JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Mississippi made significant progress in education over the last decade, but a recent report shows that the state should not rest on its laurels.

Education nationwide and in Mississippi has significantly changed over the last few years. Still, a recent WalletHub report grades Mississippi low among its national peers for its public school systems statewide. The report ranked Mississippi 43rd nationally among states and Washington, D.C., due to various WalletHub findings.

For instance, the state has the 11th lowest dropout rate nationally. However, even though Mississippi also ranked third nationally for high school graduation rate and 12th for standardized test scores, it is 40th nationally for the percentage of adults with at least a high school degree. Its standardized math and reading test scores rank 38th and 40th, respectively. Mississippi’s median ACT score is the 9th lowest nationally.

The Mississippi Student Funding Formula is set to bring $250 million to K-12 education. However, WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe argues that any successful school district needs more than money.

“How funds are applied also plays a big role in how good a school system is, as does the quality of educators, other professionals and the curriculum,” Happe said.

Overall school environment weighed heavily in Mississippi’s overall score. The student-teacher ratio in Mississippi public schools is roughly 13-to-1, the country’s 15th lowest. The disciplinary incident rate was 50th, the second highest rate nationally.

There were pluses across Mississippi’s public education system. According to WalletHub, the state ranked 17th overall for racial equality in education in 2024. Separately, Mississippi has the highest high school graduation rate among low-income students nationally.

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