Kentucky Department of Education

When rankings of states in the area of public education are discussed, Kentucky is often noted as being ranked near the bottom overall. That is misleading.

While there are no credible overall rankings of states in P-12 education, there are rankings based on a number of specific variables.

(Please note that these rankings do not reflect current year data, but rather the most recent year available. Information for these rankings was gathered from the National Education Association and the National Center for Education Statistics.)

NEA National Rankings - Kentucky (2003-04)

Number of public school students: 26^th

Number of public school teachers: 27^th

Pupil-teacher ratio: 15^th

Per-pupil expenditures: 30^th

Average teacher salary: 34^th

Percentage of public school revenues from local sources: 41^st

 

Percentage of public school revenues from state sources: 13^th

 

Percentage of public school revenues from federal sources: 10^th

 

 

NCES National Rankings -- Kentucky (2001-02)

Percentage of high school dropouts: 25^th

Percentage of student ethnicity:

^-           Total: 43^rd

         - Native American: 41^st

         - Asian/Pacific Islander: 49^th

         - Black/African American: 26^th

         - Hispanic: 47^th

         - White: 7^th

Number of Title I-eligible schools: 15^th

Number of Title I-schoolwide programs: 4^th

Percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals: 10^th