Massachusetts(44.9% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Massachusetts is the state with the highest number of people with a bachelor’s degree and the highest number of people with a graduate degree as well. After all, some of the most sought-after colleges are resident in the state, and there’s no one who hasn’t heard how amazing their schools are for any kind of study.
As a result, the state ranks first in the number of residents with high-paying jobs, which is expected considering that schools like MIT and Havard that churn out an impressive number of graduates are notable institutions that make up the state's educational prowess.
Maryland(40.2% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
With regards to education and the number of people who hold relevant bachelor’s degrees in the United States, Maryland is reputable with a record of about 40% of its population with a bachelor’s degree but just around 17% of those with graduate degrees.
Maryland is where the famous John Hopkins University resides and it is one of the 25 top schools in the United states. Considering the number of people who dream of having an education there, it’s not surprising that it has the record it holds for the number of graduates it produces.
Colorado(42.7% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Almost 43% of Coloradans have attained educational levels beyond high school and this makes them the second state with the largest percentage of higher education graduates. As such, they’ve also been said to have the highest number of educated working class people in the country even though the quality of education may not be the best by comparison.
Most of their graduates have an average grade level of C and only three of their schools have ranked in a Forbes’ list of Top 100 schools in America. One of their better ranking schools is Colorado Boulder.
Vermont(38% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The Republican state of Vermont is known for its production of maple syrup in addition to several wooden bridges from the 19th century. But apart from its landscape, it’s residents are also known to take their academics seriously and about 38% of the adults have completed a college education.
Despite the fact that it is the second least populated state, it is well saturated with colleges and even has some that are located outside the state but with campuses inside Vermont. According to CNBC in 2018, the state was regarded as the best place to live in America and we believe that contributes to its appeal for students.
Connecticut(39.3% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The Nutmeg state is a popular academic giant with about 39% of its population holding a college degree. It is the home of top schools like Yale, which alone makes it possible to vouch for the quality of education in the state. But it’s some of its other schools that account for a large number of the graduates because Yale has only a 7% acceptance rate.
Although the state has a good percentage of college educated adults, there’s a downside of student debt. The advance that each student has access to is about 11% less than the country’s average and many still struggle to pay it off after landing jobs.
Virginia(36.4% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Apart from producing the bulk of the Presidents in the country, Virginia is also known for churning out a sizable number of college educated adults. A significant 36% of their population has graduated from one degree course or the other in their colleges and their top ranked schools are similarly top ranked across the country.
Over the years, the state has consistently ranked among the country’s top ten both in the quality of their educational system and academic achievements. And it doesn’t only stop there because many residents still go further to get a postgraduate degree.
Washington(36% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
There’s a lot of expectation for the large state of Washington where more than seven million people reside, not to mention that it is the home of several manufacturing industries including those for missiles, aircraft, ships, and food. It also has over 40 institutions for higher education and many are reputable for research.
Because of its educational resources, Washington ranks among the top ten states with impressive educational attainment, recording 36% of its residents as having some form of higher degree after high school. And this report is after an amazing 84% increase in their number from the beginning of the 21st century up to date.
New Hampshire(37% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The Granite State, New Hampshire, has an impressive record when it comes to bagging degrees and diplomas. To begin with, only less than 10% of their residents have not completed basic education, so, you can understand why 37% of them have not only completed it, but have gone further to also earn a college degree. Clearly, they value educational achievement.
However, their interest in getting educated comes at a cost because the debts that have piled on students in the state have been reported to be the fourth highest in the entire country.
New Jersey(39.7% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
New Jersey is another state where many value growing their intellect and almost 40% of its population have been reported to be college graduates possessing a degree in their chosen field. And they have even more to show for it as they not only record such an impressive number of college graduates but also rank among the top five for quality of education.
The Garden State is home to the reputable Ivy League University Princeton and many Americans dream of getting an education there even though it would cost them a lot financially.
Minnesota(36.1% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Minnesota can be looked at from two perspectives. On one hand, the educational prowess of the state is one of the best in the country with about 36% of residents who have an advanced degree and on the other hand, many of these students contribute to the unending debts that make the state owe over $31,000.
Although the combined student loan debt is still less than the national average, the monthly repayment plan of about $250 still means that they’ll be repaying this debt for more than a decade of their working lives.
