“New Jersey is No. 1 in terms of per capita spending for grades pre-K through 12,” says Dr. Darren Spielman, executive director of the Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs at Rutgers-Camden. “The outcomes are quite good: Our graduation rates and proficiency in reading, writing and math are among the top three states in the country.”
Well-educated residents can get better, higher-paying jobs. Dr. Joel Cantor, director of the Center for State Health Policy at Rutgers-New Brunswick, says that “Socioeconomic status is the biggest driver of health in a population.”