Educational attainment is seen by many Americans as a significant factor in overall success in life, even if this belief is misguided. And yet, despite the strong emphasis on college education in the United States, only 20.6% of people aged 25 years and older hold a bachelor’s degree, according to the Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey. A slightly lower percentage of the same population group has some college but no degree, at 20%. However, how does the US overall compare to individual states and their levels of educational attainment? Indeed, what are the Most educated states in the US?
BrokeScholar conducted a study to identify the most educated states and the least educated states in the US. The study included factors such as the percentage of the population aged 18 to 24 years-old that have a bachelor’s degree or higher — including overall, females, and males — as well as the percentage of the population aged 25 years and older who have a bachelor’s degree or higher, also including the overall rate and the rates for females and males. Each factor was scored and then each factor score was added up to an overall score, which was then used to rank all 50 states.
Read on for the full, detailed breakdown of the most educated states and least educated states in America of 2023.
Table of Contents
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The Most Educated States and Least Educated States: Full Table
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The Bottom Line on the Most Educated States and the Least Educated
The Most Educated States in the US of 2023
Based on the analysis and scoring, the top 10 most educated states in the US tend to be geographically located in the Northeast, with a couple of states laying elsewhere. Not coincidentally, the Northeast is also home to some of the best and hardest colleges to get into in America. If the District of Columbia, which is not, of course, a state, were included, then it would top the list. But since this is a study of the most educated states, it’s been excluded from the rankings.
Below is a table breaking down the most educated states in the US, including various detailed statistics:
|
Rank |
State |
Population 18 to 24 years: Bachelor's degree or higher |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree |
Population 25 years and over: Graduate or professional degree |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree or higher |
|
1 |
Massachusetts |
19.3% |
24.8% |
20.4% |
45.2% |
|
2 |
New Jersey |
18.3% |
25.1% |
16.4% |
41.5% |
|
3 |
Colorado |
13.8% |
26.7% |
16.1% |
42.8% |
|
4 |
Connecticut |
17.2% |
22.3% |
18.2% |
40.6% |
|
5 |
Maryland |
15.2% |
22.0% |
19.5% |
41.6% |
|
6 |
New York |
18.0% |
21.3% |
16.8% |
38.1% |
|
7 |
Virginia |
14.0% |
22.8% |
17.6% |
40.3% |
|
8 |
Vermont |
12.7% |
24.2% |
16.7% |
40.9% |
|
9 |
New Hampshire |
13.5% |
23.4% |
14.9% |
38.2% |
|
10 |
Minnesota |
14.5% |
24.6% |
13.0% |
37.6% |
Three out of the top five states are located in the US Census Bureau-designated Northeast region. Maryland, the fifth most educated state, lays technically in the US South region, as does No. 7 Virginia. Meanwhile, Colorado lies in the US West region and Minnesota the U.S. Midwest region.
It’s perhaps no coincidence that many of these states also possess some of the best colleges in the US. Massachusetts is home to colleges like Harvard, MIT, Tufts, and Williams College, all frequently ranked among the top schools academically. But possessing high-quality, highly selective colleges is not a prerequisite for ranking among the most educated states. Instead, the high level of educational attainment reflects the population’s means, capability (especially financial), and willingness to pursue higher levels of education.
We can break the most educated states down into more detailed categories. For instance, which states have the highest percentage of their population — ages 18 to 24 — have a bachelor’s degree or higher?
Below you’ll find a table that details exactly that, ranked in order from the highest percentage to lowest:
|
Rank |
State |
Population 18 to 24 years: Bachelor's degree or higher |
|
1 |
Massachusetts |
19.3% |
|
2 |
New Jersey |
18.3% |
|
3 |
New York |
18.0% |
|
4 |
Connecticut |
17.2% |
|
5 |
Maryland |
15.2% |
|
6 |
Illinois |
14.8% |
|
7 |
Minnesota |
14.5% |
|
8 |
Virginia |
14.0% |
|
9 |
Colorado |
13.8% |
|
10 |
New Hampshire |
13.5% |
Once again, Massachusetts leads this top-10 list as it did in the overall study of the most educated states. New Jersey, again, comes in second. Here, however, New York supplants Colorado by taking the third spot and Colorado taking the ninth spot. Meanwhile, Illinois, which didn’t make the top 10 list of the most educated states overall, ranks in the above list. Illinois's spot here makes more sense considering it is one of the states with the most colleges in the country.
