Recently, the financial website WalletHub released a new research report comparing 12 key indicators across all states and territories in the United States to rank the early education system (pre-K) of each state. Arkansas ranked first in the nation for its early education system, followed by the District of Columbia in second place, New York in 38th place, and New Jersey in 8th place.
To determine the best and worst states for early education systems, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on three key aspects: “access,” “quality,” and “resources and economic support.” These three key aspects were further divided into 12 relevant indicators, such as the percentage of school districts providing pre-K education, the number of children meeting pre-K education quality standards, and total expenditure per child in pre-K programs.
The research found that Arkansas has the best early education system in the state. All children in the state have access to pre-K education, and the state government invests over $13,000 per child annually, ranking fifth in the nation, without requiring parents to contribute to childcare costs. Additionally, the state has implemented a robust school safety plan to ensure that everyone has access to quality early education.
The District of Columbia ranked second, with the highest enrollment rates for children in early education, reaching 79% for 3-year-olds and 89% for 4-year-olds.
The District of Columbia also invests over $22,000 per child annually, the highest in the nation, leading to a rapid increase in enrollment post-pandemic. Compared to the 2022-2023 school year, enrollment for 3-year-olds increased by 59%, and for 4-year-olds by 44%, compared to the 2001-2002 school year.
In contrast, New York’s overall ranking for the early education system was 38th, significantly behind neighboring New Jersey.
WalletHub’s Communication Manager, Diana Polk, shared specific rankings for the situation of pre-K children in New York with the media: the enrollment rates for 3 and 4-year-olds ranked seventh nationwide, the income requirements for enrollment ranked 29th, the total expenditure per child ranked 31st, the state’s total expenditure on early education per child ranked 14th, and the percentage of childcare costs compared to family income ranked first.
In New York, kindergarten is part of the public elementary school system and is provided free of charge to all eligible children who must be five years old to enroll. However, widespread access to pre-K education for 3 or 4-year-olds across New York State is still lacking.
New York City offers free education programs for 3-year-olds (3-K) and 4-year-olds (Pre-K), but not all districts provide classes for 3-year-olds.