Spending more on public schools appears to have little correlation with higher graduation rates, new research shows.
Business Insider’s rankings of the 50 states’ graduation rates found that red states spending less than the national per-pupil average occupy nine of the top 13 spots. Those nine states also have school choice programs.
New Jersey was the only high-spending state to crack the top 10. The blue state spends more than $27,000 per pupil and graduates nearly 92% of its students.
But Vermont, another blue state, spends nearly $29,000 per student and graduates just 82%, ranking 47th.
Statistics from the northwestern United States suggest education policy, not spending, likely has a greater influence on student success.
Idaho has nearly the same graduation rate, 82.5%, as neighboring Washington and Oregon, yet spends dramatically less – $11,000 per pupil, compared with more than $18,000 – than those states.
