Utah fell three spots in WalletHub's annual teacher rankings, landing fifth nationally after holding second place in 2025.

The drop hits close to home for Alpine School District families. The district reported a student-teacher ratio of 24.09 in the 2023-24 school year, according to Ballotpedia citing federal data. That figure exceeds both the statewide ratio of 21.9 and the national average of 15.1, as reported by the National Education Association for fall 2024.

The gap is wide.

WalletHub released its 2026 study Monday, Sept. 14, comparing all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across 24 measures of teaching conditions. ABC4 reported that Utah's steepest slide came in the academic and work environment category, where the state fell from 11th to 18th. WalletHub cited Utah's fourth-highest pupil-to-teacher ratio nationally and its third-lowest per-pupil spending as key factors.

Separate data underscores the spending gap. Utah spends $11,342 per student annually, according to World Population Review. The national average is $17,619. The Utah Foundation noted in April 2025 that U.S. Department of Education research places Utah last in per-pupil spending.

Utah held onto a top-five finish partly because the state offers teacher tenure after three years and teachers report feeling supported by administrators at above-average rates, according to the WalletHub study. The opportunity and competition category, which WalletHub weights more heavily, still ranked Utah sixth. That category covers salaries, enrollment growth and job prospects. Washington, New York, Virginia and Illinois rounded out the top four.

Alpine School District's 2024-25 teacher salary schedule ranges from $47,954 to $124,987, according to Ballotpedia. The district enrolled 87,051 students in 2023-24 with 3,614 full-time classroom teachers.

The ranking arrives during a pivotal year for the district. Voters approved a split into three successor districts on Nov. 5, 2024. Alpine School District will cease to exist on July 1, 2027, replaced by the Aspen Peaks, Lake Mountain and Timpanogos school districts. The three successor boards ratified an asset-distribution agreement in June 2026. Superintendent Rob Smith called the unanimous vote "huge" and said it "speaks to the hard work done by really good people."

No public statement from Alpine School District officials responding to the WalletHub findings was available as of Sept. 14. How the three incoming districts will handle class sizes and per-pupil spending after the July 1, 2027, transition remains an open question.