Utah(34% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Utah has a lot going for it as a state when it comes to educational attainment as well as average student debt because it is the lowest ranked state in terms of those with student debts and about 34% of its residents hold a degree greater than a high school diploma.
However, you’ll get what you pay for with the schools in Utah because the quality of education pales in comparison to other schools where you may pay a lot more. So, while it’s great to have advanced education, a bachelor's degree in the state won’t carry the same weight as it would from some other schools.
Illinois(34.7% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Illinois is another state that is doing well for itself as regards education. There are now about 34% of its people with a higher education degree and it also has two of America's Top 20 schools including the higher learning institution in their biggest city Chicago.
The quality of their education is good and the state is also ranked pretty okay when it comes to educational achievements. The major challenge is that despite the huge number of educated people in the state, the unemployment rate is more than the national average.
New York(21.2% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
You must have heard about Columbia when people are talking about schools they’d like to get a higher degree from and the Ivy League school is just one of two that are resident in the Empire State; the other is Cornell.
However, despite having five higher institutions that all rank among the top 50 on Forbes list, the state has a small percentage—just 21.2%—of its residents who actually have higher education. But the little who do, get an amazing quality of education because the state still ranks as having one of the top ten educational systems in the country.
Oregon(33.7% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The Beaver State of Oregon ranks 23rd in terms of quality of higher education but at least 33.7% of their people have gotten a bachelor’s degree or higher. Some people consider their educational quality to be low because none of their top schools have found their way to the top 100 on Forbes list.
But of the 45 institutions in the state, the one at the heart of Oregon can at least boast of well ranked graduate degree programs and is known to do well in the fields of education, creative writing, and environmental law to note a few.
Hawaii(33% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Hawaii has some impressive statistics when it comes to educational attainment although there may be room for argument when it comes to the quality of their educational system. Because they rank 49th out of 50 states, it’s easy to put their educational quality down but they still maintain a state average grade standard of B.
But on the brighter side, a WalletHub study proves that Hawaiian students are least likely to finish school with student debts and the y Council does their best in trying to make that possible.
Wyoming(27.4% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Although not many people in Wyoming hold a higher education degree, it’s a state that everyone should consider if they’d like to eventually pursue one. Among the 27% that hold a higher education degree in the Equality State, few still shoulder debt after graduation and you can hardly find students dropping out in the state.
The state is actively working towards improving their economy and it shows in both their educational attainment and quality of education. In 2018, the governor Matt Mead made a bold first executive order regarding education saying that by 2025, 67% of the state population should have advanced degrees.
Delaware(32% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
About 90% of the population in Delaware have already completed basic education and 32% have taken it further to earn at least a bachelor's degree. Although they don’t have much significant records to show as regards educational attainment, their quality of education is not bad at all having ranked 7th best in the country on WalletHub.
Student debt however is high in the Diamond State and is just 1% lower than the national average. To help with this, the state has made about 12 sponsored programs for financial aid available.
Maine(31.8% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Maine may be striving for better quality of education throughout the state but at least it has achieved some reputation for having its top schools rank among the top 100 on Forbes list, including Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby.
The Pine Tree state has an average quality of education and yet, it is pretty expensive to study an advanced degree there. Because of costs, student debts are high and despite churning out about 31% of its population with bachelor’s degrees, it is one of the states with the highest number of graduates with school debts that are hard to pay.
Montana(32% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Montana records the lowest number of dropouts in the country but we’re not sure if that’s significant considering how much they’ve compromised on quality. The educational quality of the state is at best average despite being home to some well performing schools, however, there’s a good balance between their academics and athletics programs.
Montana has a population of just over a million people and 32% of this small number have attained higher education degrees. Montana State University is one of the top schools in the state but ranks poorly nationally at no. 263 according to US news.
North Dakota(30.41% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The North Dakota state has a good educational system with 30.4% of its people holding a higher education degree. The only challenge is that despite the quality of education and number of graduates, not many stick around to complete a graduate degree.
However, the people of North Dakota don’t struggle to find jobs as there are many opportunities available to them. The unemployment rate is greatly reduced in the state and they ranked as having one of the lowest rates of about 3.2% of their workforce, which is also less than the average unemployment rate in the country.
Wisconsin(30.1% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Wisconsin is a reputable state for its academic achievements and quality of education. The University of Wisconsin is particularly well-known around the country and ranks among the top 100 higher education institutions on Forbes list. It’s no wonder that even internationally, people strive to earn advanced degrees from the state’s institutions.
