NJ Is The Top U.S. State In This Category, New Ranking Says

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey is the No. 1 state in the country for education, according to a newly released U.S. News & World Report.

In evaluating the best states for education, one of eight categories driving the overall Best States rankings, U.S. News examined metrics tied to both higher education and the space from pre-kindergarten through high school, according to the publication's website.

While New Jersey peaked at No. 1 for pre-K through 12th grade, it ranked No. 36 for higher education.

In the pre-K-12 subcategory, New Jersey ranked first in college readiness and preschool enrollment, second in NAEP reading scores, third in high school graduation rate and fifth in NAEP math scores.

Overall, New Jersey was ranked the 19th-best state in the country.

Gov. Phil Murphy celebrated the state's education ranking in a statement on social media.

"We have the best public schools in the country because we challenge our students, value our teachers, and invest in learning from a young age," Murphy said.

U.S. News and World Report measured affordability, accessibility and achievement when assessing the top-ranking states for education, the outlet said.

Here are the top 10 states for education, according to U.S. News:

1. New Jersey
2. Florida
3. Colorado
4. Utah
5. Massachusetts
6. Wyoming
7. Wisconsin
8. South Dakota
9. Washington
10. Connecticut

At the bottom of the list was New Mexico, followed by Alaska and Oklahoma, according to the ranking.

Here's how New Jersey measured up in each category of the Best States ranking:

• Health Care (No. 5)
• Crime and Corrections (No. 10)
• Infrastructure (No. 12)
• Natural Environment (No. 28)
• Economy (No. 31)
• Opportunity (No. 45)
• Fiscal Stability (No. 49)

See the full education ranking online or check out the overall Best States ranking.