2024’s Best States for Racial Equality in Education

With predominantly white school districts receiving $23 billion more funding per year than predominantly non-white districts, WalletHub today released its report on the Best States for Racial Equality in Education, along with expert commentary.  

In order to determine which states have the most racial equality in education, WalletHub compared the 50 states across six key metrics. Our data compares the difference between white and black Americans in areas such as high school and college degrees, test scores, and graduation rates. Below, you can see highlights from the report. 

View the full report and your state’s rank.

Key takeaways and WalletHub commentary are included below in text and video format. Feel free to use the provided content as is or edit the raw files as you see fit.

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like to arrange a phone, video or in-studio interview with one of WalletHub’s experts.

“Promoting racial equality in education can have a significant impact on promoting equality in the overall economy. It is essential to ensure that all school districts receive sufficient funding, the latest technology, and equal opportunities for tutoring and extracurricular activities, regardless of their racial composition. This will help bridge the racial gaps in test scores and graduation rates, which will promote equal opportunities for higher education and employment in the future.”

– Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst

Expert Commentary

Should local authorities target policies and programs to improve educational opportunities for all? If so, what works?

“Access to education is a fundamental human right that should be available to all, regardless of who, where, and how they are identified. However, educational opportunities must be matched with academic excellence. For far too long, we have had a multi-tiered educational system that has benefited the elites while marginalizing the rest. All of our nation’s woes and problems, from poverty to racism, from crime to apathy, have their roots in ignorance. Several states have differential investments in schools based on race, class, and geography (urban, rural vs. suburban). These differential investments lead to differential outcomes that perpetuate inequities. Educational opportunity and a commitment to excellence are the only lasting solutions.”
Rodney D. Coates – Professor, Miami University

“Yes. Programs that focus on the lowest-performing schools and schools in low-income areas must continue to be a focus for educational equity. With so many students missing from school (chronic absenteeism), intentionality on more school social workers, school counselors, mental health supports, and academic supports are vital.”
Tyrone C. Howard, Ph.D. – Director, UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children & Families; Director, UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, School of Education & Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles

Have recent years widened the existing inequalities in education?

“The State Supreme Court in Ohio has ruled on four separate occasions that how we fund education is patently unconstitutional. Specifically, the State’s High Court ruled that we spend significantly more money in suburban districts (at the state and local levels) than in rural or urban areas. This significant differential spending favoring the suburbs means qualitatively more access to honors and gifted programs, better facilities and resources, and higher pay for teachers, ultimately accounting for suburban students’ better performance. Across the country, the rank order of educational achievement among states directly correlates to per-pupil expenditures. If we are going to deal with the continual racial and economic inequalities in education, then we are going to have to eliminate the disparities in funding available.”
Rodney D. Coates – Professor, Miami University

“Yes, they have. We will be dealing with the effects of the pandemic for years to come. Regression in math and reading performance results for Black and Brown students in particular are concerning.”
Tyrone C. Howard, Ph.D. – Director, UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children & Families; Director, UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, School of Education & Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles

How does the racial wealth gap affect educational opportunities?

“Two systems account for educational funding. One…has to do with state funding. This has been shown to favor high-income areas. The second way of funding education is with residential property taxes. The racial wealth gap and the rural wealth gap lead to lower property taxes in either urban or rural areas. The racial wealth gap is also linked to a system of redlining, which differentially impacted Black communities by restricting loans, insurance, and development. Redlining, therefore, with its disinvestment in Black communities, created ghettos in affected urban communities. Similar patterns can be witnessed among Native American and Hispanic communities. The effects of redlining and the resultant racial wealth gaps can be seen across America in not only access to educational opportunities but also in various other socio-economic factors.”
Rodney D. Coates – Professor, Miami University

“It plays a huge role. Wealth leads to a tremendous amount of opportunities when it comes to learning. It usually means better quality schools, more school resources, smaller class sizes, individualized tutoring, and a host of additional supports that are vital to learning.”
Tyrone C. Howard, Ph.D. – Director, UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children & Families; Director, UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, School of Education & Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles