(The Center Square) – Georgia fell five places in the Heritage Foundation’s Education Report Card, ranking 14th in 2025.
The organization uses the state’s education choice program, teacher freedom, academic transparency, civics education and the return on investment per dollar spent, according to a release.
Georgia’s highest ranking was seventh for its return on investment.
“Georgia spends the 39th-most per pupil among states, spending $14,173 in cost-of-living-adjusted terms annually,” the report said. “The Peach State employs 3.46 teachers for every nonteacher in its public schools. Georgia’s unfunded teacher pension liability represents 4.5 percent of its state GDP.”
Georgia received its lowest score in the civic education category.
“Students in Georgia are not required to pass a civics or citizenship test to graduate from high school. Georgia has an average number of classical education schools per capita. The Classical Learning Test is not yet used for admissions purposes at state universities,” the report said.
The General Assembly passed school choice in 2024. The $6,500 scholarships began with the 2025-26 school year.
The Heritage Foundation listed the state 19th for education choice.
“Georgia could improve its ranking by boosting participation in its existing private education choice policies, funding educations savings accounts (ESAs) via the state education funding formula, making it easier for more charter schools to open and operate, and giving families more choices among traditional public schools beyond their assigned school,” the report said.
The organization put Georgia at 17th for academic transparency, citing the General Assembly’s bill that bans critical race theory and the passage of a parental bill of rights in 2022.
Four of Georgia’s neighbors ranked higher. Tennessee was sixth, Alabama ninth and North Carolina was 15th. South Carolina was ranked 20th.
The Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit organization that says its mission is “to formulate and promote public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.”
