Rural schools in New Hampshire account for almost half of all schools, while a third of the state’s students attend those schools. Rural areas of the state are comparatively affluent, and face less extensive challenges than most other states. Cultural diversity among students is increasing at a faster rate than any other state in the country, but in both number and percentage of all students, remains low. The distribution of operating revenue for rural districts is among the most inequitable in the U.S, and while scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress are among the highest in the nation, four-year graduation rates are below the national rate. New Hampshire ranks 44th in the country in need of rural education improvement and attention.