Massachusetts Ranks Ninth in U.S. News State Rankings, Stands Out in Education

In U.S. News & World Report's 2025 state rankings, Massachusetts landed in ninth place, showing impressive results in two key areas.

The Bay State took second place in healthcare and came in fifth for schools. Among other New England states, Massachusetts sits behind New Hampshire but ranks ahead of Vermont, which ended up at number seven.

"Incredible students, families, educators and school officials" made the state's educational success possible, said Governor Maura Healey in a statement.

States were evaluated on several factors. Everything from air quality to employment rates, crime levels to highway maintenance played a role. School performance counted the most, matching what people said mattered most in surveys.

Utah held onto the top spot for the third year running. Its solid performance across five main areas - financial management, business environment, infrastructure, education, and public safety - helped it win. Idaho, Minnesota, and Nebraska followed close behind.

Local public schools are doing exceptionally well - with almost half ranking among the top 25% nationwide. In a tight race, Weston schools came out on top locally, with Brookline schools following in second place.

Teachers here make $92,076 on average - much more than those in Mississippi ($53,704), Florida ($54,875), and Missouri ($55,132).

Healthcare and education drive the state's economy. Massachusetts led the way in 2006 with universal health coverage, paving the way for national healthcare changes. The state also made history as the first to legalize same-sex marriage.

New programs aim to fix COVID-related learning losses through extra reading help and individual attention. Meanwhile, Massachusetts keeps its top spot on the Nation's Report Card, the leading measure of student success.