The National Education Association has released its “Ranking and Estimates of the States 2010 and Estimates of School Statistics 2011.” According to NEA’s data, in 2010 New Jersey placed first in the nation in “expenditures per student” with annual costs of $16,967. Also-ran New York State was next with $16,922, tailed closely by Vermont and Rhode Island. States with the lowest annual expenditure per student were Arizona, Utah, Mississippi, and Nevada. Idaho came in dead last with $7,875.

New Jersey was only 4th in the nation regarding teacher salaries at an average of $65,130 per year, outflanked by New York, Massachusetts, and California. Lots more detail in the report for the data-hungry.