And there’s a lot to encourage those eyeing an advanced degree because there are job opportunities waiting for them when they finish. The Dairyland state recorded an unemployment rate of 2.8% at the end of 2021 and that is well below the national average rate.
Rhode Island(34.2% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Surprisingly, even with reputable schools in the state like Brown that ranks 14th nationally, Rhode Island isn’t considered among the top states in the country with respect to educational attainment and quality. Maybe it’s because Brown bears the burden of academically lifting the state on its own since none of the other schools in Rhode Island have any significant rating.
Nonetheless, it still churns out a respectable number of people with a bachelor’s degree which comprise as much as 34% of its population of just about 1 million residents. And additionally, the state is also known to have one of the highest student debt records.
Nebraska(31.9% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Nebraska puts on a very enticing outlook on the educational front with the type of records it has attained. A good number of the population have both basic education diplomas and higher education degrees. And the state makes provision for its graduates to get jobs which is why not many people remain unemployed. As a record low, the state recorded only a 2% unemployment rate in 2021, far below the national average.
But looking beyond their enticing outlook, they also do well when it comes to the quality of their education and the state has ranked 11th in that regard.
Kansas(33.4% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The Sunflower State has a lot to improve on when it comes to the quality of their education but at least, even with their standards, they have a good 33.4% of their population with advanced degrees. And as a part of what they have going for them, they have an unemployment rate that is below the country’s average, which means that residents have no problem finding jobs.
The University of Kansas may be the best bet to get any form of quality education in the state and lucky for residents, it can take as much as 19,000 students for undergraduate studies yearly.
California(33.9% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
You may think the Golden State is only known for its movie stars and entertainment gurus but a good number of the population actually go ahead to earn a bachelor’s degree or higher, and it even has one of the topmost educational qualities in the country. You’ve been hearing about school rankings in the top 100 category but even among the top 25 on Forbes list, five of the Golden State’s schools made the list.
But despite its educational prowess, there are many residents who don’t even have basic education diplomas in the state which one could attribute to the number of people who quit school to pursue other careers.
Alaska(29.6% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Alaska may not be the best state educationally on many fronts although we can still vouch for about 30% of its population who have earned a higher education degree. Unlike California, many actually complete high school but even if they further their studies, they may still not be on par with others in the job market because of the educational quality in the state.
This does a lot to explain why the unemployment rate in the state reached records of 6.6% in 2021, which is far above the country’s average and it also explains why the economy isn’t also booming.
Florida(29.9% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The state of Florida doesn’t have so many college educated graduates with degrees but it still boasts one of the best educational systems in the country. The Sunshine State has made record achievements in both its basic education and higher education systems and is credited with landing some of the best results in advanced placement tests.
It has about two of its top ranked schools as part of Forbes list of top 100 schools in the country and it owes its success in the education department to state leadership and commitment to affordability and accessibility.
Michigan(29.1% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Michigan may not be able to promise you the best quality of education because they rank below average in that regard. Nonetheless, 29% of the population still go ahead to earn a higher education degree. The biggest reputation the state has managed is ranking among the top 25 schools on Forbes list and they have the University of Michigan to thank for that.
But apart from that, no other school in the state has proven to be good enough to land on the list. And as part of the issues they face, their unemployment rate is a bit on the high side with a percentage higher than the country’s average.
Iowa(28.6% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Iowa is comfortably in the middle when it comes to educational attainment and quality. Just about 28% of the state's population have earned a higher education degree but over 90% have completed their basic education.
The schools in Iowa are also not doing badly as they rank well on Forbes list of top schools in the country although Grinnell beats the rest of them by quite a lot, ranking at no. 80 on the list. They also have opportunities in the area of jobs and recently had a drop in unemployment rate to 3.5% in 2021 and that’s better than the national unemployment rate.
Pennsylvania(31.4% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The Keystone State can certainly provide you with relatively good education but in recent times, it hasn’t ranked so well. Because of access to early education and the quality of its higher education, Pennsylvania isn’t considered among the best even though six of its universities have previously ranked among the top 100 in the country.
Notwithstanding, 31% of its residents are fortified with an advanced degree in addition to basic diploma but the state hasn’t been able to properly provide jobs for these graduates. The unemployment rate is quite high at 6.2% although that rate is even better than it was before at 6.5%.
