“A good education is a ticket to a better future.” Generally speaking, this has been the case for years. Research shows that the higher the level of education an individual earns, the better their earning potential becomes. And in some states across the U.S., students may have more opportunities to do so.
That’s according to WalletHub’s latest analysis of the “Most and Least Educated States in America (2024).” In this study, researchers assessed the education quality of each state based on three measures: educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps between races and genders.
“Getting a good education doesn’t guarantee high future earnings and better opportunities, but there’s a definite correlation,” WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe wrote in the report.
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According to the data, Massachusetts ranks as the most educated state in the country. The authors make note of the state’s exceptional public and private school systems and its performance compared to other states in reading and math, per the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
It’s also known for its prestigious college and university systems, which include institutions such as MIT and Harvard. As a result, Massachusetts has the highest percentage of adults ages 25 and older with at least a Bachelor’s degree (~46%).
However, while K12 school quality somewhat influences a student’s future experiences, it doesn’t necessarily determine whether a student will go on to earn a postsecondary degree, wrote Andrew Furco, professor and associate chair for the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development at the University of Minnesota.
“Each student is part of an ecosystem where familial, economic, societal, educational, political, religious and other forces come to bear on that individual’s life experiences,” he wrote in the report. “These forces collectively interact with an individual’s abilities, talents, interests and passions in ways that form the various pathways that students can choose or not choose to follow.”
Here’s the complete list of the most educated states in the U.S. (ordered from best to worst):
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Maryland
- Connecticut
- Colorado
- Virginia
- New Jersey
- New Hampshire
- Minnesota
- Washington
- Utah
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Montana
- New York
- Rhode Island
- Oregon
- Hawaii
- Maine
- Wisconsin
- Florida
- North Carolina
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Pennsylvania
- Michigan
- Wyoming
- California
- Georgia
- Alaska
- Missouri
- Iowa
- South Dakota
- Ohio
- Arizona
- Idaho
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Indiana
- Texas
- New Mexico
- Kentucky
- Nevada
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- West Virginia
