Education
California vs Massachusetts: Public School Ranking
Massachusetts ranks #3 for public schools, higher than California at #8.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for public school ranking.
California
#8 · #8
Massachusetts
#3 · #3
Best
Worst
10 Best States — Public School Ranking
Lower is better
#1
New York
#1
New York
#2
Connecticut
#2
Connecticut
#3
Massachusetts
#3
Massachusetts
#4
New Jersey
#4
New Jersey
#5
Illinois
#5
Illinois
#6
Washington
#6
Washington
#7
Virginia
#7
Virginia
#8
California
#8
California
#9
Maryland
#9
Maryland
#10
Pennsylvania
#10
Pennsylvania
California ranks 8th and Massachusetts ranks 3rd nationally for public school ranking.
What this means
California vs Massachusetts: Public School Ranking in context
Massachusetts's public school ranking is #3, compared with #8 in California. Public school system ranking, 1 = best.
California
#8
Massachusetts
#3
People also ask
California vs Massachusetts Public School Ranking — common questions
QWhat is California's public school ranking?
California's public school ranking is #8.
QWhat is Massachusetts's public school ranking?
Massachusetts's public school ranking is #3.
QWhich state has a lower public school ranking — California or Massachusetts?
Massachusetts ranks #3 for public schools, higher than California at #8.
More comparisons: California vs Massachusetts
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Data source and freshness
Primary source
Data period
2025 edition
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Composite public-school rank; rank 1 is best.