Florida ranks top state for education, parental power and economy

By Michael Costeines

Published May. 7, 2024, 1:58 p.m. ET | Updated May. 7, 2024

Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla., April 19, 2024. (Photo/Florida State University, Instagram)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Once again, Florida is the head of the class: the state has been ranked the best place in America for education, parental power, and the economy.

Analyzed by U.S. News and World Report, Florida topped all U.S. states in the Education category and Higher Education subcategory. The state also ranked 10th for the PreK-12 subcategory.

“Florida is the No. 1 state in the country for education,” DeSantis said in April. “By focusing on core academic subjects and rejecting indoctrination in the classroom, we have become a standard-bearer for educational excellence.”

In higher education, Florida placed second in both 2-year graduation rate at 62.90% and 4-year graduation rate at 74.30%. It also was rated the best for tuition and fees at just over $4,600.

Moreover, Florida ranked 25th in educational attainment and 26th in debt at graduation.

In PreK-12, Florida ranked fifth for college readiness at 20.15%. The state also placed 12th in preschool enrollment, 19th in high school graduation rate, 21st in NAEP reading scores, and 32nd in NAEP math scores.

For its findings, U.S. News and World Report used metrics focusing on affordability, accessibility and achievement. It also noted DeSantis’ “controversial” education initiatives have not affected Florida’s top ranking.

Following on education, Florida also ranked as the best state in the nation for parental power. According to the Center of Education Reform, or CER, the state earned an “A-” rating with a 95% score in choice programs and 92% scores in charter schools and transformational learning.

“Florida gives more power to parents than any other state to ensure their kids’ get the education they deserve,” CER said.

In another humble brag, Florida ranked as the best U.S. state for the economy. Specifically, the state improved six spots from last year to grab the top spot.

Propelled by strong job and overall economic growth, Florida ranked second in the country with a compound annual growth rate over three years of close to 5%. It also led the nation with a more than 6% rate of GDP growth.

In the Business Environment category, Florida placed second in tax burden at 6.95%, and seventh in business creation rate at 4.74%. It also finished 24th in venture capital per GDP, 30th in top company headquarters per capita, and 33rd in patient creation rate.

Florida also ranked second in net migration growth at 1.68%.

“I think the elixir for Florida’s economic growth has been population growth,” UCF Director of the Institute for Economic Forecasting Sean Snaith said. “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.”