Arizona public schools have the most crowded classrooms in the nation, with an average of over 22 students per teacher. And growing concerns over rising class sizes have only intensified with the Department of Education’s recent reduction in force.
Researchers analyzed student-teacher ratios for public and private schools using data from the National Center for Education Statistics to find the most crowded classrooms in America. They also examined how classroom sizes have evolved over the past 50+ years.
- Arizona classrooms have the highest student-to-teacher ratios in the nation, with an average of 22.69 students per teacher.
- Private schools in Arizona have much smaller ratios, at 12.40 students per teacher.
- Overall, Arizona has the second-largest gap in the nation when it comes to public vs. private student-teacher ratios, with public schools having 45% more students per teacher than private schools.
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Teacher shortages, budget constraints, and shifting post-pandemic student populations—driven by migration patterns and the rise of remote work—have led to more crowded classrooms in some parts of the country, making personalized instruction harder to deliver. What’s more, growing concerns over rising class sizes have only intensified with the Department of Education’s recent reduction in force. But how do student-teacher ratios really compare across the U.S.?
To find out, we analyzed the most recent student-teacher ratios for both public and private schools using data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to uncover which states have the most—and least—crowded classrooms. We also examined how student-teacher ratios differ between public and private schools, how classroom sizes have evolved over the past 50+ years, and which states have seen the biggest shifts, up or down, since COVID-19. The result is a comprehensive look at where students are getting more individualized attention and where teachers are stretched thin.
The national average for public school student-teacher ratios sits at 14.7 students per teacher, but in some states, that number is significantly higher. Arizona, for instance, tops the list with an average of nearly 23 students per teacher, more than 50% higher than the national norm. Meanwhile, Vermont leads the country in providing more personalized instruction, with just 10.36 students per teacher. Here’s a look at the top five states on each end of the spectrum when it comes to public school classroom crowding:
Top 5 States With the Most Crowded Public School Classrooms
- Arizona – 22.69 students per teacher
- California – 21.77 students per teacher
- Nevada – 21.28 students per teacher
- Utah – 20.57 students per teacher
- Florida – 18.44 students per teacher
