Student-Teacher Ratio by State: Complete 2026 Rankings

The average student-teacher ratio in U.S. public schools is 14.8:1. That national number hides enormous variation, though. In Vermont, the average school has about 10.6 students per teacher. In Nevada, it’s 22.8.

That gap matters. Smaller class sizes improve outcomes, especially in elementary grades and for kids from lower-income families. The landmark Tennessee STAR study found that students in smaller classes (13-17 students) outperformed peers in larger classes (22-26 students) on standardized tests, and the benefits lasted for years afterward.

We pulled data from 114,968 public schools across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. and ranked every state by average student-teacher ratio. Below is the complete rankings table, a breakdown by school level, and what these numbers mean for your kid.

What student-teacher ratio actually measures

Student-teacher ratio is the number of students enrolled divided by the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) teachers. Every school reports it to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

It’s not the same as class size. A school with a 15:1 student-teacher ratio might run classes of 25-30 students, because the ratio counts every certified teacher, including specialists, special education staff, and people without a homeroom. Actual class sizes usually run 30-50% larger than the reported ratio.

Even so, student-teacher ratio is the best standardized, nationally comparable metric for how well-staffed a school is. State averages reveal real patterns in funding priorities, teacher supply, and educational philosophy.

Complete state rankings: student-teacher ratio (2026)

Ranked from lowest (most teachers per student) to highest. Data covers all public schools reporting to NCES.

Top 10 states: lowest student-teacher ratios

Rank	State	Avg. Ratio	Schools Analyzed
1	Maine	10.4:1	661
2	New Hampshire	10.6:1	635
3	Vermont	10.6:1	378
4	Washington, D.C.	10.8:1	302
5	Massachusetts	11.0:1	2,315
6	New Jersey	11.0:1	3,253
7	Wyoming	11.2:1	363
8	New York	11.3:1	5,912
9	Connecticut	11.5:1	1,248
10	Montana	12.0:1	923

The Northeast owns the top 10. Six of the top 10 are New England or Mid-Atlantic states, which tend to spend more per pupil, have stronger teachers’ unions, and run smaller rural schools that pull the average down.

Wyoming and Montana land here for a different reason: low population density means lots of small rural schools with naturally low enrollment per teacher.

States 11-25: below the national average

Rank	State	Avg. Ratio	Schools Analyzed
11	North Dakota	12.0:1	535
12	Missouri	12.3:1	2,784
13	West Virginia	12.6:1	733
14	Maryland	12.8:1	1,891
15	Rhode Island	12.8:1	389
16	South Carolina	13.0:1	1,483
17	Arkansas	13.1:1	1,166
18	Pennsylvania	13.1:1	4,450
19	Georgia	13.2:1	2,914
20	Mississippi	13.2:1	1,023
21	Nebraska	13.2:1	1,172
22	Delaware	13.3:1	296
23	Hawaii	13.3:1	400
24	Illinois	13.4:1	4,778
25	South Dakota	13.4:1	745

States 26-40: at or above the national average

Rank	State	Avg. Ratio	Schools Analyzed
26	Virginia	13.4:1	2,519
27	Kansas	13.6:1	1,448
28	Texas	13.8:1	10,020
29	New Mexico	14.3:1	1,026
30	Wisconsin	14.3:1	2,859
31	Iowa	14.4:1	1,471
32	Minnesota	14.4:1	2,564
33	North Carolina	14.4:1	3,217
34	Kentucky	14.7:1	1,638
35	Louisiana	14.9:1	1,572
36	Indiana	15.1:1	2,429
37	Tennessee	15.4:1	2,226
38	Oklahoma	15.7:1	1,892
39	Colorado	16.0:1	2,141
40	Alabama	16.1:1	1,620

Bottom 10 states: highest student-teacher ratios

Rank	State	Avg. Ratio	Schools Analyzed
41	Arizona	16.4:1	1,770
42	Idaho	16.4:1	879
43	Ohio	16.7:1	4,414
44	Washington	16.8:1	2,730
45	Florida	16.9:1	5,663
46	Oregon	17.0:1	1,501
47	Michigan	17.1:1	3,842
48	Alaska	19.0:1	508
49	California	19.4:1	12,316
50	Utah	20.9:1	1,158
51	Nevada	22.8:1	796

California, the most populous state, has the third-worst student-teacher ratio in the country at 19.4:1. With over 12,000 schools reporting, that’s not a fluke. It reflects long-running teacher shortages and budget constraints touching millions of students.

