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West Virginia
22.40
Mississippi
25.64
Louisiana
27.36
Arkansas
30.87
Alabama
34.46
Oklahoma
35.32
Nevada
35.70
Kentucky
35.70
New Mexico
36.99
Texas
40.14
Tennessee
41.16
South Carolina
42.09
Indiana
42.60
Arizona
44.37
Idaho
46.18
South Dakota
46.34
Ohio
46.39
Missouri
47.31
Georgia
47.87
Iowa
48.06
Pennsylvania
48.78
Alaska
48.82
California
49.08
Michigan
50.41
North Carolina
51.30
Kansas
51.39
Wyoming
51.64
North Dakota
52.11
Nebraska
52.24
Florida
53.26
Wisconsin
54.52
Montana
54.99
Maine
55.94
Hawaii
55.97
Illinois
57.20
Oregon
57.22
New York
57.25
Delaware
58.05
Rhode Island
58.61
Washington
63.12
Utah
63.31
Minnesota
63.98
New Hampshire
67.20
Virginia
67.33
New Jersey
68.85
Colorado
69.30
Vermont
71.40
Connecticut
72.06
Maryland
76.73
Massachusetts
83.03

Least Educated States 2024

Least Educated States 2024

Education is essential. In September 2015, world leaders created the 17 Global Goals for sustainable development. These goals aimed to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect our planet by 2030. At the core of each of these goals is education. Education is the best way for people to improve their quality of life by decreasing their chances of unemployment, increasing their earning potential, and meeting their career goals.

About 90% of the U.S. population over 25 have a high school diploma, and 34% have a bachelor's degree. The national education budget in 2016-2017 was $1.3 trillion, the majority of which came from state and local governments. The U.S. spends more on education than any other country in the world. Education in the United States includes public schools, private schools, and approved homeschooling. State governments set education standards. Depending on the state, education is compulsory starting between five and eight up until between ages 16 and 18. Additionally, states typically mandate standardized tests for K-12 public school systems.

The Least Educated States

Education varies between states. Wallethub compared all 50 U.S. states using 20 different metrics across two dimensions: Educational Attainment and Quality of Education. These metrics included the share of adults over 25 years old with a high school diploma/some college/at least a Bachelor’s degree/etc., quality of public school systems, public high school graduation rate, enrolled students in top universities, public college graduation rate, and more. Each state was given a score of zero to 100, with 100 being the "most educated." Each state's weighted average across all metrics was then determined to rank the states. Below are the country's least educated states, according to Wallethub.

State
Total Score
West Virginia22.40
Mississippi25.64
Louisiana27.36
Arkansas30.87
Alabama34.46
Oklahoma35.32
Kentucky35.70
Nevada35.70
New Mexico36.99
Texas40.14

West Virginia is the least educated U.S. state, with an overall score of 23.15. West Virginia ranks last for Educational Attainment with the lowest shares of people with associate’s degrees or some college experience and those with bachelor's degrees, at 20.6%. West Virginia also has the fourth-lowest average university quality.

Mississippi has a score of 25.35. As the second-least educated state, it ranks 49th for Educational Attainment and 47th for Quality of Education. Mississippi has the third-lowest share of high school diploma holders at 84.5%, the second-lowest share of bachelor's degree holders, and the fifth-lowest share of both people with associate's degrees or college experience and graduate degree holders.

Louisiana holds the third-place spot for the least educated states. Louisiana has a score of 25.75 and ranks 48th for Educational Attainment and 45th for Quality of Education. Louisiana has the fourth-lowest share of high school diploma holders and bachelor's degree holders, the second-lowest share of associate’s degree holders, and the fourth-lowest share of graduate degree holders.

Arkansas's score is 31.00 out of 100. Arkansas is in 47th for Educational Attainment, and its Quality of Education rank is an improvement to 24th. Arkansas has the third-lowest share of associates, bachelor's, and graduate degree holders.

Alabama is the country's fifth-least educated state. Alabama's Education Attainment rank is 45, and its Quality of Education rank is 38, with a total score of 33.08. About 22% of Alabama adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, which is lower than the 25% nationwide average; however, this gap is closing.

On the other hand, the most educated U.S. states are Massachusetts (81.82), Maryland(78.48), Connecticut(72.68), Colorado (69.82), and Vermont (69.67).

Least Educated States 2024

Notes:
- In addition to an overall Education Score, each state is assigned a position relative to the other 49 states in two grouped categories: Educational Attainment and Quality of Education.
- Data are presented with a reverse hierarchy. As such, the least-educated states have the lowest total scores and the lowest position.

Download Table Data

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State
Total Score
Educational Attainment Position
Overall Position
Quality of Education Position
West Virginia22.40114
Mississippi25.64226
Louisiana27.36338
Arkansas30.874424
Alabama34.467512
Oklahoma35.32869
Kentucky35.705731
Nevada35.706728
New Mexico36.991293
Texas40.1491034
Tennessee41.16111131
South Carolina42.09131217
Indiana42.60101342
Arizona44.3719147
Idaho46.18171519
South Dakota46.34211611
Ohio46.39151730
Missouri47.31201818
Georgia47.87181929
Iowa48.06222022
Pennsylvania48.78242115
Alaska48.8232221
California49.08142343
Michigan50.41252423
North Carolina51.30232538
Kansas51.3935262
Wyoming51.64282721
North Dakota52.11292825
Nebraska52.24312913
Florida53.26163048
Wisconsin54.52263141
Montana54.9938325
Maine55.94363320
Hawaii55.97373416
Illinois57.20343533
Oregon57.22393610
New York57.25333737
Delaware58.05303844
Rhode Island58.61273946
Washington63.12424026
Utah63.31404139
Minnesota63.98434227
New Hampshire67.20444340
Virginia67.33464435
New Jersey68.85414545
Colorado69.30494614
Vermont71.40484736
Connecticut72.06454847
Maryland76.73474949
Massachusetts83.03505050
United States51.24
showing: 50 rows

Least Educated States 2024

Sources