12th Place – Illinois

While Illinois may not have cracked the top 10 in WalletHub’s educational rankings, it’s far from being at the bottom of the class! The Land of Lincoln has been diligently investing in early childhood education, prioritizing regular attendance. So, let’s give them an A for effort and a gold star for their commitment to nurturing the next generation of bright minds!

Did you know that Illinois is ahead of the curve when it comes to pre-K education? A whopping 55.8% of Illinois’ 3 to 4 year-olds are already hitting the books, compared to the national average of 47.7%. This might be because of generous funding, but don’t discount the influence of their well-educated parents! It seems that in Illinois, the apple doesn’t fall far from the scholarly tree.