Texas ranks 7th among states for racial equality in education

Schools
Racial equality pexels caleb oquendo
Racial equality in education varies among the 50 states, according to a new WalletHub study. | Pexels.com / Caleb Oquendo

Texas finished 7th among states in a new study by the WalletHub website that examines equality between white and Black students in educational progress among the 50 states, based on six key dimensions.

The Lone Star State earned a total score of 60.05 in the study by the personal finance website, with the maximum score being 100. In comparison, No. 1 Wyoming received a score of 86.46, according to the analysis.

The key educational dimensions measured between white and Black adults are the share of adults with at least a high school diploma, share of adults with at least a bachelor’s degree, standardized test scores, mean SAT score, average ACT score and public high school graduation rate.

Texas had the lowest gap between the racial groups in terms of percentages of adults 25 years and older with high school degrees, the report said. 

In spite of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, which desegregated public schools, school districts with high concentrations of white students receive $23 billion more annually than those with high percentages of non-white students, according to a study cited by WalletHub. Such disparities can lead to unequal educational outcomes, the researchers said.

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State Rankings on Racial Equality in Education 

Overall Rank (1=Most Equality)StateTotal Score
1Wyoming86.46
2West Virginia76.77
3New Mexico70.85
4Idaho65.68
5Montana64.87
6Oklahoma60.07
7Texas60.05
8Arizona59.34
9Kentucky58.56
10Tennessee57.33
11Hawaii55.09
12Delaware54.80
13Arkansas54.58
14Maine53.86
15New Hampshire53.10
16Georgia52.96
17North Dakota52.64
18Vermont52.53
19Alabama51.55
20Mississippi50.46
21Nevada49.78
22Alaska49.37
23Washington47.77
24Oregon46.84
25North Carolina46.05
26Indiana45.90
27Rhode Island45.42
28Florida43.39
29Missouri42.92
30California42.50
31South Dakota41.14
32Kansas40.97
33Maryland40.10
34Louisiana40.05
35Virginia37.41
36Michigan36.10
37Colorado36.09
38Ohio35.89
39Utah34.86
40Nebraska34.71
41New Jersey33.02
42Illinois32.53
43Iowa31.51
44Pennsylvania31.01
45South Carolina30.82
46Massachusetts29.95
47New York26.16
48Connecticut24.13
49Minnesota20.18
50Wisconsin12.06
Source: WalletHub.com