Mississippi is now among the top 20 states in the country when looking at education. That’s according to the latest KIDS COUNT Data Book from Annie E. Casey Foundation, which ranks the Magnolia State at number 16 in the country for education.
That’s an improvement from 30th in last year’s report, and 10 years ago the state was 48th.
State officials are touting those increases, but the report also continues to rank Mississippi near the bottom in other areas, such as overall child well-being (48th), economic well-being (47th), health (50th), along with family and community (48th).
Graduation rates in Mississippi high schools are above the national average at 89.2 percent and Gov. Tates Reeves said Mississippi has momentum in the classroom.
Economic well-being numbers were better, according to the KIDS COUNT Data Book, but the percentage of children with families whose parents lack secure employment was still at 31 percent, and children in families living in households with a high housing cost burden was at 25 percent.
“In the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book, New England states hold the top three spots for overall child well-being,” the report said. “New Hampshire ranks first, followed by Vermont and Massachusetts. Mississippi (48th), Louisiana (49th), and New Mexico (50th) are the three lowest-ranked states.
“A child’s chances of thriving depend not only on individual, family and community characteristics but also on the state in which they are born and raised,” the report went on to say. “States vary in their wealth and other resources. Policy choices and investments also influence children’s chances for success.”
