The Most Educated States in America, Ranked

The United States may be a democracy, but if knowledge is power, some states clearly have a stronger claim to the crown than others. Higher education is a privilege not everyone gets, yet those who do often gain access to higher incomes, greater job security, and more career mobility.

That opportunity gap isn’t evenly distributed. From high school graduation rates to graduate degrees, education levels vary widely across the country, shaping local economies and long-term quality of life. So which states are the most educated, and which are still playing catch-up?

The Smartest States

To rank the most and least educated states in America, WalletHub analyzed all 50 states using 18 metrics tied to both educational achievement and access. The analysis considers how educated a state’s population is, how strong its schools are, and how evenly opportunities are shared across gender and race. Higher scores point to states where education is both effective and widely accessible, while lower scores highlight deeper, more persistent gaps—shown on the map below.

Topping the list is Massachusetts, home to world-renowned colleges like MIT and Harvard. Nearly half of adults hold a bachelor’s degree, and a significant share have graduate or professional degrees. But the Bay State isn’t just about the Ivies—its public schools rank among the best in the country, and some state-sponsored programs even help make college more affordable.

A little further up the East Coast is Vermont, the second-most educated state in America. Small but mighty, the Green Mountain State boasts nearly universal high school graduation and a large share of adults with bachelor’s degrees. Top-ranked colleges and broad access to postsecondary education give residents plenty of opportunities to keep learning, making lifelong education feel like a community tradition.

Heading down south, Maryland rounds out the top three most educated states. The Old Line State boasts strong high schools that prepare students to become highly educated adults, many of whom hold bachelor’s or graduate degrees. Free community college programs open doors for scholars, while the state’s universities rank among the nation’s best. Maryland also keeps things fair, with one of the smallest gender gaps in bachelor’s degree attainment and policies that encourage learning year-round.

Quality vs. Quantity

Education isn’t just about how many diplomas are hanging on the wall: it’s also about how strong the system is behind them. This study evaluates states across two dimensions: quantity (the number of degrees residents earn) and quality (school performance and overall system strength).

Here are the top 10 most educated states in America, along with their educational attainment and quality of education rankings:

The most educated states tend to strike a balance, pairing high levels of college completion with strong public schools, colleges, and universities. But the two don’t always move in lockstep. Some states, like Colorado, turn out plenty of graduates despite a more middle-of-the-pack system quality. In contrast, others, such as New Jersey, boast top-tier schools that haven’t fully translated into the highest levels of adult degree attainment.

More Education, More Money?

At a glance, the pattern is hard to ignore: states with higher education rankings tend to land higher in median household income as well. The green dots—states that rank highly in both education and income—cluster toward the top left of the chart, reinforcing the idea that strong schools and a well-educated population often go hand in hand with economic prosperity.

But the story isn’t perfectly linear. The blue states rank highly in education but lag in income, suggesting that degrees don’t always translate immediately into higher household earnings. On the flip side, the gray states post stronger income rankings despite lower education standings—likely benefiting from industry mix, natural resources, or other economic advantages.

Meanwhile, the red cluster shows the toughest reality: states that rank lower in education often also lag in income, underscoring how deeply intertwined opportunity and earning power can be.

In the end, education isn’t the only factor shaping a state’s wealth, but the overall upward trend makes one thing clear: more education generally means more money.