2021’s Most & Least Educated States in America

Education in the U.S. is the second largest higher education system. Not only is it large but provides diversity through institution types. This diversity offers students options to specialize in a variety of academic disciplines and even gain employment training. More than 4,000 accredited institutions make up U.S. higher education in the United States. One of the most attractive features of the U.S. higher education system is the flexibility it provides through the number and diversity of institution types it encompasses.

More than 4,000 accredited institutions make up U.S. higher education in the United States. Unlike many countries, U.S. higher education institutions are not centrally organized or managed, but are accredited on a national or regional level by independent accrediting bodies.

With many students continuing their education remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic and BLS data showing a correlation between higher education levels, higher income and lower unemployment rates, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2021's Most & Least Educated States in America.

In order to determine the most educated states, they compared all 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.

Key Stats

• Massachusetts has the highest school system rating, 21.70 percent, which is 18.1 times higher than in Montana, the state with one of the lowest at 1.20 percent.
• Massachusetts has the highest share of bachelor’s degree holders aged 25 and older, 43.70 percent, which is 2.1 times higher than in West Virginia, the state with the lowest at 20.60 percent.
• Maine has the lowest racial gap in educational attainment, with the share of black people aged 25 and older holding a bachelor’s degree at 27.47 percent compared to 20.76 percent for their white counterparts, a difference of 6.72 percent favoring black people.

WalletHub Q & A

To what extent should states consider education policy as part of a broader economic development strategy?

“Yes, but we have to be very careful about what 'economic development' means,” said David L. Backer, PhD, West Chester University. “If it means making the working class more precarious, devotion to the deficit myth, segregation in real estate, perpetual austerity, privatization, and/or a lack of backbone when it comes to fiscal policy (namely taxing the rich), then any effort to consider education policy as economic development will be a lie. We have had decades of that, and I hope it changes, but I have not seen much evidence to indicate it will.”

“Education policy is definitely a part of a broader economic development strategy,” said Elizabeth Gil, PhD, Fordham University Graduate School of Education. “Students attending institutions within a state may be more likely to stay in-state if there are opportunities for them beyond their time at school. Employed residents add to state economies through paying taxes and local spending. Research has also shown higher education rates are related to positive health outcomes and lower crime rates, so education policies that promote higher levels of education benefit the state in multiple ways.”

Will the reductions in public funding for higher education make states less competitive in the long run?

“Reductions in public funding for higher education have on occasion, translated to increased tuition, adding financial pressure on students,” said Danielle Wright, PhD, The University of Texas. “However, it will be important to engage a growing understanding of resilience-focused practices and the role of a well-educated citizenry to rebound from shocks and stressors associated with cities and states. Such thinking underscores the importance of incorporating educational policy within the strategy for economic development efforts. Certainly, this strategy should be front and center for state and federal policy actors.”

“Education policy is indeed a key lever that can support a state’s economic development. Some research-based ideas include: Scaling up the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (example: Chicago Public Schools), said Ashley Rogers Berner, PhD, Johns Hopkins University.” Ensuring industry-ready Career and Technical Education credentials (example: Delaware Pathways). Combining school choice for low-income parents with meaningful academic accountability (examples: Boston charter schools; Indiana’s tax credit program). Funding high-quality pre-K programs (Maryland and many other states).”

The latest data from the NSC Research Center shows that undergraduate enrollment has been on a downward trend compared to last year’s fall semester. What are some strategies to boost enrollment during the next admission cycle?

“All of the data about jobs and forecasts for the shifting nature of the world of work would indeed suggest that higher education will become an even more valuable asset in the future,” said Patrick Akos, PhD, University of North Carolina. “However, I do think there is a place for career and technical education that may come from a 2-year degree - fulfilling jobs in industries (e.g., plumbing) that have declining numbers. So, it will take a collection of higher education, technical training, economic business incentives, recruitment strategies, social policy, and more for states to thrive economically. It seems common sense that better education would equate to a more robust workforce - so educational policy plays an important role as well.”

To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:

https://wallethub.com/edu/e/most-educated-states/31075

Courtesy: WalletHub