For the population aged 25 years and older with a bachelor's degree or higher, the top 10 states are little different than the top 10 list of the most educated states in the study overall. The main difference lays in the ranking of the states. Here’s a table below that shows the top 10 states with the highest percentage of 25-year-olds and older who have a bachelor’s degree or higher:
|
Rank |
State |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree or higher |
|
1 |
Massachusetts |
45.2% |
|
2 |
Colorado |
42.8% |
|
3 |
Maryland |
41.6% |
|
4 |
New Jersey |
41.5% |
|
5 |
Vermont |
40.9% |
|
6 |
Connecticut |
40.6% |
|
7 |
Virginia |
40.3% |
|
8 |
New Hampshire |
38.2% |
|
9 |
New York |
38.1% |
|
10 |
Minnesota |
37.6% |
Yet again, Massachusetts tops the list, with only a little under half of its population 25 and older having a bachelor's degree or higher. However, Colorado takes the No. 2 spot and Maryland No. 3, breaking up the Northeast’s domination of the top five most educated states in this case. More than two-fifths of Colorado’s population aged 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher. Colorado is also home to one of the hardest colleges to get into in the country.
The Least Educated States in the US of 2023
In nine out of the top 10 least educated states, less than 10% of their populations aged 18 to 24 years-old have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Nevada, for instance, only 6.7% of 18-to-24-year-olds have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Meanwhile, among the population that’s 25 years or older, West Virginia has the lowest rate of bachelor’s degrees or higher, at 21.8%. It doesn't help at all that West Virginia ranks last in terms of the states where college professors earn the most money.
|
Rank |
State |
Population 18 to 24 years: Bachelor's degree or higher |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree |
Population 25 years and over: Graduate or professional degree |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree or higher |
|
50 |
West Virginia |
9.3% |
13.0% |
8.8% |
21.8% |
|
49 |
Mississippi |
7.4% |
14.2% |
9.0% |
23.2% |
|
48 |
Arkansas |
9.0% |
15.5% |
8.8% |
24.3% |
|
47 |
Nevada |
6.7% |
17.0% |
9.1% |
26.1% |
|
46 |
Louisiana |
8.6% |
16.3% |
9.2% |
25.5% |
|
45 |
Oklahoma |
8.0% |
17.5% |
9.3% |
26.8% |
|
44 |
Alabama |
8.3% |
16.5% |
10.2% |
26.7% |
|
43 |
Kentucky |
10.1% |
15.1% |
10.6% |
25.7% |
|
42 |
New Mexico |
7.0% |
15.8% |
12.7% |
28.5% |
|
41 |
Idaho |
7.4% |
19.5% |
9.6% |
29.1% |
Many of these states suffer from low levels of income, making attending college a severe financial burden, unless financial aid or scholarships are utilized. New Mexico, interestingly, has a solid 12.7% of its population that’s 25 years or older who have a graduate or professional degree. This, unfortunately, is offset by only 7% of 18-to-24-year-olds having a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Females Overwhelmingly Have Higher Rates of Degrees Than Males
A key part of the overall scoring for this study of the most educated states is the percentage of male and female members of the population who have attained a bachelor’s degree or higher. Across nearly every state, females have higher rates of attaining a bachelor’s degree or higher. Not only that, but females also aged 18 to 24 years-old have higher rates of having a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to males in all 50 states. When it comes to the population aged 25 and older who have bachelor’s degrees or higher, in only one state — Utah — did a higher percentage of males have a bachelor’s degree or higher than females.
