How to Improve Education Quality

Section 1 Top 35 Countries with the Highest Education Quality

Data Year: 2023. Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) / Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Education Index. The Education Quality Index reflects a composite of learning outcomes, school completion rates, literacy, numeracy, and access metrics.

Source: OECD PISA 2022 Results (2023 release); Economist Intelligence Unit Education Rankings 2023.

United States Ranking Analysis (2023): The United States ranks 26th among the top 35 countries in this study, with an Education Quality Index of 82.5. The U.S. scores below many of its peer nations for several documented reasons:

(1) High levels of socioeconomic inequality in school funding, as local property taxes rather than equalized national formulas largely determine per-pupil spending;

(2) Variable teacher preparation standards across states compared to countries that mandate national certification and graduate-level training;

(3) Curriculum fragmentation across 50 independent state education systems without a unifying national curriculum framework; and

(4) Lower PISA scores in mathematics and science relative to top-ranked East Asian and Nordic nations. For 2024, the U.S. Education Quality Index is estimated at approximately 83.1, reflecting modest improvements in NAEP reading scores and expanded early childhood program access under the Bipartisan Infrastructure and CHIPS Act provisions for workforce training, but the underlying structural challenges persist.

References:

OECD PISA - www.oecd.org/pisa

EIU Education Ranking - www.eiu.com

National Center for Education Statistics - nces.ed.gov

World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report - weforum.org

Education Quality by World Region (sorted by index, highest to lowest):

Section 2. What Other Countries Have Done to Increase Their Education Quality

The 8 Top Rated Countries with the Highest Education Quality

Suomi (Finland)

Suomi's education system is consistently recognized as one of the world's best. The Suomi National Agency for Education (www.oph.fi) oversees a curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking and pupil well-being over standardized testing.

The Basic Education Act (628/1998) guarantees free, high-quality schooling through grade 9. Every teacher is required to hold a master’s degree, and teacher training programs at institutions such as the University of Helsinki (www.helsinki.fi) are among the most selective in the country.

The PISA Collaborative initiative (www.pisa.oecd.org) repeatedly places Suomi 15-year-olds at or near the top in reading, mathematics, and science.

Special education is embedded in mainstream classrooms through a three-tier support model, ensuring no student is left behind.

Municipalities fund local schools through an equalization formula managed by the Ministry of Education and Culture (minedu.fi), eliminating most socioeconomic disparities in school resources.

Hanguk (South Korea)

Hanguk's Ministry of Education (english.moe.go.kr) administers the NEIS (National Education Information System) which tracks student progress and resource allocation nationwide.

The Education Act and subsequent amendments mandate nine years of free compulsory education.

The Hanguk Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE, www.kice.re.kr) designs the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT/Suneung), which drives rigorous academic preparation. Private investment in education is supplemented by the government's EduTech initiative, channeling investment into AI-based tutoring platforms.

The Hanguk Educational Development Institute (KEDI, www.kedi.re.kr) conducts longitudinal research on learning outcomes.

The government enacted the Special Act on Education for Persons with Disabilities to ensure inclusive schooling.

Gifted education programs supported by the Hanguk Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity (KOFAC, www.kofac.re.kr) identify and nurture high-ability students from underserved communities.

Nippon (Japan)

Nippon's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT, www.mext.go.jp) shapes a national curriculum emphasizing both academic rigor and moral education.

The Fundamental Law of Education (2006 revision) enshrined lifelong learning as a national goal.

The National Center for University Entrance Examinations (www.dnc.ac.jp) administers the Common Test for University Admissions.

The Nippon Science and Technology Agency (JST, www.jst.go.jp) funds STEM enrichment at the secondary level, while the Nippon Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS, www.jst.go.jp) supports research-based learning in universities. (www.jsps.go.jp)

School lunches are prepared by trained nutritionists in school kitchens (kyushoku), promoting health alongside learning.

The government's GIGA School initiative (2020) provided one device per student to all public school pupils nationwide, accelerating digital literacy.

