Colorado Tops U.S. News Education Rankings

Colorado has been named the best state in the country for education, according to the 2026 U.S. News Best States rankings. The state jumped from third place in 2025 to first place this year. Three big improvements helped Colorado reach the top: more adults earning degrees, higher graduation rates in two-year college programs, and more young children enrolled in preschool. Governor Jared Polis has made education his top goal since he took office seven years ago.

Colorado passed New Jersey and Florida to claim the No. 1 spot. Governor Polis says he has always pushed hard for education in his state. He remembers saying, 'Let's make Colorado No. 1,' when he first became governor. He calls education 'the most important issue for the success of our country.'

Colorado's school system is very large and reaches many kinds of students. The state has 179 school districts and 1,877 schools, from pre-K through 12th grade. In the 2025–26 school year, about 870,793 students were enrolled. Hispanic and Latino students make up the biggest minority group, at 36% of all students.

The state's high school graduation rate also hit a record high. In the 2024–25 school year, 85.6% of students graduated from high school, the highest rate in nearly ten years. Strong graduation numbers helped push Colorado to the top of the rankings.

Colorado also has a big higher education system. As of 2024, more than 273,000 students were enrolled in nearly 100 colleges and universities across the state. The state's community college system is the largest part of that network, with 13 schools serving more than 130,000 students.

Two-year college programs saw one of the biggest jumps in success. Among students who started in 2020, about 42.9% finished their degree within three years. That number jumped to 54.5% for students who started in 2021. John Albright, a leader in Colorado's community college system, says the schools are working hard to meet what students need today.

Colorado also gives families many choices about where their children go to school. About 15% of students attend public charter schools, and nearly one-third of families use an open-enrollment system to pick the best fit for their child. Those options include schools that focus on languages, arts, science and technology, and even outdoor learning.

Two programs help make college more affordable for students. The Colorado Promise program gives two free years of college to students from families that earn less than $90,000 a year. Another program, called Care Forward Colorado, lets all students earn free healthcare certificates, like training to become an emergency medical technician.

One of the state's biggest success stories is its universal preschool program, launched in 2023 after voters agreed to fund it with a tax on tobacco and vape products. The $349 million program is one of only four in the country that offers free preschool to all children without any limits. In the 2025–26 school year, more than 45,000 children were enrolled.

High school students in Colorado are also getting a head start on college. Many schools now offer dual-enrollment courses, which let students earn college credits before they graduate. Some Colorado high schools even have a majority of students who graduate with an associate degree or a job certificate.

Colorado now ranks No. 1 in educational attainment among adults over 25. In 2024, 55.9% of Colorado adults had an associate degree or higher, compared to 45.7% nationally. That puts Colorado about 10 percentage points above the national average. Governor Polis says the state will keep building on this success to help close the opportunity gap for all Coloradans.