61 |
| 38 | Colorado | 34.26 |
| 39 | Michigan | 34.21 |
| 40 | Ohio | 32.38 |
| 41 | Massachusetts | 31.88 |
| 42 | New Jersey | 31.46 |
| 43 | South Carolina | 31.12 |
| 44 | Illinois | 30.00 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | 29.23 |
| 46 | Nebraska | 29.06 |
| 47 | New York | 27.10 |
| 48 | Connecticut | 21.45 |
| 49 | Minnesota | 18.96 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | 12.60 |
*No. 1 = Most Equality
- Lowest
- T-1. Texas
- T-1. Wyoming
- T-1. West Virginia
- T-1. California
- T-1. New Mexico
- Highest
- 46. Wisconsin
- 47. Iowa
- 48. South Dakota
- 49. Maine
- 50. Minnesota
- Lowest
- 1. Wyoming
- 2. Vermont
- 3. New Mexico
- 4. Maine
- 5. Oregon
- Highest
- 46. New Jersey
- 47. Colorado
- 48. New York
- 49. Massachusetts
- 50. Connecticut
- Lowest
- 1. Vermont
- 2. West Virginia
- 3. Hawaii
- 4. New Mexico
- 5. New Hampshire
- Highest
- 42. Pennsylvania
- 43. Connecticut
- 44. Missouri
- 45. Ohio
- 46. Wisconsin
- Lowest
- 1. New Hampshire
- 2. Nevada
- 3. West Virginia
- 4. Iowa
- 5. Hawaii
- Highest
- 42. Connecticut
- 43. Louisiana
- 44. Washington
- 45. California
- 46. Ohio
- Lowest
- 1. New Hampshire
- 2. Wyoming
- 3. West Virginia
- 4. Alaska
- 5. New Mexico
- Highest
- 46. Texas
- 47. South Carolina
- 48. Vermont
- 49. Idaho
- 50. Pennsylvania
- Lowest
- 1. Hawaii
- 2. Delaware
- 3. Mississippi
- 4. Alabama
- 5. Maine
- Highest
- 46. Nevada
- 47. Nebraska
- 48. Wyoming
- 49. Minnesota
- 50. Wisconsin
Note: All of the above comparisons refer to the gaps between white people and black people, according to the most recent available data.
Ask the Experts
In order to provide further insight on how to promote equality in education, WalletHub turned to a panel of experts. Click on the pictures of the experts below to read their bios and see their responses to the following key questions:
- Should local authorities target policies and programs to improve educational opportunities for all? If so, what works?
- Should Critical Race Theory be taught in schools?
- Have the recent years widened the existing inequalities in education?
- How does the racial wealth gap affect educational opportunities?
- How does race affect school spending per student?
Ask the Experts
J.D., Ph.D. – Professor of Educational Leadership – East Carolina University
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Professor of Education & Policy, Lynch School of Education – Boston College
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Ph.D. – Professor and Department Chair of Critical Race & Ethnic Studies – Gonzaga University
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Professor Emeritus, Department of Administration, Leadership, and Technology, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development – New York University
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Professor, Department of Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy, School of Education – University of Pittsburgh
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Professor of Higher Education; Director of The Steinhardt Institute of Higher Education Policy, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development – New York University
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Methodology
In order to determine the states with the most racial equality in education, WalletHub compared the 50 states across six relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most equality. We determined the level of equality by subtracting the values attributed to white people and black people for a given metric, using only the most recent available data.
If in some states black people scored as high as or better than white people on a given metric, all such states were awarded the maximum number of points.
Finally, we determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.
- Share of Adults with at Least a High School Degree: Half Weight (~9.09 Points)
Note: “Adults” include the population aged 25 and older. - Share of Adults with at Least a Bachelor’s Degree: Double Weight (~36.36 Points)
Note: “Adults” include the population aged 25 and older. - Standardized-Test Scores: Full Weight (~18.18 Points)
Note: This metric is based on the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). - Mean SAT Score: Half Weight (~9.09 Points)
- Average ACT Score: Half Weight (~9.09 Points)
- Public High School Graduation Rate: Full Weight (~18.18 Points)
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, ACT and College Board.