North Carolina(31.3% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
North Carolina veers toward the lower ratings when it comes to educational quality and attainment and has been ranked 32nd in the country. But those ratings don’t mean that you can’t get some quality education in their schools, especially the three that made it to Forbes top 50 list.
Another reason why the Tar Heel State is a good bet is that there’s a relatively smaller share of student debt compared to other states after graduation. It’s probably why 31% of its residents have gone further to earn a college degree.
Missouri(29.2% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Missouri can’t really boast of a quality education considering its low ranking among other states in the country as regards its quality of education. Only 29% of the state’s population has achieved a bachelor's degree but in 2021, there was a record drop in the unemployment rate from 4.5% to levels lower than the country’s average.
And despite its educational quality not meeting certain standards, one particular school, Washington, stands out. The school made it to no. 33 on Forbes list of top schools and it’s the major institution putting the state's educational system in good light.
Ohio(28.3% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Sometimes, the irony is that a state could have fairly good schools and not enough residents snapping up degrees as is the case with Ohio which only boasts 28% of its population with higher education degrees despite its average ranking in the quality of its educational system.
But the rate of unemployment in the state may also contribute to the lack of desire to pursue advanced degrees in addition to the fact that graduates still have student debts to tackle. Although the amount and number of people owing are significantly less than the average nationally.
Georgia(31.3% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
According to WalletHub,The Peach State falls below the average ranking for quality education although Forbes may have a different opinion on that, seeing as some top schools in Georgia have made it to their top 100 list for schools in the country.
The percentage of people who have successfully completed a graduate study in the state is about 31.3% which is quite okay, and on the plus side, there are even more available jobs after graduation for residents since the unemployment rate fell from 4% to 2.8% in 2021.
South Dakota(28.8% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The reality is that South Dakota is not considered so great for study because it’s education quality is ranked as one of the lowest in the country. It also produces a small percentage of graduates with higher education degrees and even its best rated schools struggle to be placed in Forbes top 400 list.
And the motivation to study there further drops when you consider that recent surveys point towards fewer students and higher student loan debts. And it has become a trend that the brightest minds in the state prefer to relocate to other parts of the country.
Idaho(27.6% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Interestingly, with an average grade of C minus, Idaho has made many improvements from their previous academic records but clearly could still do a lot more work. You wouldn’t expect any of their schools to have great rankings considering they’re just picking up the pace academically, but it was ranked fifth for chance of success improvement in the country in 2021.
Despite the quality of education, the people of the Gem State are not lacking in jobs. At the end of 2021, the unemployment rate fell to 2.9% which is well below the country’s average rate.
Indiana(26.5% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Indiana has a good ranking above average when it comes to the quality of its education but the number of people who have attained respectable educational levels are quite few spanning only 26.5% of its population having higher education degrees.
Indiana May welcome you with open arms if you decide to get a degree in their state because they have the resources but the interest isn’t as much. You won’t believe that five of the best schools in the country are resident in the Hoosier State despite the low percentage of degree holders they have.
Arizona(29.5% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Arizona is another state with a low percentage of educational attainment but unlike Indiana, the quality of education isn’t solid either and it has been tagged one of the worst in the country. The state ranks at 46 out of 50 and consequently, the unemployment rate is also quite high but we believe there’s always room for improvement.
Even though Arizona State University made it to the top 150 on Forbes list, that achievement isn’t enough to mend the reputation of the Grand Canyon state but at least, it’s a good start. Perhaps if the educational system gets better, the unemployment rate could also reduce.
Texas(29.9% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Perhaps Texas doesn’t just bother with encouraging its residents to complete a higher education but it has nothing to do with the quality of their educational system which is top notch. However, their rating has dropped over time as a result of fewer people bagging higher degrees and they now rank 43rd in the country after holding the 39th position in the past.
Only about 30% of the state’s population has a bachelor's degree and there’s a widespread unemployment rate in the state at levels much higher than the national average.
Oklahoma(25.5% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Perhaps sooner rather than later, we’ll be seeing the Sooner State pick up the pace as regards its quality of education. But for now, they rank nearly bottom of the list and aren’t doing great as regards educational attainment either.
As one of the lowest records, only about 25% of the Oklahoma population have attained a higher education degree but at least, no one among them would struggle for a job. The unemployment rate in the state is as low as 2.7% which is better than many states and much better than the country’s average as well.
