School Start Times in U.S. States: Full List

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Most U.S. middle and high schools start too early — with an average start time of around 8:00 a.m., according to a new study. Some children's health organizations recommend that schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., to help teens get the sleep they need.

The study also found that school starts times varied greatly by state, with schools in Louisiana starting at 7:40 a.m., on average, and schools in Alaska starting at 8:33 a.m., on average.

The average start time for middle and high schools in each state is listed below. (In one state, Maryland, there was not enough information to determine the average start time.)

Alabama: 7:49 a.m.

Alaska: 8:33 a.m.

Arizona: 8:03 a.m.

Arkansas: 8:01 a.m.

California: 8:07 a.m.

Colorado: 7:54 a.m.

Connecticut: 7:46 a.m.

Delaware: 7:42 a.m.

Florida: 8:17 am

Georgia : 8:09 a.m.

Hawaii: 8:03 a.m.

Idaho: 8:13 a.m.

Illinois: 8:13 a.m.

Indiana: 7:58 a.m.

Iowa: 8:23 a.m.

Kansas: 8:00 a.m.

Kentucky: 8:03 a.m.

Louisiana: 7:40 a.m.

Maine: 7:53 a.m.

Maryland: N/A

Massachusetts: 7:53 a.m.

Michigan: 7:54 a.m.

Minnesota: 8:18 a.m.

Mississippi: 7:47 a.m.

Missouri: 7:54 a.m.

Montana: 8:13 a.m.

Nebraska: 8:07 a.m.

Nevada: 7:51 a.m.

New Hampshire: 7:46 a.m.

New Jersey: 8:00 a.m.

New Mexico: 8:10 a.m.

New York: 7:59 a.m.

North Carolina: 8:03 a.m.

North Dakota: 8:31 a.m.

Ohio: 7:52 a.m.

Oklahoma: 8:10 a.m.

Oregon: 8:14 a.m.

Pennsylvania: 7:48 a.m.

Rhode Island: 7:50 a.m.

South Carolina: 8:03 a.m.

South Dakota: 8:13 a.m.

Tennessee: 7:57 a.m.

Texas: 8:05 a.m.

Utah: 8:05 a.m.

Vermont: 8:05 a.m.

Virginia: 8:04 a.m.

Washington: 8:08 a.m.

West Virginia: 7:54 a.m.

Wisconsin: 7:59 a.m.

Wyoming: 7:59 a.m.

Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Rachael Rettner
Contributor

Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.