Colorado Is No. 1 in Education. Arizona Is No. 43. Here’s Why.

According to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, Colorado ranks first overall, third in higher education, and ninth in Pre-K–12 education. Arizona ranks 43rd overall, 22nd in higher education, and 45th in Pre-K–12.

Eight years ago, before Jared Polis became governor, Colorado ranked 18th nationally. Today, it sits at the top.

In a recent Denver Post guest commentary, Polis said the ranking is especially meaningful because it evaluates “the full educational cycle,” crediting Colorado’s educators, families, and students. He also pointed to a series of policy decisions that have guided the state’s education agenda.

Whether one agrees with every policy or not, Colorado’s rise invites an obvious question: What did the state do differently?

The answer begins with early childhood education.

Colorado made universal preschool and full-day kindergarten cornerstones of its education strategy. Since implementing universal preschool, the state has climbed from 27th to third nationally in preschool enrollment, with nearly three-quarters of eligible four-year-olds participating. The philosophy is simple: invest early, and children begin school better prepared to succeed.

Arizona has chosen a different approach. The state does not offer universal preschool and generally funds only half-day kindergarten. Only about 4% of Arizona four-year-olds attend public preschool, compared with a national average of 35%.

Colorado also made a long-term commitment to public school funding.

In 2024, lawmakers fully funded public schools at the level required under the state constitution and modernized Colorado’s school finance formula for the first time in nearly three decades. The new formula directs additional resources to students living in poverty, English learners, students with disabilities, and districts facing greater challenges.

The investment has been significant. Per-pupil funding has increased by nearly $3,000 since 2019, average teacher salaries have risen more than 40%, and Colorado voters approved Healthy School Meals for All, ensuring every student has access to free breakfast and lunch.

Arizona tells a different story.

The state has not fully funded its public schools under its constitutional formula since 2008. It continues to rank near the bottom nationally in per-pupil funding, has thousands of unfilled teaching positions, and faces billions of dollars in deferred school maintenance and construction needs.

At the same time, Arizona now spends more than $1 billion annually on its Empowerment Scholarship Account voucher program while providing no comparable statewide investment in universal school meals or early childhood education.

School choice is another area where the two states are often compared.

Both embrace public school choice. Nearly 40% of Colorado students attend a public school outside their assigned neighborhood, while Arizona has offered statewide open enrollment in public and charter schools since 1994. 

The major difference is private-school vouchers.

Colorado has expanded public school options while keeping charter schools within the public education system. Arizona has gone much further by creating a universal taxpayer-funded voucher program available to private school families, with annual costs now exceeding $1 billion.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings rely on measures such as preschool enrollment, student achievement, graduation rates, and college readiness. Those metrics are not perfect, but they provide a consistent way to compare states.

Although Arizona has a lower number of college educated residents and median household income than Colorado, it actually has a larger population and economy. Yet Colorado has steadily invested in early learning, public schools, teacher pay, workforce development, and evidence-based instruction. Arizona on the other hand, has prioritized expanding educational choice while continuing to underfund its public school finance system.

Politics almost certainly explains much of the difference. Democrats have controlled the Colorado Legislature for most of the past three decades. Republicans have controlled both chambers of the Arizona Legislature for more than 30 years. Those different governing philosophies have produced different education priorities—and increasingly different results.

No single ranking proves that one state’s education policies are superior to another’s. Correlation is not causation, and many factors influence educational outcomes.

But one fact is difficult to ignore.

Colorado rose from 18th to first nationally while consistently investing in early childhood education, public schools, and student supports. Arizona, despite becoming a national leader in charter schools and private-school choice, ranks 43rd overall.

Education policy does not happen by accident. Legislatures decide where to invest public dollars. Governors decide which bills become law. Voters decide who makes those choices.

If Colorado’s rise and Arizona’s struggles demonstrate anything, it is that elections shape education policy—and education policy shapes results. Until voters draw the nexus between who they elect and what results they get, nothing will change for the better.