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The 25 Most Educated States in America, Ranked

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The 25 Most Educated States in America, Ranked

We all know a good education is the ticket to a better future. An associate degree or higher can greatly influence your long-term financial gain, job stability, career satisfaction and success outside of the workplace. These days, more and more occupations are requiring advanced education, so now, more than ever before, a college degree is critical to being successful in the workforce.

The higher the level of education you’ve achieved, the higher your earning potential will be. In most cases, your level of education is a direct correlation to your level of pay. Also, each level of education completed lowers your chances of future unemployment drastically.

Because we knew all of these factoids, we decided to do some research to see which state in the U.S. is the most educated, according to the highest percentage of the state’s population that have completed the highest levels of education. As of 2019, approximately 32.6% of the United States population, aged 25 or older, currently hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

*The statistics listed here are from data.census.gov, 2018 American Community Survey.

#25 Wyoming
#25 Wyoming

The state of Wyoming has a population of approximately 578,759 residents, however only 26.9% of the population over the age of 25 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income per capita across the state is about $32,000 and the average cost of a credit hour at a public college is $122.

(Image via Facebook)
#24 North Dakota
#24 North Dakota

In North Dakota, about 29.7% of the population over the age of 25 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher resulting in a median income of approximately $35,000 per capita.

The population of North Dakota is approximately 762,062. Public school is a bit pricey, here, at a cost of $218 per credit hour.

(Image via Facebook)
#23 Wisconsin
#23 Wisconsin

Of a population of approximately 5,822,430 people, only 30% of adults in the state hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income per capita here is approximately $32,000. The cost per credit hour in Wisconsin is an average of $247 per credit hour, putting higher education out of reach for many citizens.

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#22 Delaware
#22 Delaware

Delaware has a population of around 973,764 with approximately 31.3% of all residents over the age of 25 holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income per person in the state of Delaware is approximately $34,000 with an average cost of $252 per credit hour, making it difficult for some residents to afford higher education.

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#21 Maine
#21 Maine

In Maine, 31.5% of the adult population over the age of 25 holds a bachelor’s degree or higher. With a population of 1,344,212, that leaves approximately 920,000,000 residents without a higher education.

The median income per capita in this state is approximately $31,000. With an average cost of $264 per credit hour, the median income puts a higher education out of reach for many in the state.

(Image via Facebook)
#20 Montana
#20 Montana

In Montana, the population stands at approximately 1,068,778 people in the state. Of that number, only 31.7% of the state’s residents over the age of 25 holds a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income in Montana, per capita, is roughly $30,000. However, the average credit hour cost in the state is just around $167, making higher education more affordable for residents.

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#19 Nebraska
#19 Nebraska

In Nebraska, 32.4% of the population over the age of 25 holds a bachelor’s degree or higher. With a population of approximately 1,934,408, that leaves more than 1.3 million residents in the state without a higher education.

The median income per capita in the state is around $31,000 per year. Credit hour costs in Nebraska are on average about $192, making higher education affordable for many residents in the state.

(Image via Facebook)
#18 Hawaii
#18 Hawaii

In Hawaii, the population stands at about 1,415,872 residents. Of the state’s residents over the age of 25, 33.5% have acquired a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income per capita in Hawaii is approximately $34,000 per year. With credit hours in the state costing an average of $184, higher education is definitely affordable for residents.

(Image via Facebook)
#17 Kansas
#17 Kansas

In Kansas, the population in 2019 was 2,913,314 with a median income of $31,000 per capita. At last count, of the residents in the state over the age of 25, 33.8% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Throughout the state, the average cost of a college credit hour is around $170. This is more affordable than other states, however, with an average income of $31,000 higher education is out of reach for more residents than others.

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#16 Oregon
#16 Oregon

The population for the state of Oregon currently stands at 4,217,737 residents. However, only 34% of all adults over the age of 25 in the state currently hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

The median income in the state is approximately $32,000 per year with an average credit hour cost of $227, putting higher education out of reach for many residents throughout the state.

(Image via Facebook)
#15 California
#15 California

California has an approximate population of 39,512,223 residents. However, despite higher education being extremely affordable throughout the state, only 34.2% of all state residents over the age of 25 holds a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income per capita in California is about $35,000 per year. With an average college credit hour costing approximately $120, it’s hard to understand why more residents don’t have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

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#14 Rhode Island
#14 Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, the population is at approximately 1,059,361 residents, with approximately 34.4% of all residents holding a bachelor’s degree or higher throughout the state.