Tennessee(27.3% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Not many people have found enough motivation to complete higher degrees in Tennessee which is why they still rank so low in educational attainment. Only 27% of them have gotten a higher degree and there’s so much workforce potential for the state because of its large population of nearly seven million.
Despite the average quality of the state’s educational system, the few who have joined the workforce still face a mild unemployment issue, although things got better in 2021. At the end of the year, the unemployment rate fell to about the same rates as the national average.
New Mexico(27.3% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
New Mexico is still relatively rural with an undeniable sustained poverty rate which has seen their educational system ranked as the worst according to a WalletHub study. It’s not just in education of course, in many other aspects, the Land of Enchantment is quite below par when compared to other states.
We can’t even begin to talk about residents with a bachelor's degree when even those with basic diplomas are pretty scarce. Just about 27% of the state’s residents have completed a higher education and on the bright side, they have one of the lowest student debts in the country.
Nevada(24.7% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
You could say the case in Nevada is a bit worse when it comes to educational attainment but at least there’s some relief in the quality of education. Choosing to study there may or may not be the better option but all we can tell you is that it ranks 30th for education quality and the low 24% of residents with a higher education places it at 44th in the country in educational attainment.
So, it is considered one of the least educated states but can boast of less student debts than many others. And none of its higher institutions has ranked among the top schools in the country.
South Carolina(28.1% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
South Carolina has also ranked as one of the least educated states in America and was placed at no. 42 in 2021. Surprisingly even with a rank that low, it was an improvement from the previous year of being ranked 44th. Despite its population of over five million, the turnout of residents with higher education degrees is low at 28%.
But at least, with the advanced manufacturing industries in the state and tourist attractions, the residents still have jobs available to them and had unemployment rates reduced to 3.5% by the end of 2021.
Kentucky(24.2% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Kentucky has ranked among the bottom five in terms of their educational attainment and quality. Only 24% of the state's population have attained higher education degrees and the state even still struggles with churning out a respectable number of high school graduates.
It’s no surprise too that hardly any of the schools in the state rank well on the list of top schools in the country and even with its low turnout of graduates there’s still the issue of unemployment which is above the national average rate at 4.3%.
Alabama(25.5% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Alabama still ranks low for educational attainment and quality but the good news is that this may not be the case for long. According to the world population review, despite being ranked 45th in educational attainment and 41st in educational quality, the low percentage of adults with higher education degrees is improving and the gap between the state and national average is closing.
But despite their educational shortcomings, the state manages to ensure job availability for its residents and the unemployment rate has remained steady for a while at 3.1%, below the average rate in the country.
Arkansas(23% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Arkansas records comparatively low figures in the number of residents with a higher education degree, but 23% is still a significant improvement from the 18% recorded in the past. The Natural State hasn’t ranked well in the quality of its education either and is placed among the least educated states in the country.
The top rated institution in the state is the University of Arkansas but while it tops at the state’s educational level, it pales in comparison with others and ranks No. 190 on Forbes List of top rated schools. But judging from the improvements that are being recorded, things could get better in the state.
Louisiana(24.1% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The Sugar State may taste nice in some other aspects but not in the area of education. There’s nothing to write home about as regards both the quality of education and educational attainment of its residents as it barely produces higher education graduates. A mere 24% have managed to complete higher education degrees but that pales in comparison with the national average and ranks as 48th in the country.
And to top it off, employment isn’t even certain for many of its residents as the state records high unemployment rates of 5.8% even though that’s an improvement from a previous 6.6%.
West Virginia(20.6% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
The Mountain State surely has a similarly mountainous hurdle to overcome as regards the level of education among its residents. There’s no subtle way to say that it comes in last with respect to the number of residents with higher education degrees. And the quality of education is also just average with an overall grade average of C minus.
However, the unemployment rate drastically dropped in West Virginia at the end of 2021 from a record 5% to 3.7% which is commendable considering that these jobs are very much needed because student loan debts are the highest in the state.
Mississippi(22% People With a Bachelor’s Degree)
Mississippi doesn’t have a good turnout of both high school graduates or higher education degree holders. Education in the state is a record low in the country both in quality and level of attainment. Studies have placed the state as having the lowest IQ in the country and we’re not sure how or if things would eventually change for the state.
To add insult to injury, the employment rate in the state is also not encouraging. At the end of 2021, it recorded a 5.8% unemployment rate which is well above the average rate in the country.