WASHINGTON, D.C., June 18, 2025 — Students and parents are showing a modest but encouraging shift in how they perceive the nation’s K-12 schools, according to the 2025 Report Card: Student Perspective on U.S. Schools from Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation. For the first time since the annual study began in 2023, students gave their schools an average letter grade of B, up from B- the previous two years. Parents’ evaluations reflected a similar trend, inching upward within the B range.

The share of students rating their school a C or lower fell to 29%, down from 36% last year. At the same time, more students awarded their schools A grades across nearly every measure — most notably a 6-point increase in how well schools are teaching skills that are relevant to students’ futures.

Students gave higher marks this year for both the quality of teaching they receive and their relationships with teachers, with average ratings improving from a B- to a B. These are among the highest ratings provided by student respondents.

The influence of teachers is significant. Prior Walton Family Foundation and Gallup research shows that most Gen Z students say they feel most engaged in learning when their teacher makes the subject interesting or exciting. However, many students still report feeling disengaged in the classroom. This underscores the importance of ensuring all teachers are inspiring students, helping them feel excited about the future and encouraging them to pursue their goals.

"It’s heartening to see signs of progress, especially in how students are experiencing their relationships with teachers. When young people feel supported and engaged in their learning, it lays the foundation for thriving in and beyond the classroom,” said Romy Drucker, Education Program Director at the Walton Family Foundation.

Students Show Stronger Confidence in Their Schools

This year’s scores showed gains across all trended dimensions students were asked to evaluate, spanning areas such as classroom engagement, use of technology in new and exciting ways, and future readiness.

The highest marks were given to core academic preparation, such as being ready for the next school year, succeeding in math and reading, and preparing for post-secondary education.

The most significant grade improvements were seen in areas related to how schools are helping students prepare for future careers, as well as making learning exciting and adapting instruction to students’ individual learning needs. Despite gains, these dimensions were still graded in the B- range.

Black and Hispanic Students Give Higher Grades

The 2025 results demonstrate that ratings among Black and Hispanic students improved more significantly compared to their White and Asian peers. While Asian students continue to give the highest ratings overall, the gaps between racial groups narrowed this year.

Socioeconomic and Geographic Divides

Socioeconomic disparities also shifted in notable ways. Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) reported a significant improvement in their attitudes toward school, with their average grade rising from 2.57 to 2.88 — a larger increase than that of their more affluent peers. FRPL-eligible students were just as likely to give their school an A or B for making learning exciting. In fact, they were more likely to assign A grades in this area. However, they continue to trail students from higher-income households in giving an A or B to the quality of their relationships with teachers (68% vs. 76%) and feeling prepared for the next school year (70% vs. 76%).

The report also showed differences in student perception of school based on where they live. Students in metro areas (cities and suburbs) consistently gave higher marks than those in non-metro areas, particularly for teaching quality and the use of technology to enhance learning.

Parents’ Ratings Improve Alongside Students’, But Gaps Endure

In 2025, parents’ overall ratings of their child’s school rose from 3.02 to 3.13. While still a B grade overall, the increase may reflect growing confidence in how schools are communicating, addressing individual needs and preparing students for life beyond high school. However, satisfaction is not universal: Parents of children with significant disabilities continue to say schools aren’t making the grade. On the other hand, Black parents were notably more positive, particularly regarding how schools recognize their child’s strengths and potential.

Educational attainment and income remain closely linked to evaluations among parents. Those with at least a bachelor’s degree and those from higher-income households are more likely to give A or B grades. Additionally, parents living in metro counties gave higher ratings than those in non-metro counties.

Feedback for Schools: Keep Up the Progress but Still More to Do

This year’s Student Report Card signals encouraging progress, with more students and parents viewing their schools as engaging, responsive and focused on the future. Yet the data also highlight that many remain underwhelmed by how schools are performing.

“While many may view a B or B- as acceptable, we must continue striving for excellence until students and parents feel their education is truly worthy of an A,” said Stephanie Marken, senior partner at Gallup. “With new opportunities on the horizon, particularly around artificial intelligence, it's more important than ever to ensure our classrooms are engaging and preparing every student to thrive in a rapidly evolving world of work.”

As education leaders look to the road ahead, these findings offer both a signal of improvement and a mandate for continued action.

About the Walton Family Foundation

The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. We work in three areas: improving education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. To learn more, visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and X.

About Gallup

Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 85 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.