WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation has released the 2024 edition of the Education Freedom Report Card, along with a new interactive college guide that will help students “Choose College with Confidence.” 

Heritage’s annual K-12 report card evaluates states based on numerous education criteria, ranking them on their support for education freedom, including education choice, teacher freedom, academic transparency, and the return on investment for education spending. 

Florida, Arizona, Utah, Louisiana, and Iowa are the top five states for education freedom, while Oregon, Connecticut, Hawaii, Washington state, and Vermont fall at the bottom due to limited alternatives to assigned district schools and insufficient transparency for parents. 

While Florida continues to dominate in the top spot for education freedom, Louisiana and Wyoming significantly improved in offering parents more innovative education options. Notably, Wyoming has introduced an education savings account of up to $6,000 per student. Louisiana achieved the largest overall improvement in the report card rankings this year.  

Heritage President Dr. Kevin Roberts praised states that finished strong in the latest report card: 

"State lawmakers are courageously responding to the demands of parents who want excellence in education—not the woke ideology that’s poisoned our government-run schools. This year's report card shows that the tide is turning, but we need even more states to step up if we’re serious about preparing our children for the challenges of tomorrow." 

Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. made the following statement on Florida’s top score: 

“Freedom is the foundation of everything we do in Florida, and that starts with ensuring that families can access the right education choice for their child.  Florida is proud to be named #1 for Education Freedom by the Heritage Foundation for the 3rd year in a row, and we will continue to implement policies that support education freedom and keep us at the top of this list.” 

Megan Degenfelder, Wyoming Superintendent, made the following statement on Wyoming’s improvement in education: 

“Upon taking office in 2023, it was a top priority for me to enhance school choice options in Wyoming. Since that time, Wyoming is now, for the first time in history, offering parents and children more quality learning options through state-authorized charter schools and education savings accounts, and I’m honored to see this work recognized on the report card. Recognizing our state as having the most growth in the school choice category should signify to Wyoming families hope and exciting potential for the future.” 

In addition to the report card, Heritage’s interactive college guide highlights colleges and universities that promote freedom of expression and open academic inquiry, as well as others that are hostile to diverse viewpoints and lack robust curriculum requirements, undermining students’ chance for a well-rounded education.  

Lindsey Burke, director of Heritage’s Center for Education Policy, added: 

“The report card and college guide bring much-needed transparency and awareness to families about the states and education institutions that are putting in the effort to bolster academic excellence and education freedom. We hope this puts pressure on other states to establish universal education choice and robust academic transparency at the K-12 level and for colleges and universities to maintain freedom of expression and rigorous academics as their north star.” 

Learn more about the report card and view each state’s ranking here. Learn more about the Choosing College with Confidence guide here.