Most & Least Educated States in America in 2025

admin March 9, 2025
Most & Least Educated States in America in 2025

For millions of Americans, a good education is the ticket to a better future. College opens doors to more career opportunities, higher earnings and new social connections, among other benefits. But how much schooling one receives also matters to some extent. Generally, the higher the level of education one completes, the higher their income potential and the lower their chances of unemployment become.

Some states are able to provide better quality education than others, though. In this study, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 18 metrics that examined the key factors of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps between genders and races.

A separate WalletHub analysis identifies the Most & Least Educated Cities.

chip lupo

“There’s a strong correlation between being more educated and receiving higher compensation. 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.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

Most Educated States

Overall Rank* State Total Score Educational Attainment Rank Quality of Education Rank
1 Massachusetts 82.28 1 1
2 Maryland 75.13 4 2
3 Vermont 73.54 3 14
4 Colorado 70.71 2 33
5 Connecticut 70.41 5 6
6 Virginia 68.05 7 11
7 New Jersey 67.96 10 4
8 New Hampshire 66.89 6 17
9 Washington 65.69 9 12
10 Minnesota 64.43 8 22
11 Utah 60.77 11 24
12 Illinois 59.18 16 9
13 Rhode Island 58.70 21 5
14 Delaware 58.23 19 8
15 New York 57.16 17 18
16 Oregon 56.94 12 39
17 Maine 56.31 13 37
18 Hawaii 55.61 15 35
19 Montana 54.49 14 44
20 Florida 53.76 35 3
21 Wisconsin 53.69 25 15
22 Pennsylvania 53.26 26 13
23 Nebraska 52.15 20 36
24 North Carolina 51.85 28 20
25 Kansas 50.98 18 46
26 North Dakota 50.94 22 40
27 Michigan 50.59 27 25
28 Wyoming 49.94 23 42
29 California 49.45 37 7
30 Georgia 48.81 34 21
31 Iowa 48.24 30 29
32 Missouri 47.71 32 31
33 Ohio 47.61 36 19
34 South Dakota 47.49 33 32
35 Alaska 47.31 24 49
36 Arizona 45.89 31 41
37 Idaho 44.55 29 47
38 South Carolina 44.31 38 26
39 Tennessee 43.23 40 16
40 Indiana 42.98 41 10
41 Texas 40.22 42 23
42 New Mexico 37.81 39 50
43 Alabama 36.48 44 28
44 Kentucky 35.76 45 27
45 Nevada 34.60 46 30
46 Oklahoma 32.55 43 48
47 Arkansas 30.25 47 34
48 Louisiana 28.64 48 38
49 Mississippi 26.11 49 45
50 West Virginia 24.29 50 43

Note: *No. 1 = Most Educated
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

 

% of High-School Diploma Holders

Highest

  • 1. Vermont
  • 2. Montana
  • 3. Maine
  • 4. New Hampshire
  • 5. Wyoming
% of High-School Diploma Holders

Lowest

  • 46. Nevada
  • 47. Louisiana
  • 48. Mississippi
  • 49. Texas
  • 50. California
% of Associate's Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults

Highest

  • 1. Colorado
  • 2. Utah
  • 3. Washington
  • 4. Minnesota
  • 5. Oregon
% of Associate's Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults

Lowest

  • 46. Mississippi
  • 47. Kentucky
  • 48. Louisiana
  • 49. Arkansas
  • 50. West Virginia
% of Bachelor's Degree Holders

Highest

  • 1. Massachusetts
  • 2. Colorado
  • 3. New Jersey
  • 4. Maryland
  • 5. Vermont
% of Bachelor's Degree Holders

Lowest

  • 46. Kentucky
  • 47. Louisiana
  • 48. Arkansas
  • 49. Mississippi
  • 50. West Virginia
% of Graduate- or Professional-Degree Holders

Highest

  • 1. Massachusetts
  • 2. Maryland
  • 3. Connecticut
  • 4. Virginia
  • 5. Vermont
% of Graduate- or Professional-Degree Holders

Lowest

  • T-45. North Dakota
  • T-45. South Dakota
  • T-48. Mississippi
  • T-48. West Virginia
  • 50. Arkansas
Avg. University Quality

Highest

  • 1. California
  • 2. Massachusetts
  • 3. Wisconsin
  • 4. Connecticut
  • 5. New York
Avg. University Quality

Lowest

  • 45. Wyoming
  • 46. West Virginia
  • 47. South Dakota
  • 48. Montana
  • 49. Colorado

Show More

In-Depth Look at the Most Educated States


Massachusetts

Massachusetts, known for its top colleges like MIT and Harvard, ranks as the most educated state in America. The state has the highest percentage of adults ages 25 and older with at least a Bachelor’s degree, at nearly 47%, and the highest share who have a graduate or professional degree, at over 21%.

