Student-Teacher Ratio Comparison
Education

California vs Washington: Student-Teacher Ratio

Washington has a lower student-teacher ratio than California.

California flag
California
CA • West
22.2:1
Average number of pupils per teacher in public K-12 schools (NCES).
Washington flag
Washington
WA • West
Winner
18.9:1
Average number of pupils per teacher in public K-12 schools (NCES).

Visual Comparison

California 22.2:1
Washington 18.9:1

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for student-teacher ratio.

California #49 · 22.2:1
Washington #45 · 18.9:1
Best Worst

10 Best States — Student-Teacher Ratio

Lower is better
#1 Vermont flag Vermont
9.8:1
#2 Wyoming flag Wyoming
11.2:1
#3 North Dakota flag North Dakota
11.7:1
#4 Maine flag Maine
11.9:1
#5 New Jersey flag New Jersey
11.9:1
#6 South Dakota flag South Dakota
12.3:1
#7 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
12.4:1
#8 New York flag New York
12.5:1
#9 Connecticut flag Connecticut
12.6:1
#10 Montana flag Montana
12.8:1
Selected states
#49 California flag California
22.2:1
#45 Washington flag Washington
18.9:1

California ranks 49th and Washington ranks 45th nationally for student-teacher ratio.

What This Means

California vs Washington: Student-Teacher Ratio in context

Washington has a student-teacher ratio of 18.9:1, compared with 22.2:1 in California. Average number of pupils per teacher in public K-12 schools (NCES).

California
22.2:1
Washington
18.9:1

People Also Ask

California vs Washington Student-Teacher Ratio — Common Questions

Q What is California's student-teacher ratio?

California's student-teacher ratio is 22.2:1.

Q What is Washington's student-teacher ratio?

Washington's student-teacher ratio is 18.9:1.

Q Which state has a lower student-teacher ratio — California or Washington?

Washington has a lower student-teacher ratio than California.

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.