Utah slipped three spots in a national ranking of the best states for teachers, landing fifth in WalletHub's 2026 annual study after finishing second a year ago.

The drop matters locally. Granite School District, which serves 59,972 students across 86 schools including Millcreek-area campuses, carries a student-teacher ratio of 23-to-1, according to Public School Review. That exceeds the statewide average of 22-to-1.

WalletHub's study, which evaluated all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across 24 metrics, found Utah has the fourth-highest pupil-to-teacher ratio in the country and the third-lowest public school spending per student, ABC4 reported Monday, Sept. 14. Those two factors drove the state's steepest slide: its academic and work environment score fell from 11th in 2025 to 18th in 2026.

Utah also dropped in the opportunity and competition category, which measures teacher salaries, enrollment growth and tenure protections. The state held the No. 1 spot there in 2025 but slid to sixth this year.

Granite School District spends $12,066 per student, above the state median of $10,829, according to Public School Review. Still, Utah as a whole ranks 49th out of 51 in per-student funding in WalletHub's data. Only Idaho and Oklahoma spend less.

The state kept a top-five finish partly because Utah offers teacher tenure after just three years. Teachers in the state also report feeling supported by their administration at above-average rates, according to the study.

Washington topped the 2026 list, followed by New York, Virginia and Illinois. WalletHub collected its data as of Aug. 17 from federal sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics and National Education Association.

The Granite School District board still has a District 1 vacancy to fill, and Superintendent Ben Horsley leads a district where class sizes already run above the state average. Families can check the district's website for the next board meeting date.