The Bay State ranks second in the country when it comes to the average quality of its universities. Colleges can’t hog all the credit for why Massachusetts is the most educated state, though. Massachusetts has the second-best public school system in the country, and students boast some of the highest math and reading test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Finally, Massachusetts is one of only 10 states that offer free statewide community college with very few eligibility limitations.

Maryland

The second-most educated state is Maryland, which is notable for enacting a free statewide community college program that allows anyone who wants to pursue higher education to have the opportunity. This is partially responsible for why Maryland has the fourth-highest share of residents ages 25+ with at least a bachelor’s degree and the second-highest share with a graduate or professional degree.

The Old Line state has great education at the high school level, too. The state has the seventh-highest share of students who scored at least a 3 out of 5 on an AP exam during high school, and its public school systems rank as the seventh-best in the nation.

To top things off, Maryland’s universities collectively rank as the sixth-best in the country. The state also has one of the smallest gender gaps when it comes to Bachelor’s degree attainment, and the ninth-smallest racial gap.

Vermont

Vermont is the third-most educated state in America. Nearly 43% of residents ages 25 and older have at least a Bachelor’s degree, while 18% have a graduate or professional degree. In addition, nearly 95% of people ages 25+ have at least a high school diploma, the highest percentage in the country.

To top things off, Vermont’s universities collectively rank as the 10th-best in the nation.

Ask the Experts

For insight into other topics in higher education, we turned to a panel of experts in various fields. Click on the panelists’ profiles below to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

  1. What is the impact of K-12 school quality on rates of high school completion and later college attendance and completion?
  2. What are the most effective ways to combat “brain drain” across state borders?
  3. Are highly educated states better able to withstand economic shocks?
  4. To what extent should states consider education policy as part of a broader economic development strategy?

Methodology

In order to determine the most and least educated states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key dimensions, Educational Attainment and Quality of Education.

We examined those dimensions using 18 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the “most educated.” In certain metrics where women showed an advantage over men and black people over white people, we gave equal credit to the states with no gender/racial inequality. These metrics were marked accordingly with an asterisk (*).

We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Educational Attainment – Total Points: 60

  • Share of Adults Aged 25 and Older with at Least a High School Diploma: Full Weight (~15.00 Points)
  • Share of Adults Aged 25 and Older with at Least Some College Experience or an Associate’s Degree: Full Weight (~15.00 Points)
  • Share of Adults Aged 25 and Older with at Least a Bachelor’s Degree: Full Weight (~15.00 Points)
  • Share of Adults Aged 25 and Older with at Least a Graduate or Professional Degree: Full Weight (~15.00 Points)

Quality of Education & Attainment Gap – Total Points: 40

  • Quality of School System: Double Weight (~5.16 Points)
    Note: This metric is based on U.S. News & World Report’s school systems rating.
  • Blue Ribbon Schools per Capita: Full Weight (~2.58 Points)
    Note: This metric refers to schools recognized by the Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Schools Program for academic excellence or improvement in closing achievement gaps.
  • Average Quality of Universities: Double Weight (~5.16 Points)
    Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “2025 Best Colleges & Universities Ranking”.
  • Enrolled Students in Top Universities per Capita: Full Weight (~2.58 Points)
    Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “2025 College & University Rankings” comparing America’s top 822 universities.
  • Public High School Graduation Rate: Double Weight (~5.16 Points)
    Note: This metric measures the graduation rate for students who attended high school for four years.
  • Projected High School Graduation Rate Change between 2023-2024 and 2034-2035: Full Weight (~2.58 Points)
  • NAEP Math & Reading Test Scores: Full Weight (~2.58 Points)
  • Share of 2023 High School Class Scoring “3” or Higher on Advanced Placement Exams: Full Weight (~2.58 Points)
    Note: This metric shows the degree to which students are participating in AP Exams and are achieving scores that qualify them for college credit at most U.S. public colleges and universities.
  • School Engagement of Students: Full Weight (~2.58 Points)
  • States with Summer Learning Legislation: Half Weight (~1.29 Points)
    Note: This metric measures whether a summer learning legislation was passed or introduced in the state.
  • States with School Programs: Half Weight (~1.29 Points)
    Note: This binary metric measures the presence or absence of school programs.
    Programs include education savings accounts, school vouchers or tax-credit scholarship programs.
  • Presence of Free Community College Education: Half Weight (~1.29 Points)
    Note: This metric measures the presence or absence of free community college education in a state.
  • Racial Gap in Educational Attainment*: Full Weight (~2.58 Points)
    Note: This metric specifically measures the difference between the share of black bachelor’s degree holders and the share of their white counterparts.
  • Gender Gap in Educational Attainment*: Full Weight (~2.58 Points)
    Note: This metric specifically measures the difference between the share of female bachelor’s degree holders and the share of their male counterparts.

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of January 13, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. News & World Report, Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, National Summer Learning Association, The Campaign for Free College Tuition, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, U.S. Department of Education, The College Board, EdChoice and WalletHub research.

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