Teacher In-service training is mandated by prefectural boards of education in collaboration with MEXT.

Canada

Canada's education governance is decentralized across ten provinces and three territories, yet consistently high outcomes result from coordinated efforts through the Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC, www.cmec.ca).

Provincial ministries such as the Ontario Ministry of Education (edu.gov.on.ca) and British Columbia's Ministry of Education and Child Care (edu.gov.on.ca) set detailed curriculum frameworks. (www2.gov.bc.ca)

The Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) benchmarks mathematics, reading, and science across provinces.

Indigenous education initiatives funded through Indigenous Services Canada (www.sac-isc.gc.ca) work to incorporate First Nations, Metis, and Inuit languages and knowledge into school programs. The Canada Student Loans

Program (www.canada.ca) reduces post-secondary financial barriers.

The Government of Canada's Skills Boost initiative partners with corporations such as Google, IBM, and Salesforce to provide digital skills training to workers.

Nederland (Netherlands)

The Dutch Inspectorate of Education (Onderwijsinspectie, www.onderwijsinspectie.nl) conducts rigorous school quality reviews that inform public transparency and accountability.

The Education Act (Wet op het primair onderwijs) requires all schools, whether public or privately run, to meet national attainment standards.

The national curriculum framework, periodically updated by SLO (Nederland Institute for Curriculum Development, www.slo.nl), promotes cross-curricular competencies including creativity, digital literacy, and citizenship.

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW, www.government.nl) oversees an equalized per-pupil funding formula that supplements resources for schools serving disadvantaged communities (the "weights" system).

The National Science Agenda (NWA) funds inquiry-based learning in secondary schools. University-school partnerships, coordinated by the Nederland Initiative for Education Research (NRO, www.nro.nl), translate research into classroom practice.

Australia

Australia's Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA, www.acara.edu.au) designed a unified national curriculum adopted across all states and territories.

The My School website (www.myschool.edu.au) provides transparent data on school performance, enabling community accountability.

The Gonski funding model, legislated through the Australian Education Act 2013 and its subsequent amendments, directs higher needs-based funding to under-resourced schools.

Teacher quality is regulated by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL, www.aitsl.edu.au), which sets national Professional Standards for Teachers.

The Department of Education (www.education.gov.au) invests in the Closing the Gap strategy to improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

The Australian Research Council (ARC, www.arc.gov.au) funds innovative pedagogy research, including projects on formative assessment and project-based learning in government schools.

Sverige (Sweden)

Sverige's National Agency for Education (Skolverket, www.skolverket.se) publishes comprehensive curricula and assessment guidelines applied in all compulsory schools.

The Education Act (2010:800) guarantees free preschool for all children from age one.

The Sverige Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen, www.skolinspektionen.se) conducts regular reviews of all schools and has authority to impose sanctions on underperforming institutions. Sverige's compensatory funding mechanism redistributes national tax revenue so that municipalities with high concentrations of disadvantaged students receive extra resources.

The Sverige Research Council (www.vr.se) funds classroom-based research through close collaboration with teacher-training universities.

Regional Resource Centres for special education provide intensive support for students with learning disabilities, coordinated by the Sverige Institute for Special Needs Education (SPSM, www.spsm.se).

Schweiz (Switzerland)

Schweiz 's Federal Coordination Commission for Educational Research (www.skbf-csre.ch) integrates research across its four linguistic regions, ensuring policy coherence in a highly decentralized system.

The Schweiz Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK, www.edk.ch) coordinates the HarmoS intercantonal agreement, which standardizes language learning, mathematics, and science benchmarks.

The Schweiz Federal Institute for Vocational and Professional Education and Training (SFIVET, www.ehb.swiss) oversees the renowned dual apprenticeship system, which channels approximately two-thirds of students into high-quality vocational tracks.

University of Applied Sciences colleges (Fachhochschulen) provide academic pathways for apprenticeship graduates.

