Utah ranks fourth best state for teachers despite funding challenges

Photo: Element5 Digital

UTAH — Utah ranks fourth among the best states for teachers in 2024, according to a new study by personal finance website WalletHub, despite facing challenges in classroom sizes and education funding.

The study, which compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 24 key indicators of teacher-friendliness, revealed a complex picture of Utah’s education landscape.

Utah scored poorly in two significant areas, ranking 50th in pupil-teacher ratio and last in public school spending per student. However, the state excelled in other crucial metrics, propelling it to a high overall ranking.

Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, provided further insight into Utah’s ranking.

“Despite shortcomings in areas such as pupil-teacher ratios and public-school spending, Utah’s ranking among the top five states can be attributed to several other key factors,” Lupo said. “One example is Utah’s top ranking in the 10-year change in teacher salaries, with a salary growth of over 41%.”

Lupo noted that this salary increase, combined with Utah’s high starting salary for teachers, contributes significantly to its strong position in the “Opportunity & Competition” dimension of the study.

“Utah also ranks highly for tenure protections and has a favorable projected teacher competition, which makes it an attractive destination for new educators,” Lupo added.

However, Lupo acknowledged the state’s challenges, particularly in class sizes and per-student spending. Despite these issues, he pointed out that “the state’s digital learning plan and strong teacher tenure protections offer some balance in regard to improving conditions for teachers.”

The study weighted factors related to “Opportunity & Competition” more heavily than those in “Academic & Work Environment,” which may account for Utah’s high overall ranking despite its lower scores in some categories.

The top five states for teachers in 2024, according to the study, are New York, Washington, Virginia, Utah, and Maryland. The bottom five are Tennessee, Nevada, New Hampshire, Hawaii, and Maine.