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For many people, education is the path to success. And in some states, that path is much easier to find.
WalletHub set out to find the most and least educated states, trying to understand where Americans have the easiest access to the best schools.
It looked at data from all 50 states across two key dimensions: educational attainment and quality of education. Beyond graduation rates, it considered factors like quality of school systems, blue ribbon schools per capita, quality of universities, states with summer learning opportunities, and gaps in attainment across race and gender lines.
“There’s a strong correlation between being more educated and receiving higher compensation,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “The most educated states provide high-quality educational experiences from elementary school all the way to graduate programs, which helps parents raise children in an environment that gives them as many opportunities as possible.
“The top states also provide equitable schooling conditions, with low racial and gender gaps in educational attainment,” Lupo added.
Continue reading to see which states were ranked the five best — and which were ranked the five worst.
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Colorado ranks fifth overall with 92.9% of adults holding at least a high school diploma and leads all states with 73.2% of adults having some college experience or an associate's degree. The state ranks second for bachelor's degree attainment at 45.7%, though it faces the 43rd-ranked projected high school graduation rate decline between 2024-2025 and 2035-2036.
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Connecticut ranks fourth overall with 91.5% of adults holding at least a high school diploma and 42.5% holding at least a bachelor's degree, ranking sixth in that category. The state ranks fourth for AP exam performance with 29.5% of its 2024 high school class scoring 3 or higher, and ranks sixth in school engagement at 47%. Plus, 19.2% of adults in the state have at least a graduate or professional degree.
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Maryland ranks third overall with 43.5% of adults holding at least a bachelor's degree. It ranks second nationally for graduate or professional degree attainment at 20.8%. and eighth for AP exam performance with 27.8% of its 2024 high school class scoring 3 or higher. Maryland's public high school graduation rate is 85.7%.
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Vermont ranks second overall and leads the nation with 95% of adults holding at least a high school diploma. The state ranks third for bachelor's degree attainment at 43.8% and second for enrolled students in top universities per capita. However, Vermont ranks 48th for public high school graduation rate at just 78.9%.
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Massachusetts ranks first overall and leads the nation in both bachelor's degree attainment at 47.3% and graduate or professional degree attainment at 21.8%. The state also ranks first for AP exam performance with 32.8% of its 2024 high school class scoring 3 or higher, and ranks second in school engagement at 48.8%. Massachusetts has a public high school graduation rate of 89.7%.
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Nevada ranks 46th overall. The state has 60% of adults with some college experience or an associate's degree, while just 18.3% of its 2024 high school class scored 3 or higher on AP exams. Nevada's public high school graduation rate is 83.4%.
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Arkansas ranks 47th overall with only 25.8% of adults holding at least a bachelor's degree, ranking 48th in that category. The state ranks last nationally among adults having some college experience or an associate's degree, and also ranks last for graduate or professional degree attainment at just 9.5%. Arkansas does have a better public high school graduation rate than some states at 85.2%.
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Louisiana ranks 48th overall with just 27.1% of adults holding at least a bachelor's degree and has the lowest public high school graduation rate in the nation at 76.9%. The state ranks 48th for AP exam performance with only 10.1% of its 2024 high school class scoring 3 or higher, and ranks 48th for adults with some college experience or an associate's degree.
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Mississippi ranks 49th overall and has the lowest share of adults with at least a graduate or professional degree at 1.7%. The state also has the lowest AP exam performance nationally, with only 8.5% of its 2024 high school class scoring 3 or higher, and ranks 49th for bachelor's degree attainment at 25.2%. Mississippi has a public high school graduation rate of 81.9%.
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West Virginia ranks 50th overall as the least educated state and has the lowest bachelor's degree attainment nationally at 24.1%. The state also ranks last for adults having some college experience or an associate's degree, and faces the steepest projected high school graduation rate decline at between 2024-2025 and 2035-2036. West Virginia has a public high school graduation rate of 84%.