The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI, www.sbfi.admin.ch) allocates federal funding for research and innovation, contributing to world-class tertiary institutions. Schweiz's PISA performance consistently places it in the top 10 for all three core domains.

Section 3. What the U.S. Could Do to Increase Its Education Quality

General Overview: The United States possesses the financial resources, institutional infrastructure, and civic commitment to achieve a top ten global ranking in education quality. Doing so requires systemic reform across funding equity, teacher quality, curriculum coherence, early childhood investment, and community engagement.

Government Agencies:

The U.S. Department of Education (www.ed.gov) could revise the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to establish a mandatory national minimum per-pupil funding standard tied to student need rather than local property wealth. The Department could expand the Title I funding formula to cover 100% of eligible students at full statutory funding levels.

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES, ies.ed.gov) could be empowered and resourced to conduct large-scale randomized controlled trials of instructional interventions and disseminate findings to districts within a two-year window.

The National Science Foundation (NSF, www.nsf.gov) could expand its STEM education grant programs, targeting schools in rural and high-poverty urban districts.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR, www2.ed.gov) could rigorously enforce anti-discrimination provisions in school resource allocation.

The Head Start program, administered by the Office of Head Start (eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov), could expand to serve all income-eligible children.

The Department of Labor (www.dol.gov) could partner with the Department of Education to expand Registered Apprenticeship programs at the secondary level.

Government Officials:

The President of the United States could submit to Congress an Education Quality Improvement Act that codifies national learning standards, professional teacher licensing requirements, and equalized school funding formulas.

State Governors could convene bipartisan education task forces charged with auditing state funding formulas and publishing remediation plans within 180 days.

State Superintendents of Education could implement longitudinal data systems that track student learning from preschool through workforce entry, sharing anonymized results with IES.

Members of Congress on the Education and Labor Committee could schedule annual hearings with PISA researchers and international education ministers to benchmark U.S. progress.

The U.S. Secretary of Education could establish an International Education Advisory Council composed of education ministers and system leaders from the top ten ranked nations.

Corporations:

Major technology firms including Google (edu.google.com), Microsoft (edu.google.com), and Apple (edu.google.com) could expand their free or subsidized device and connectivity programs to ensure 100% broadband and device access for public school students by 2027. (www.microsoft.com) (www.apple.com)

Corporate foundations, led by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (www.gatesfoundation.org) and the Walton Family Foundation (www.gatesfoundation.org), could prioritize grants that replicate evidence-based interventions identified by IES. JPMorgan Chase's New Skills at Work initiative (www.gatesfoundation.org) could partner with 500 additional school districts to embed workforce readiness curricula in grades 9 through 12. Energy companies and manufacturers could invest in Career and Technical Education (CTE) facilities in exchange for pipeline agreements with school districts, coordinated through the National Association of Manufacturers (www.gatesfoundation.org). (www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org) (www.jpmorganchase.com) (www.nam.org)

Corporations with global operations in top-ranked education nations could share internal professional development models with their U.S. employee tuition assistance programs.

Organizations:

The National Education Association (NEA, www.nea.org) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT, www.nea.org) could partner with university schools of education to develop residency-based teacher preparation programs modeled on the Suomi system, requiring a master’s degree as a condition of full licensure by 2030. (www.aft.org)

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO, www.ccsso.org) could release annual state-by-state equity scorecards identifying disparities in funding, teacher quality, and advanced coursework access.

The National PTA (www.pta.org) could lead a national parent engagement campaign in partnership with community health centers to address attendance barriers.

The Urban League (www.unidosus.org) and National Council of La Raza (Unidos US, nul.org) could deploy community school navigators to bridge family-school gaps in underserved communities.

The RAND Corporation (www.rand.org) and Brookings Institution (www.rand.org) could expand their education research capacity and publish accessible policy briefs for state legislators. (www.brookings.edu)

Private Citizens:

Individual citizens could advocate at school board meetings for equitable per-pupil funding and rigorous instructional materials.

