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New Hampshire
103.2
Massachusetts
103.1
Minnesota
102.9
Vermont
102.2
North Dakota
101.7
Wyoming
101.7
Utah
101.5
Washington
101.5
Connecticut
101.2
Nebraska
101.2
Virginia
101.2
Wisconsin
101.2
Colorado
101.1
Iowa
101.1
Montana
101.1
New Jersey
101.0
Maine
100.9
South Dakota
100.7
Indiana
100.6
Idaho
100.5
Kansas
100.5
Oregon
100.3
Pennsylvania
100.2
Maryland
100.0
Ohio
100.0
Michigan
99.6
Missouri
99.5
North Carolina
99.5
Alaska
99.4
Illinois
99.4
Rhode Island
99.4
Hawaii
99.2
Florida
98.8
Kentucky
98.8
Delaware
98.7
New York
98.4
Arizona
98.3
Tennessee
98.3
Oklahoma
98.2
Georgia
98.1
South Carolina
97.8
Texas
97.4
West Virginia
97.2
Arkansas
97.1
California
97.1
Nevada
96.6
Alabama
96.4
Mississippi
95.8
Louisiana
95.2
New Mexico
95.0

Smartest States [Updated May 2022]

Smartest States [Updated May 2022]

It’s important to know that income has an enormous impact on educational data. States with high numbers of higher-income families generally have higher-quality education systems and more people attending college. This, in turn, allows people to get higher-paying jobs, creating a cycle of access to higher education and higher-paying jobs.

Here are other factors that may affect students’ academic achievement that could vary by state and within states: overall socioeconomic status of the state or city/area within the state; percentage of students who are learning English as a second language; class and curriculum structure, which is usually mandated by the state, norms and regulations that determine the school environment, and standard testing requirements. On an individual level, the following can also affect student performance: parental/family habits and involvement, family issues and instability, classmate relationships, teacher behavior and teaching methods, and whether or not the holistic needs of students are met.

Determining the Intelligence of Each State

The intelligence of each state can be ranked using the following measures: IQ scores, SAT scores, ACT scores, and the percentage of college graduates in each state. An intelligence score is created for each state by determining the percentage-point difference between a state’s score and the national median score. Positive scores indicate that the state’s score was above the national median and negative scores indicate that the state’s score was below. Each state’s IQ value was doubled when the scores were added up.

Smartest States in the U.S.

While the data shows that some states are “smarter” than others, no one should treat residents of the “dumber” states as inferior. As previously mentioned above, many factors impact the quality of and level of education residents receive. These factors may be out of the population's control or not things that can immediately be changed.

The ten smartest states in the United States are: Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Kansas, Vermont, Iowa, New Jersey, and Colorado. The smartest states in the U.S. are located in the Northeast, Midwest, and West. Massachusetts is the smartest state in the U.S. Massachusetts has the highest percentage of Bachelor’s degree holders at 42.1% of adults and graduate or professional degree holders at about 32.4%. Additionally, Massachusetts is home to MIT, Harvard, and several other high-ranked institutions. Massachusetts also has one of the highest household incomes in the state, allowing for more access to higher education.

Minnesota, the second-smartest state in the nation, consistently has the best SAT scores in the country, especially in math. The average SAT score in Minnesota is 1284. New Hampshire has impressive ACT scores, ranking second for the highest median ACT scores in the U.S. at 25.0. New Hampshire also has the fifth-lowest pupil-to-teacher ratio in the country. A low pupil-to-teacher ratio helps students succeed as they receive more individual attention in the classroom.

As mentioned above, a state's median household income and overall economic status significantly impact educational quality and attainment Of the ten smartest states in the U.S., nine are above the national median of $63,179: Massachusetts ($86,345), Minnesota ($71,817), New Hampshire ($81,346), Connecticut ($72,812), Kansas ($63,938), Vermont ($70,006), Iowa ($68,718), New Jersey ($74,176), and Colorado ($73,034).

Here are the 10 states with the highest average IQ:

  1. New Hampshire - 103.2
  2. Massachusetts - 103.1
  3. Minnesota - 102.9
  4. Vermont - 102.2
  5. North Dakota - 101.7
  6. Wyoming - 101.7
  7. Utah - 101.5
  8. Washington - 101.5
  9. Connecticut - 101.2
  10. Nebraska - 101.2

Smartest States [Updated May 2022]

Smartest States [Updated May 2022]

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Smartest States [Updated May 2022]

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