Here's Where Massachusetts Ranks On List Of Most-Educated States

MASSACHUSETTS — Massachusetts ranked as the most-educated state in the country. The state was first on a list of 2024's Most & Least Educated States in America.

The study comes from personal finance site WalletHub. The report "compared all 50 states across 18 key indicators of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps between genders and races."

The other states in the top five were Vermont, Maryland, Connecticut, and Colorado.

Those with college degrees earn $600 to $1,200 more weekly compared to those with only a high school diploma, according to WalletHub.

“Getting a good education doesn’t guarantee high future earnings and better opportunities, but there’s a definite correlation," WalletHub Analyst Cassandra Happe said. "It’s certainly worth living in one of the most educated states, which offer high-quality learning from childhood all the way through the university level. That’s especially true if you plan to raise children.”

WalletHub noted that Massachusetts has the highest percentage of adults ages 25 and older with at least a Bachelor’s degree, at nearly 46%, and the highest share who have a graduate or professional degree, at nearly 21%.

The Bay State has some of the best high schools, both public and private, in the country, with the best performance nationwide on math and reading test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, according to WalletHub.

Here's a more detailed breakdown of Massachusetts's rankings:

• 1st in educational attainment
• 1st in quality of education
• 26th in percentage of high-school diploma holders
• 6th in percentage of associate's degree holders or college-experienced adults
• 1st in percentage of bachelor’s degree holders
• 1st in percentage of graduate- or professional-degree holders
• 2nd in average university quality

The bottom five states on the list were Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia.

See the full report at WalletHub.

See related: These Are The Best Schools In MA: 2023 Rankings

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