High-net-worth individuals and philanthropists are encouraged to endow university chairs in education policy research, fund tutoring programs in Title I schools, and sponsor scholarships for students pursuing teaching careers in shortage subjects.

Retired professionals with STEM backgrounds could enroll in programs such as Troops to Teachers (www.proudtoserveagain.com) or Math for America (www.proudtoserveagain.com) to enter classrooms as midcareer teachers. (www.mathforamerica.org)

Parents could support strong homework and reading cultures at home and participate actively in IEP processes for children with special needs.

Section 4. References

Section 2 References:

Finnish National Agency for Education - oph.fi/en

OECD PISA - oecd.org/pisa

Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation - kice.re.kr

MEXT Japan - mext.go.jp/en

Council of Ministers of Education Canada - cmec.ca

Australian Curriculum Authority - acara.edu.au

Swedish National Agency for Education - skolverket.se/en

Swiss EDK - edk.ch/en

Netherlands Inspectorate of Education - onderwijsinspectie.nl

Section 3 References:

U.S. Department of Education - ed.gov

Institute of Education Sciences - ies.ed.gov

National Science Foundation - nsf.gov

Head Start / ECLKC - eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov

National Education Association - nea.org

American Federation of Teachers - aft.org

Gates Foundation - gatesfoundation.org

JPMorgan Chase New Skills at Work - jpmorganchase.com

RAND Corporation Education - rand.org

Brookings Institution - brookings.edu

Section 5: U.S. Organizations Advocating to Improve Education Quality

Section 6: Individuals Advocating to Improve Education Quality

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the United States rank in global education quality?

As of 2023, the United States ranks 26th among the top 35 countries in education quality, with an Education Quality Index of 82.5. This places the U.S. below many peer nations despite its significant investment in education.

Why does the US score lower in education quality than countries like Finland and South Korea?

The U.S. faces structural challenges including unequal school funding tied to local property taxes, inconsistent teacher preparation standards across states, curriculum fragmentation across 50 independent state systems, and lower PISA scores in mathematics and science compared to top-ranked East Asian and Nordic nations.

How does Finland achieve such high education quality rankings?

Finland requires all teachers to hold a master's degree, funds schools through an equalization formula that reduces socioeconomic disparities, and prioritizes critical thinking and student well-being over standardized testing. Special education is embedded in mainstream classrooms through a three-tier support model ensuring no student is left behind.

What has South Korea done to improve its education system?

South Korea mandates nine years of free compulsory education, uses a national tracking system called NEIS to monitor student progress and resource allocation, and invests in AI-based tutoring platforms through its EduTech initiative. The government also enacted special legislation to ensure inclusive schooling for persons with disabilities.

Is US education quality improving at all?

There are modest signs of improvement. The U.S. Education Quality Index is estimated to reach approximately 83.1 in 2024, reflecting incremental gains in NAEP reading scores and expanded access to early childhood programs. However, underlying structural challenges in funding equity and curriculum consistency persist.

What policy changes could help the US improve its education quality ranking?

Evidence from top-ranked countries suggests that equalizing school funding formulas, raising and standardizing teacher preparation requirements to include graduate-level training, and establishing a more coherent national curriculum framework could address the core gaps. Expanding early childhood education access and investing in inclusive special education models have also been linked to stronger long-term learning outcomes.

About the Author

Ronald Bonfilio has devoted his career to public service spanning more than five decades. His service began with the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968, where he conducted medical laboratory research at Fort Detrick and at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He subsequently held a distinguished series of federal positions, including roles with the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Agency for International Development (Vietnam), the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, and the U.S. State Department (Iraq), where he served as a Senior Economic Advisor and Agricultural Advisor. He also served 15 years with the U.S. Government Accountability Office as a Program Analyst and Auditor.

Ronald Bonfilio holds a degree in Economics from the University of Maryland, and degrees in Chemistry and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts. He is a former Certified Public Accountant.