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FACT BRIEF

Does Nevada get a poor return on investment in K-12 education compared to other states?

By Todd Butterworth
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NO

An analysis by The Nevada Independent comparing states' K-12 education spending with their public school ratings shows Nevada ranks 18th nationally in education return on investment (ROI).

We looked at states' per-pupil spending (according to Census Bureau data) and their combined quality and safety rating across 32 metrics by WalletHub. We then compared these two rankings to determine if a state had a good return on its education investment.

The data ranks Nevada 45th in spending and 39th in quality and safety. The state's differential between these rankings is the 18th best in the nation. The top ROI state is Utah, which ranks 49th in spending and 13th in quality and safety. The lowest-ranking state is Alaska, which ranks 6th in spending and 50th in quality and safety. 

Despite Nevada's above-average education ROI, its education system consistently ranks near the bottom among states.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
The Nevada Independent State Public Education ROI Analysis
US Census Bureau Per Pupil Amounts for Current Spending of Public Elementary-Secondary School Systems by State: Fiscal Year 2020
WalletHub States with the Best & Worst School Systems
Scholaroo States with Best & Worst Education (2023)
US News & World Report Education Rankings
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.