Comparing Education in Utah and Colorado

The two states are more similar than their politics indicate. Colorado spends about $2,000 more per student, but both are well below the national average. They also have somewhat similar demographics -- predominantly white with fast growing Latino populations. Both states saw their test scores fall over the first decade of the century, but Colorado's have bounced back some.

The Utah Foundation credits their commitment to early education. In Colorado, 34 percent of students attend publicly funded preschool and about 75 percent of kindergarteners are full time. In Utah, both those percentages are 13 percent. There is no state-funded preschool in Utah, only federal programs like Head Start.

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