Below is a table, with states in alphabetical order, that details the rates of bachelor's degrees or higher than females have versus their male counterparts:
|
State |
Population 18 to 24 years: Bachelor's degree or higher - Female |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree or higher - Female |
Population 18 to 24 years: Bachelor's degree or higher - Male |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree or higher - Male |
|
Alabama |
9.9% |
27.6% |
6.7% |
25.7% |
|
Alaska |
7.0% |
34.7% |
4.3% |
26.8% |
|
Arizona |
11.3% |
31.4% |
8.0% |
31.0% |
|
Arkansas |
10.8% |
25.6% |
7.3% |
23.0% |
|
California |
14.0% |
35.8% |
9.7% |
34.7% |
|
Colorado |
16.5% |
43.9% |
11.3% |
41.8% |
|
Connecticut |
19.9% |
41.5% |
14.5% |
39.5% |
|
Delaware |
10.7% |
35.0% |
9.7% |
32.2% |
|
Florida |
12.9% |
31.8% |
8.8% |
31.3% |
|
Georgia |
12.0% |
34.1% |
8.4% |
31.8% |
|
Hawaii |
13.3% |
36.0% |
6.4% |
32.7% |
|
Idaho |
9.2% |
29.4% |
5.8% |
28.8% |
|
Illinois |
17.0% |
37.2% |
12.6% |
35.1% |
|
Indiana |
13.0% |
28.7% |
9.0% |
26.9% |
|
Iowa |
13.5% |
31.2% |
10.0% |
28.1% |
|
Kansas |
14.0% |
35.6% |
9.5% |
33.2% |
|
Kentucky |
12.1% |
27.0% |
8.1% |
24.3% |
|
Louisiana |
9.8% |
27.7% |
7.3% |
23.2% |
|
Maine |
14.6% |
36.3% |
8.9% |
30.7% |
|
Maryland |
18.0% |
42.6% |
12.5% |
40.4% |
|
Massachusetts |
21.5% |
46.0% |
17.0% |
44.4% |
|
Michigan |
13.6% |
31.2% |
10.1% |
30.0% |
|
Minnesota |
17.7% |
39.0% |
11.4% |
36.1% |
|
Mississippi |
8.8% |
25.6% |
5.9% |
20.7% |
|
Missouri |
13.7% |
31.7% |
9.2% |
29.6% |
|
Montana |
13.7% |
34.8% |
7.9% |
32.5% |
|
Nebraska |
15.7% |
34.5% |
10.7% |
31.4% |
|
Nevada |
8.5% |
26.5% |
5.1% |
25.6% |
|
New Hampshire |
14.6% |
39.4% |
12.4% |
37.0% |
|
New Jersey |
21.4% |
41.8% |
15.4% |
41.2% |
|
New Mexico |
8.5% |
29.9% |
5.7% |
27.1% |
|
New York |
20.8% |
39.4% |
15.2% |
36.7% |
|
North Carolina |
13.7% |
34.4% |
8.7% |
31.5% |
|
North Dakota |
17.4% |
34.1% |
10.0% |
28.2% |
|
Ohio |
13.0% |
30.4% |
9.0% |
28.9% |
|
Oklahoma |
9.7% |
27.8% |
6.5% |
25.8% |
|
Oregon |
12.3% |
36.0% |
8.2% |
34.1% |
|
Pennsylvania |
15.5% |
33.7% |
11.5% |
32.4% |
|
Rhode Island |
15.0% |
36.0% |
11.6% |
34.6% |
|
South Carolina |
12.9% |
30.6% |
8.1% |
29.0% |
|
South Dakota |
14.9% |
31.7% |
8.3% |
28.3% |
|
Tennessee |
13.2% |
30.0% |
8.7% |
28.0% |
|
Texas |
12.0% |
32.2% |
8.0% |
30.8% |
|
Utah |
9.9% |
33.4% |
4.5% |
37.4% |
|
Vermont |
14.6% |
44.4% |
10.9% |
37.2% |
|
Virginia |
17.1% |
40.9% |
11.1% |
39.8% |
|
Washington |
14.6% |
37.7% |
10.1% |
36.8% |
|
West Virginia |
11.7% |
23.3% |
7.2% |
20.2% |
|
Wisconsin |
14.9% |
33.4% |
9.7% |
29.6% |
|
Wyoming |
10.0% |
30.0% |
6.6% |
27.1% |
In terms of the population aged 18 to 24 years-old, North Dakota has the biggest difference 7.4%) between females who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher (17.4%) versus males (10%). Among the population that’s 25 years and older, Alaska has the biggest difference (7.9%) between females who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher (34.7%) versus males (26.8%).
On the national level too, females tend to have bachelor's degrees or higher compared to males. In terms of the US overall, for the population that’s 18 to 24 years-old, 14.4% of females have a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 9.9% of males. And for the population that’s 25 years or older, 34.5% of females have a bachelor’s degree or higher versus 32.8% for males. This is part of a general trend in recent years of college enrollment peaking and then falling for males, while females continue to increase their share of attending college.
The Most Educated States and Least Educated States: Full Table
Below you’ll find the full table of all the factors that went into our study of the most educated states and least educated states in the US. The table is in order from the most educated states down to the least educated states:
|
Rank |
State |
Population 18 to 24 years |
Population 25 years and over |
Population 18 to 24 years: Bachelor's degree or higher |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree |
Population 25 years and over: Graduate or professional degree |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree or higher |
Population 18 to 24 years: Bachelor's degree or higher - Male |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree or higher - Male |
Population 18 to 24 years: Bachelor's degree or higher - Female |
Population 25 years and over: Bachelor's degree or higher - Female |
|
1 |
Massachusetts |
699,260 |
4,902,868 |
19.3% |
24.8% |
20.4% |
45.2% |
17.0% |
44.4% |
21.5% |
46.0% |
|
2 |
New Jersey |
781,976 |
6,411,606 |
18.3% |
25.1% |
16.4% |
41.5% |
15.4% |
41.2% |
21.4% |
41.8% |
|
3 |
Connecticut |
345,702 |
2,515,137 |
17.2% |
22.3% |
18.2% |
40.6% |
14.5% |
39.5% |
19.9% |
41.5% |
|
4 |
Maryland |
534,601 |
4,240,795 |
15.2% |
22.0% |
19.5% |
41.6% |
12.5% |
40.4% |
18.0% |
42.6% |
|
5 |
Colorado |
523,401 |
3,937,040 |
13.8% |
26.7% |
16.1% |
42.8% |
11.3% |
41.8% |
16.5% |
43.9% |
|
6 |
New York |
1,816,269 |
14,081,080 |
18.0% |
21.3% |
16.8% |
38.1% |
15.2% |
36.7% |
20.8% |
39.4% |
|
7 |
Virginia |
807,206 |
5,882,521 |
14.0% |
22.8% |
17.6% |
40.3% |
11.1% |
39.8% |
17.1% |
40.9% |
|
8 |
Vermont |
68,285 |
454,463 |
12.7% |
24.2% |
16.7% |
40.9% |
10.9% |
37.2% |
14.6% |
44.4% |
|
9 |
New Hampshire |
125,454 |
986,106 |
13.5% |
23.4% |
14.9% |
38.2% |
12.4% |
37.0% |
14.6% |
39.4% |
|
10 |
Minnesota |
499,402 |
3,847,501 |
14.5% |
24.6% |
13.0% |
37.6% |
11.4% |
36.1% |
17.7% |
39.0% |
|
11 |
Illinois |
1,169,584 |
8,764,878 |
14.8% |
21.8% |
14.4% |
36.2% |
12.6% |
35.1% |
17.0% |
37.2% |
|
12 |
Washington |
658,252 |
5,278,652 |
12.2% |
23.1% |
14.2% |
37.3% |
10.1% |
36.8% |
14.6% |
37.7% |
|
13 |
Rhode Island |
112,671 |
766,615 |
13.3% |
20.9% |
14.4% |
35.3% |
11.6% |
34.6% |
15.0% |
36.0% |
|
14 |
California |
3,665,851 |
26,797,070 |
11.8% |
21.9% |
13.4% |
35.3% |
9.7% |
34.7% |
14.0% |
35.8% |
|
15 |
Kansas |
295,997 |
1,921,951 |
11.7% |
21.6% |
12.8% |
34.4% |
9.5% |
33.2% |
14.0% |
35.6% |
|
16 |
Pennsylvania |
1,154,671 |
9,111,497 |
13.5% |
19.9% |
13.2% |
33.1% |
11.5% |
32.4% |
15.5% |
33.7% |
|
17 |
Oregon |
362,295 |
2,971,396 |
10.2% |
21.7% |
13.3% |
35.0% |
8.2% |
34.1% |
12.3% |
36.0% |
|
18 |
Nebraska |
190,255 |
1,275,315 |
13.2% |
21.5% |
11.4% |
32.9% |
10.7% |
31.4% |
15.7% |
34.5% |
|
19 |
Maine |
107,561 |
994,900 |
11.7% |
21.0% |
12.6% |
33.6% |
8.9% |
30.7% |
14.6% |
36.3% |
|
20 |
Hawaii |
122,056 |
1,020,422 |
9.5% |
22.2% |
12.2% |
34.3% |
6.4% |
32.7% |
13.3% |
36.0% |
|
21 |
Delaware |
83,629 |
690,618 |
10.2% |
19.4% |
14.2% |
33.6% |
9.7% |
32.2% |
10.7% |
35.0% |
|
22 |
Montana |
98,701 |
746,462 |
10.6% |
22.3% |
11.3% |
33.7% |
7.9% |
32.5% |
13.7% |
34.8% |
|
23 |
North Carolina |
979,831 |
7,084,876 |
11.1% |
20.9% |
12.1% |
33.0% |
8.7% |
31.5% |
13.7% |
34.4% |
|
24 |
Utah |
363,447 |
1,921,860 |
7.1% |
23.5% |
12.0% |
35.4% |
4.5% |
37.4% |
9.9% |
33.4% |
|
25 |
Georgia |
1,017,562 |
7,075,856 |
10.2% |
20.2% |
12.8% |
33.0% |
8.4% |
31.8% |
12.0% |
34.1% |
|
26 |
North Dakota |
84,989 |
503,897 |
13.5% |
22.2% |
8.9% |
31.1% |
10.0% |
28.2% |
17.4% |
34.1% |
|
27 |
Wisconsin |
551,032 |
4,027,685 |
12.2% |
20.7% |
10.8% |
31.5% |
9.7% |
29.6% |
14.9% |
33.4% |
|
28 |
Florida |
1,729,159 |
15,349,290 |
10.8% |
19.8% |
11.7% |
31.5% |
8.8% |
31.3% |
12.9% |
31.8% |
|
29 |
Michigan |
950,524 |
6,923,132 |
11.8% |
18.6% |
12.0% |
30.6% |
10.1% |
30.0% |
13.6% |
31.2% |
|
30 |
Missouri |
561,340 |
4,187,819 |
11.4% |
18.9% |
11.8% |
30.7% |
9.2% |
29.6% |
13.7% |
31.7% |
|
31 |
Texas |
2,796,936 |
18,619,469 |
10.0% |
20.4% |
11.2% |
31.5% |
8.0% |
30.8% |
12.0% |
32.2% |
|
32 |
Arizona |
672,761 |
4,792,007 |
9.6% |
19.3% |
11.9% |
31.2% |
8.0% |
31.0% |
11.3% |
31.4% |
|
33 |
South Dakota |
82,852 |
580,235 |
11.5% |
20.6% |
9.4% |
30.0% |
8.3% |
28.3% |
14.9% |
31.7% |
|
34 |
Iowa |
317,031 |
2,119,884 |
11.7% |
20.0% |
9.7% |
29.7% |
10.0% |
28.1% |
13.5% |
31.2% |
|
35 |
Ohio |
1,062,481 |
8,077,453 |
11.0% |
18.4% |
11.3% |
29.7% |
9.0% |
28.9% |
13.0% |
30.4% |
|
36 |
South Carolina |
461,929 |
3,507,171 |
10.4% |
18.6% |
11.2% |
29.8% |
8.1% |
29.0% |
12.9% |
30.6% |
|
37 |
Tennessee |
616,774 |
4,708,480 |
11.0% |
18.2% |
10.8% |
29.0% |
8.7% |
28.0% |
13.2% |
30.0% |
|
38 |
Indiana |
658,039 |
4,501,214 |
11.0% |
17.7% |
10.1% |
27.8% |
9.0% |
26.9% |
13.0% |
28.7% |
|
39 |
Alaska |
68,835 |
484,382 |
5.5% |
19.1% |
11.5% |
30.6% |
4.3% |
26.8% |
7.0% |
34.7% |
|
40 |
Wyoming |
52,012 |
390,162 |
8.2% |
17.9% |
10.6% |
28.5% |
6.6% |
27.1% |
10.0% |
30.0% |
|
41 |
Idaho |
167,590 |
1,185,197 |
7.4% |
19.5% |
9.6% |
29.1% |
5.8% |
28.8% |
9.2% |
29.4% |
|
42 |
New Mexico |
197,401 |
1,426,639 |
7.0% |
15.8% |
12.7% |
28.5% |
5.7% |
27.1% |
8.5% |
29.9% |
|
43 |
Kentucky |
418,668 |
3,053,564 |
10.1% |
15.1% |
10.6% |
25.7% |
8.1% |
24.3% |
12.1% |
27.0% |
|
44 |
Alabama |
461,491 |
3,413,803 |
8.3% |
16.5% |
10.2% |
26.7% |
6.7% |
25.7% |
9.9% |
27.6% |
|
45 |
Oklahoma |
379,325 |
2,607,741 |
8.0% |
17.5% |
9.3% |
26.8% |
6.5% |
25.8% |
9.7% |
27.8% |
|
46 |
Louisiana |
422,367 |
3,133,855 |
8.6% |
16.3% |
9.2% |
25.5% |
7.3% |
23.2% |
9.8% |
27.7% |
|
47 |
Nevada |
248,490 |
2,116,718 |
6.7% |
17.0% |
9.1% |
26.1% |
5.1% |
25.6% |
8.5% |
26.5% |
|
48 |
Arkansas |
279,234 |
2,021,290 |
9.0% |
15.5% |
8.8% |
24.3% |
7.3% |
23.0% |
10.8% |
25.6% |
|
49 |
Mississippi |
286,864 |
1,974,105 |
7.4% |
14.2% |
9.0% |
23.2% |
5.9% |
20.7% |
8.8% |
25.6% |
|
50 |
West Virginia |
156,640 |
1,277,914 |
9.3% |
13.0% |
8.8% |
21.8% |
7.2% |
20.2% |
11.7% |
23.3% |
The Bottom Line on the Most Educated States and the Least Educated
Available financial resources is definitely an important factor when it comes to educational attainment. It’s no coincidence that the top of the list of the most educated states also have high household incomes compared to the US overall. College has become incredibly expensive over the years, making student loans and financial aid more central than ever to paying for the cost of higher education.
Another key way of lightening the financial burden of attending college is to apply for college scholarships, of which there are literally thousands available across the country and to all types of people. BrokeScholar itself has a massive library of scholarships for college, whether you’re looking for an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree. As college costs continue to rise year after year, it is likely that applications for college scholarships will accelerate.
