In a recent survey of all 50 states, California ranked 29th overall in terms of education. With Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing a correlation between higher education levels, higher income and lower unemployment rates, the personal-finance website WalletHub recently released its report on 2025’s Most & Least Educated States in America, as well as expert commentary.
In order to determine the most educated states, WalletHub compared the 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.
How educated is California? (1=Most; 25=Avg.):
Overall Rank: 29th
50th – Percentage of High-School Diploma Holders
24th – Percentage of Associate’s Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults
15th – Percentage of Bachelor’s Degree Holders
14th – Percentage of Graduate- or Professional-Degree Holders
1st – Average University Quality
25th – Racial Gap in Educational Attainment
1st – Gender Gap in Educational Attainment
“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,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst. “Massachusetts ranks as the most educated state in America, in large part because it has the highest percentage of adults ages 25 and older with at least a Bachelor’s degree, at nearly 47 percent, and the highest share who have a graduate or professional degree, at over 21 percent.”
The top five were Massachusetts at number one, followed by Maryland, Vermont, Colorado and Connecticut. In the bottom five were Oklahoma, at number 46, followed by Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and, at number 50, West Virginia.
For the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/e/most-educated-states/31075
Expert Commentary
What’s the impact of K-12 school quality on rates of high school completion and later college attendance and completion?
“The impact of K-12 quality on high school completion is mixed. Completion rates have been on a slow increase in most states. Some outcomes indicate that this may be more of an administrative success than an educational one. Few kids drop out and are maintained in the system. Standards may be lower. This is most clearly visible in the post-COVID shutdown era. It is not surprising that the knowledge level of graduates who had between a semester and two years of high school erased did not learn as much. The much clearer impact of insufficient K-12 quality is in college preparation. More students are graduating from high school without being college ready than before. This is on top of many school districts already having less than half of their graduates be fully ready for college. In the field, this may be worse than it seems on the surface. More high performing students are completing college courses while in high school, but the low-performing students are in worse shape than before. Ten years ago it was not uncommon for a capable and ambitious new high school graduate to come to a community college and be slightly deficient in one or two of the three commonly measured areas of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. This would be the rough equivalent being a quality junior or senior in one or two of these areas. This can easily be overcome with a couple of developmental classes and might not even delay graduation. Now it is common for students in the same situation to come to college with capabilities that are more like a seventh-grade student in one or more areas. A student like that, no matter how talented or motivated, is at an extreme disadvantage and is statistically unlikely to get a degree of any kind.”
Mark Fincher, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Mississippi State University
“By design, each year of K-12 builds upon the previous. Research shows that datapoints as early as third grade reading skills can be a significant predictor of high school graduation. These benchmarks only become more vital as students age. While many colleges across the nation are shifting to test-optional policies, standardized testing is still needed for scholarship consideration across the nation. Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship, for example, requires ACT or SAT scores to cover a student’s tuition at a Florida institution.”
Luis S. Toledo – Assistant Director, College Crisis Initiative (C2i), Davidson College
Are highly educated states better able to withstand economic shocks?
“All things being equal, higher education levels lead to a better response to economic shocks. They don’t really withstand these shocks better. Instead, they adapt to the new reality created by the shock. Better educated workforces adapt to new opportunities and industries better than less educated ones.
Mark Fincher, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Mississippi State University
“College graduation continues to be a significant predictor of higher lifetime earnings, giving highly educated states some leeway to withstand economic shocks. However, with coastal metros now experiencing a net loss in their college-educated population, this could be a sign of what the “inflection point” could be for other cities. Highly educated states will naturally have more professionals to populate mid-size metro areas, allowing them to retain those professionals within their state.”
Luis S. Toledo – Assistant Director, College Crisis Initiative (C2i), Davidson College
To what extent should states consider education policy as part of a broader economic development strategy?
“Educational policy is one of the critical levers that states have to influence their economic situation. Investment consistently flows to states and countries where the government provides effective infrastructure, effective legal systems, and a well-educated and capable workforce. I included other countries because, unlike in the 1950’s, the states of Mississippi and California compete more against other countries for investment than they do with each other. If the creation of an attractive workforce is not a priority, then a state will have to compete by offering low-cost labor. This is a competition that the United States cannot win. The days of having a workforce driven by strong backs and weak minds are over for the United States. The U.S., and any state that attempts to do so, can become a dominant competitor in areas of high value adding and manufacturing if they provide the necessary infrastructure, legal systems, and workforce necessary to do so.”
Mark Fincher, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Mississippi State University
“While it may be tempting to look at each variable of economic development individually, the world of education emphasizes how they all connect. Research shows that people that drop out of high school are less likely to be civically engaged and achieve economic self-sufficiency. It is also a problem that is destined to repeat itself if not addressed. The quality of the teachers we educate today will influence the educational attainment of future generations. Positive student-teacher relationships have a positive effect on high school graduation rates. Education should be recognized as what it is, the foundation of an economically sustainable society.”
Luis S. Toledo – Assistant Director, College Crisis Initiative (C2i), Davidson College
