Chandigarh secures top position in SEDI (2025-26). (photo credit: wikimedia commons)Top 10 Educated States in India 2026: Chandigarh and Kerala have retained the top two positions in the School Education Development Index (SEDI) 2025-26, with Chandigarh recording the highest overall score among states and Union Territories.Puducherry ranked third, followed by Goa in fourth and Delhi in fifth. Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands ranked sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively. Lakshadweep ranked ninth and Haryana rounded out the top 10.Also Read | Ambedkar University Delhi to hold special admission drive for vacant UG, PG seats in SeptemberThe SEDI framework assesses school education across five domains — access, participation, retention, quality and infrastructure — covering factors such as school availability, enrolment and equity, student retention, learning outcomes, and school facilities.In the overall SEDI standings, Chandigarh (0.826) and Kerala (0.798) hold the first and second ranks in 2025-26, repeating their 2024-25 performance.The top 10 ranking remains largely unchanged, with Tamil Nadu (+0.018, maintaining 7th place) and Goa (+0.005, climbing to 4th place) recording the biggest gains among the highest-rated states.Goa climbed to fourth place with a score increase of 0.005, while Tamil Nadu retained seventh place after improving its score by 0.018.Also Read | From buckets to pillow covers: Why ‘No-Bag Day’ is becoming a campus trend at IITs, IIMsParticipation recorded the lowest average score among the five domains, at 0.487, indicating continued challenges around enrolment, equity and grade-level transitions.Story continues below this adInfrastructure had the highest average score (0.748) but also the widest regional gap, ranging from 0.982 in Chandigarh to 0.159 in Meghalaya.Top 10 Educated States in India 2026RankState1Chandigarh2Kerala3Puducherry4Goa5Delhi6Punjab7Tamil Nadu8Andaman and Nicobar Islands9Lakshadweep10HaryanaSource: School Education Development Index (SEDI) 2025-26