These States Invest The Least In Their Students

When it comes to funding public school students, some parts of the country shell out more dough than others.

A new map compiled by research engine Findthebest.com shows which states provide the most funding for students' educations. New York state tops the list, with average funding per student of $21,168 , while Utah comes in last, with average funding per student of $7,388.

The map, which uses federal, state and local data from the National Center for Education Statistics, is below:

The link between education spending and student academic achievement is debated. On a school level, some studies have shown that increased spending has a significant benefit for low-income students. While the U.S. spends more on education than most industrialized nations, America often ranks mid-pack on international achievement tests.

For what it's worth, though, the below map -- also compiled by FindTheBest -- uses ACT, SAT, AP and National Assessment of Educational Progress scores to show which states have the highest achieving students: