State rankings

Age to Start Kindergarten by State

Washington has the highest Compulsory School Age (8), followed by North Carolina (7) and Indiana (7). District of Columbia has the lowest (5).

EducationLaw51 states · 6 metricsUpdated May 23, 2025Original page
1 source
Compulsory School AgeBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
51 of 51 states
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Compulsory School Age

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 51 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
6
Middle half 6 – 6.5
Average
6.04
51 states
Highest
8
Washington
Lowest
5
District of Columbia

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

51 states · # = rank by Compulsory School Age
#
1Washington85 by 8/31
2North Carolina75 by 8/31
2Indiana75 by 8/1
2Missouri75 by 7/31
2Minnesota75 by 9/1
2Louisiana75 by 9/30
2Nevada75 by 9/30
2Kansas75 by 8/31
2Idaho75 by 9/1
2Montana75 by 9/10
2North Dakota75 by 7/31
2Alaska75 by 9/1
2Wyoming75 by 9/15
14California65 by 9/1
14Texas65 by 9/1
14Florida65 by 9/1
14New York6LEA option
14Pennsylvania6LEA option
14Illinois65 by 9/1
14Ohio6LEA option
14Georgia65 by 9/1
14Michigan65 by 9/1
14New Jersey6LEA option
14Arizona65 by 8/31
14Tennessee65 by 8/15
14Massachusetts6Variable
14Colorado65 by 10/1
14Wisconsin65 by 9/1
14Alabama65 by 9/1
14Kentucky65 by 7/31
14Oregon65 by 9/1
14Utah65 by 9/1
14Iowa65 by 9/15
14Mississippi65 by 9/1
14Nebraska65 by 9/30
14West Virginia65 by 8/31
14New Hampshire6Unspecified
14Maine65 by 10/15
14Vermont65
40Virginia55 by 9/30
40Maryland55 by 9/1
40South Carolina55 by 9/1
40Oklahoma55 by 9/1
40Connecticut55 by 1/1
40Arkansas55 by 8/1
40New Mexico55 by 9/1
40Hawaii55 by 7/31
40Rhode Island55 by 9/1
40Delaware55 by 8/31
40South Dakota55 by 9/1
40District of Columbia55 by 9/30

What correlates with Compulsory School Age?

Pearson r against 2,099 other state metrics sharing at least 31 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Compulsory School Age tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Net Approval RatingTrump Approval Rating by State
    r = +0.55 · strong · n = 51
    Plot
  2. Wheat Production ValueWheat Production by State
    r = +0.48 · moderate · n = 36
    Plot
  3. Wheat ProductionWheat Production by State
    r = +0.47 · moderate · n = 36
    Plot
  4. Year Common Core Was AdoptedCommon Core States
    r = +0.47 · moderate · n = 46
    Plot
  5. Lowest BracketIncome Tax by State
    r = +0.44 · moderate · n = 41
    Plot
  6. Individual Income Tax RankBest State To Incorporate InA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.44 · moderate · n = 51
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Compulsory School Age tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. % of Registered DemocratsRegistered Voters by Party
    r = −0.53 · strong · n = 31
    Plot
  2. Overall Camping Rating (1-10)Best States for Camping
    r = −0.50 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  3. % of People Who Consume Soda Daily 2010-2015Soda Consumption by State
    r = −0.45 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Prescription Drugs and Other Medical Products Cost per CapitaHealth Care Costs by State
    r = −0.43 · moderate · n = 51
    Plot
  5. DTaP 5 DosesVaccination Rates by State
    r = −0.42 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  6. % Tried to QuitSmoking Rates by State
    r = −0.41 · moderate · n = 51
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Compulsory School Age?
Washington has the highest Compulsory School Age, at 8, followed by North Carolina (7) and Indiana (7).
Which state has the lowest Compulsory School Age?
District of Columbia has the lowest Compulsory School Age, at 5.
What is the median Compulsory School Age across US states?
The median is 6 across the 51 US states with data.
Where does this age to start kindergarten by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: State Education Practices (SEP) - IES National Center for Education Statistics.

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