Washington ranks No. 4 in public education study

SEATTLE - The State of Washington is getting its own report card on quality of public education.

Among all U.S. states, Washington comes in fourth place for the best public education in 2024, according to a Consumer Affairs study.

Education systems across the country were judged on K-12 performance, school funding and resources, higher education quality and safety.

One noted fact aiding Washington's scores was the state having the third-highest grant aid per student.

Here are the following accolades pushing Washington into the top 5

No. 11 for school funding and resources
The average teacher salary in the state is the fourth-highest in the country, at $86,804 per year
No. 16 in K-12 performance
Washington’s average ACT score exceeds the national average taking the 10th spot, while its average SAT score ranks No. 28.
Washington’s 8th grade reading proficiency ranks No. 9 in the nation.
No. 24 for school safety
The state has the 17th highest rate of gun violence incidents at 1.77 incidents per 100,000 students.
Washington ranks No. 6 for highest-rate of criminal offenses on college campuses at about 29 incidents per 10,000 students.

"While these ratings are just one way to measure progress, we appreciate the opportunity to see how Washington is doing compared to other states," said Katy Payne, chief communications officer for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in Washington.