HONOLULU (KHON2) — A new report has analyzed and ranked the early childhood educational situations for each educational jurisdiction in the United States and placed Hawaii in the bottom.
The study found that Hawai‘i placed #43 out of 51 in 2025’s national rankings of early education systems. The state scored poorly in all three categories measured: access, quality and resources and economic support.
The study compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia using 12 key metrics. These included pre-K access, school district participation, quality benchmarks and spending per enrolled child.
Here’s what we found in the report.
Low enrollment rates for young children
Only a few states had lower enrollment of 3- and 4-year-olds in pre-K, special education or Head Start programs than Hawai‘i. Our state ranked 48th in this category.
That means only three states enrolled a smaller share of young children in early education programs. Idaho, Nevada and Utah ranked lower.
Funding amongst lowest in the nation
Hawai‘i also performed poorly in how much it spends per preschool child. The state ranked 48th in resources and economic support.
Hawaii did not make the top ranks in any spending category that included total reported spending per child or state Head Start program spending.
This puts Hawai‘i near the bottom nationally for financial investment in early childhood education.
Early education makes a difference
Chip Lupo, an analyst for the report, said the benefits of early education go beyond the classroom.
“The more that states invest in early education, and the more accessible they make those programs, the more they will benefit in the future,” Lupo said. “Having access to quality early education gives students a jump start that can improve their future performance in school, as well as lead to better job opportunities and higher earnings in the long-term. A better-educated, higher-earning population will in turn bring economic benefits back to the state.”
States leading the way
Maryland, the District of Columbia and Arkansas ranked as the top three in the country. These states combined high enrollment, strong quality benchmarks and strong financial support for early childhood programs.
You can click here to read the full report.
Hawai‘i’s ranking shows that the state lags behind in areas that matter most for its youngest learners.
Without expanded access and increased investment, the report indicated that Hawai‘i risks falling even further behind not only in education but in successful economic futures for our residents.