Nevada sits dead last at 22.8:1, more than double Vermont’s ratio. Utah (20.9:1) rounds out the bottom three, driven by high birth rates and large family sizes that push enrollment faster than districts can hire.

Elementary vs. high school: where ratios diverge

Student-teacher ratios aren’t uniform across grade levels. In most states, elementary schools run lower ratios than high schools. That’s partly policy (smaller classes for younger kids) and partly the reality that high school teachers cover more students across multiple periods.

States with the biggest elementary-to-high-school gap

State	Elementary Avg.	High School Avg.	Gap
Virginia	13.1:1	16.6:1	+3.5
Washington	14.7:1	18.9:1	+4.2
Colorado	15.8:1	16.7:1	+0.9
South Carolina	12.6:1	14.7:1	+2.1
Oregon	16.1:1	18.3:1	+2.2

In Virginia, high schoolers face a ratio 3.5 points higher than elementary kids. Washington state has the widest absolute gap, at 4.2 points.

States where high schools are actually better staffed

A few states buck the trend, with high schools reporting lower ratios than elementary schools:

State	Elementary Avg.	High School Avg.	Gap
Vermont	11.6:1	9.0:1	-2.6
Texas	14.0:1	13.7:1	-0.3
Pennsylvania	12.7:1	12.4:1	-0.3

Vermont’s high schools average just 9.0 students per teacher, the lowest high-school ratio in the country. Blame Vermont’s tiny school sizes and rural character: many high schools serve small communities where enrollment simply stays low.

What does the research say about student-teacher ratio?

The STAR study

The Tennessee STAR (Student-Teacher Achievement Ratio) study is still the gold standard. Running from 1985-1989, it randomly assigned over 11,000 students to small classes (13-17 students) or regular classes (22-26 students). The findings:

Students in small classes scored significantly higher on standardized tests, and the effect was strongest for minority students and kids from low-income families. Benefits held through at least 8th grade, even after students moved back into regular-size classes. Small-class students were also more likely to take college entrance exams.

When does ratio matter most?

Ratio seems to matter most in a few specific contexts:

Grades K-3. The STAR study’s strongest effects showed up in the earliest grades. If you’re picking an elementary school, ratio is one of the most important numbers to look at.

Students with learning differences. Smaller classes give teachers more time per student, which directly helps kids who need extra support.

High-poverty schools. Where a high percentage of students come from low-income families, smaller ratios are tied to narrower achievement gaps.

When ratio matters less

High school AP and IB courses are self-selected, often larger, and filled with motivated students, so teaching quality and curriculum carry more weight than seat count. Some schools with higher ratios lean on paraprofessionals and teaching assistants who never show up in the official number. And online or hybrid programs report a student-teacher ratio, but it means something different when instruction isn’t happening in a physical room.

How to use this data when choosing a school

State averages tell you about policy and funding, but individual schools vary enormously within every state. A school in California might sit at 12:1 while the state averages 19.4:1. Here’s how to make this data actionable.

1. Compare schools against their state average. A school with a 14:1 ratio in Maine (state avg: 10.4) is actually below average for its state, while the same ratio in California (state avg: 19.4) beats the norm by a wide margin.

2. Look at elementary schools more carefully. If your child is in grades K-3, student-teacher ratio is one of the strongest predictors of outcomes. Weight it heavily.

3. Check the school-level data, not just the ratio. On School Scout, every school profile shows the student-teacher ratio next to test scores, demographics, and ratings. A low ratio paired with weak test scores might point to staffing trouble rather than small, effective classes. Look up any school’s student-teacher ratio on School Scout →

4. Ask about actual class sizes. When you visit a school, ask: “What is the typical class size in my child’s grade?” The answer will almost always run higher than the reported student-teacher ratio.

5. Weigh it alongside other metrics. Student-teacher ratio is one factor among several. Academic performance, growth scores, school culture, and your child’s specific needs all matter too. Our school ratings guide walks through how to weigh these factors together.

Methodology

This analysis uses data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data, the most comprehensive federal dataset on U.S. public schools. We analyzed 114,968 schools across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., excluding territories.

NCES calculates student-teacher ratio as total enrollment divided by full-time-equivalent (FTE) teachers. Schools reporting a ratio of 0 or with missing data were excluded from state averages.

Rankings reflect the simple average of all reporting schools in each state, so small rural schools and large urban schools carry equal weight. That may differ from enrollment-weighted averages you’ll see elsewhere.

Data source: NCES Common Core of Data via MySchoolScout. Rankings based on 2023-24 school year data, the most recent available. Last updated March 2026.