Education plays an important role in a state’s overall development, but measuring it involves more than just looking at literacy rates. The School Education Development Index (SEDI) 2025-26 assesses school education across different parameters, including access, participation, retention, quality and infrastructure. The latest SEDI report ranks all 36 states and Union Territories. Here are the top 10 performers according to their Composite SEDI scores. (Image: AI-Generated)

1. Chandigarh
Chandigarh tops the SEDI 2025-26 rankings with a score of 0.826. It also records the highest scores in the Secondary level and Infrastructure domain. The report gives Chandigarh a particularly strong Retention score of 0.966 and Infrastructure score of 0.982. (Representative Image: Pexels)

2. Kerala
Kerala ranks second with a Composite SEDI score of 0.798. It ranks first in the Primary level and Higher Secondary level. Kerala also has the highest Participation score among all states and UTs, at 0.721. (Representative Image: Pexels)

3. Puducherry
Puducherry occupies the third position with a score of 0.737. It performs strongly across all four school levels and ranks third in both the Upper Primary and Secondary SEDI categories. (Representative Image: Pexels)

4. Goa
Goa ranks fourth with a Composite SEDI score of 0.713. The state improved from sixth position in 2024-25 to fourth in 2025-26, making it one of the notable improvers among the top performers. (Representative Image: Pexels)

5. Delhi
Delhi takes the fifth spot with a score of 0.709. It performs particularly well at the Secondary and Higher Secondary levels, ranking fourth and third respectively in those categories. (Representative Image: Pexels)

6. Punjab
Punjab ranks sixth with a Composite SEDI score of 0.707. It records a strong Primary SEDI score of 0.751 and ranks second nationally in the Quality domain, with a score of 0.751. (File photo, representative)

7. Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is seventh on the list with a score of 0.706. The state recorded one of the more notable improvements among the top performers, with its SEDI score increasing by 0.018 compared with 2024-25. (Representative Image: Pexels)

8. Andaman & Nicobar Islands
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands ranks eighth with a Composite SEDI score of 0.690. It has particularly strong Retention and Access scores, ranking fifth and fifth respectively in those domains. (Representative Image: Pexels)

9. Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep occupies the ninth position with a score of 0.670. It records the second-highest Infrastructure score in the country at 0.976 and also ranks second in the Access domain. (File photo, representative)

10. Haryana
Haryana rounds off the top 10 with a Composite SEDI score of 0.656. Its Retention score stands at 0.829, placing it ninth nationally in that domain. (File photo, representative)