The median income per capita in Rhode Island is approximately $35,000 per year, however a credit hour in the state costs an average of $334, making higher education almost impossible for some residents to afford.

(Image via Facebook)
#13 Utah
#13 Utah

In Utah, the percentage of the population over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree or higher is at approximately 34.9 out of a population of 3,205,958 residents.

In this state, the median income per capita is approximately $28,000, which makes the average credit hour cost of $219 unaffordable for many throughout the state.

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#12 Illinois
#12 Illinois

Illinois has an approximate population of 12,671,821 residents. Of this number, 35.1% of all adults over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income in Illinois is approximately $34,000. The average credit hour cost throughout the state is currently at $211.

(Image via Facebook)
#11 Minnesota
#11 Minnesota

The current population in the state of Minnesota is at about 5,639,632 residents. Of those residents, 36.7% of the population over the age of 25 has a bachelor’s degree or higher.

In direct correlation to the number of residents in the state with a higher education, the median income per capita is approximately $36,000. The cost of a credit hour, however, is one of the highest in the country at an average of $274.

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#10 Washington
#10 Washington

The state of Washington has a large population of about 7,614,893 residents. Of those residents, 36.7% over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income per capita is in direct correlation with higher education at a rate of approximately $37,000 per year. A credit hour at a higher education institution in Washington costs approximately $220.

(Image via Facebook)
#9 New Hampshire
#9 New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, the population is at approximately 1,359,711 residents throughout the state. 36.8% of residents over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

As a result, the median income per capita throughout the state is approximately $39,000 per year. A credit hour in New Hampshire costs approximately $388 but is more attainable in this state.

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#8 New York
#8 New York

In the state of New York, there are approximately 19,453,561 residents. Approximately 37.2% of the residents over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income per capita in New York is approximately $37,000 with a college credit hour costing an average of $250.

(Image via Facebook)
#7 Vermont
#7 Vermont

Vermont, one of the smallest states in the country, has a population of approximately 623,989 people. Of the residents in the state, 38.7% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Throughout the state, the median income per capita is around $33,000. The higher percentage of highly educated residents in Vermont is surprising, considering the cost of one college credit hour throughout the state is an average of $466.

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#6 Virginia
#6 Virginia

Of the 8,535,519 residents in the state of Virginia, approximately 39.3% of the population over the age of 25 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income per capita in Virginia is around $38,000 per year, making the average cost of a credit hour in the state—$283 per credit—highly attainable.

(Image via Facebook)
#5 Connecticut
#5 Connecticut

For a relatively small state, Connecticut has a high population of around 3,565,287 residents. Of this number, 39.6% of the population over the age of 25 has a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income per capita throughout the state is approximately $43,000 per year. The average cost of a credit hour across the state is approximately $266.

(Image via Facebook)
#4 New Jersey
#4 New Jersey

In New Jersey, the population currently stands at approximately 8,882,190 residents. Of those residents, roughly 40.8% of the population over the age of 25 hold bachelor’s degrees or higher.

The median income in this state is about $41,000 per capita, making the $311 per credit hour cost expensive, but attainable.

(Image via Facebook)
#3 Maryland
#3 Maryland

In Maryland, 40.8% of the population over the age of 25 has a bachelor’s degree or higher. That is out of approximately 6,045,680 residents throughout the state.

The median income per capita in Maryland is around $41,000 per capita, which makes the average credit hour cost of $234 highly attainable for most residents of the state.

(Image via Facebook)
#2 Colorado
#2 Colorado

The second most educated state in the country is Colorado. Out of 5,758,736 residents in the state, approximately 41.7% of adults over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income throughout Colorado is approximately $36,000 per capita. The average college credit hour at a higher education institution costs approximately $234.

(Image via Facebook)
#1 Massachusetts
#1 Massachusetts

Ladies and gentlemen! May we present the most educated state in the country for 2020? That’s right. Massachusetts has approximately 6,892,503 residents and out of that number, about 44.5% of the adults in the state over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The median income throughout the state is approximately $42,000 per capita and the average credit hour cost is $287.

(Image via Facebook)
Author Chrissy Jones Last Updated: July 13, 2020


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