WA education ranking drops again, below national average

Washington’s K-12 education ranking continues to slip following this past school year, ranking in the lower half of all 50 states.

The study, conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, analyzed the reading and mathematics proficiency of Washington students, as well as their high school graduation rate.

Washington education ranking

Washington was ranked 27th, dropping one spot from its ranking last year. Washington ranked 20th 10 years ago, according to the study.

“More than two-thirds of the state’s 4th graders failed to meet reading standards, and 70% of 8th graders weren’t proficient in math last year, right around the national average,” The Washington State Standard wrote.

WA fourth graders

Washington fourth graders have delivered below-efficient reading achievement scores seven times since 2010, according to The Annie E. Casey Foundation Data Center. Most notably, in 2013, 60% of fourth graders could not read efficiently, which was 6% below the national average.

The math proficiency levels of fourth graders in Washington have also decreased slowly since 2013. Fifty-two percent of fourth graders were below proficient in math in 2013, a number that has risen as high as 65% in 2022. By 2024, the number has dropped to 60%.

The study noted that one-third of Washington fourth graders were chronically absent from school in 2024.

Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, disapproved of the list.

“The data the report is based on shouldn’t be used to construct such lists,” Reykdal told The Washington State Standard.

WA eighth graders

The study also tracked eighth graders’ math achievement levels and showed a sharp jump in inefficiency. Fifty-nine percent of eighth graders were not proficient in math in 2017, 8% below the national average.

The data for 2024 showed that 70% of eighth graders in Washington were inefficient in math, 3% lower than the national average.

Eighth-graders’ reading proficiency has also suffered since 2017. Sixty-nine percent of Washington eighth graders were below proficient in reading in 2024, an 11% increase from 2017.

Stephan Blanford, executive director of the Children’s Alliance in Seattle, cited budget cuts as the cause for the downtrend.

“The fact that our state has made such significant cuts in early education as a result of the last legislative session means it’s pretty easy to predict that these numbers are on the way downward,” Blanford told The Washington State Standard. “There was so much work that was done in order to get them to their current level.”

Other notable rankings

In addition to Washington’s No. 27 ranking, Oregon was listed as the 43rd worst state for children’s education, and Idaho held the 40th spot in 2025.

Some of the best states for children’s education in the United States were Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here.