Colorado was recently named the top state for education in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings for best states. I often tout in presentations that our state is number two in the nation in terms of higher education, but experts know the main reason for that has been the high number of educated people moving to Colorado over the past few decades. Now it seems we are also highly ranked for both in-migrants and native Coloradans, which is great news.

Unlike rankings based on a single test score or graduation rate, U.S. News evaluates education across the entire pipeline using preschool through higher education metrics. These include preschool enrollment, eighth-grade reading and math scores, high school graduation rates, college readiness as measured by ACT/SAT scores at the 75th percentile or higher, in-state tuition/fees at four-year public universities, two-year college enrollment and graduation rates, four-year college enrollment and graduation rates, overall higher education attainment (percentage ages 25+ who have at least an associate degree or higher) and average student loan debt.

One of Colorado’s greatest strengths is early childhood education with universal preschool for 4-year-olds for up to 15 hours a week and 10 hours for some qualifying 3-year-olds. Preschool enrollment for 3- and 4-year-olds stood at 54% in 2023, while pre-K enrollment for 3-year-olds stood at almost 70% in the 2025 academic year. The state also instilled full-day kindergarten several years ago. Early learning  participation improves downstream academic outcomes while also helping reduce poverty for lower-income families.

Colorado also shines in higher education. Nearly 56% of adults 25 and older have earned at least an associate degree, the highest share in the nation and about 10 percentage points above the national average. And roughly 55% of two-year college students graduate, also one of the highest rates across the nation. Expanded dual-enrollment opportunities, allowing high school students to earn college credit before graduation, have likely contributed to that progress.

Colorado also ranks second nationally in the share of adults holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, at nearly 48%.

Several initiatives are helping make higher education more accessible. Colorado Promise provides up to two years of tuition-free college for qualifying families while Care Forward Colorado offers free workforce certificates in high-demand health care fields. Our firm, Data-Driven Economic Strategies, evaluates the local Harrison District Promise Scholarship, where we’ve seen firsthand how reducing financial barriers can create lasting educational and generational opportunity.

State experts highlight that some of the improvement ties to Colorado’s high-income ranking. Any teacher will tell you it’s easier to teach and obtain good outcomes when poverty rates are lower. It’s also important to remember we still have work to do in terms of higher pay for our state’s teachers as well as obtaining better global education rankings. Most of our peer nations outrank us and just like our suboptimal health outcomes, this is largely due to a high proportion of our U.S. population in lower-income categories (as compared to other developed economies).

There is, indeed, a marked difference between lower- and upper-income groups in terms of education and health outcomes. Colorado’s enviable standing in both education and health highlights this reality given that our state is indeed one of the highest income states. Truly, better education and health outcomes are positively correlated to higher income. In the case of Colorado, this is working to our advantage as we are seemingly obtaining a virtuous cycle.

Tatiana Bailey is executive director of the nonprofit Data-Driven Economic Strategies. Other Gazette articles, TV segments, DDES monthly economic dashboards with technical explanations, and how to sponsor their work can be found at ddestrategies.org.