State rankings

Most Educated U.S. States

Massachusetts has the highest Overall Education Score in 2026 (78.41), followed by Vermont (75.35) and Maryland (74.01). West Virginia has the lowest (24.35).

EducationFacts & Trivia51 states · 8 metricsUpdated Apr 10, 2025Original page
4 sources
50 of 51 states
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Overall Education Score, 2026

Darker green is better (higher is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 50 ranked

Best first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
50.84
Middle half 45.13 – 58.51
Average
50.97
50 states
Highest
78.41
Massachusetts
Lowest
24.35
West Virginia

Biggest changes · 2025 → 2026

50 states have a value in both years.

Improved most

Declined most

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

50 states · # = rank by Overall Education Score
#
1Massachusetts78.411st4th
2Vermont75.353rd9th
3Maryland74.014th3rd
4Connecticut69.837th6th
5Colorado69.722nd38th
6New Jersey68.4510th1st
7Virginia67.56th11th
8New Hampshire67.035th14th
9Minnesota63.888th20th
10Washington63.699th21st
11Utah60.2911th26th
12Maine59.9512th15th
13Rhode Island58.9321st2nd
14Delaware57.2619th8th
15Illinois56.4116th17th
16New York55.3617th24th
17Oregon55.3413th41st
18Montana54.1314th43rd
19Wisconsin53.5924th13th
20Pennsylvania52.9827th12th
21Florida52.8935th5th
22North Carolina52.325th18th
23Hawaii52.1615th47th
24Kansas51.2818th44th
25Nebraska50.9220th39th
26Wyoming50.7523rd37th
27Michigan50.2828th23rd
28North Dakota48.522nd46th
29California48.3138th7th
30Georgia48.0730th25th
31Missouri47.2932nd29th
32Iowa47.0233rd30th
33South Dakota46.9831st32nd
34Arizona46.8729th35th
35Ohio46.8136th19th
36Alaska46.5726th49th
37Idaho46.3934th33rd
38South Carolina44.7137th27th
39Tennessee43.2140th16th
40Indiana42.3642nd10th
41Texas39.9841st22nd
42New Mexico37.0539th50th
43Alabama35.7344th31st
44Kentucky34.7145th28th
45Oklahoma33.8743rd42nd
46Nevada33.0146th36th
47Arkansas29.8447th34th
48Louisiana28.1348th40th
49Mississippi2649th48th
50West Virginia24.3550th45th

What correlates with Overall Education Score (2026)?

Pearson r against 2,085 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Overall Education Score tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Overall Education RankLeast Educated StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.98 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. Smartest / Dumbest States Index (Penn Stakes)Dumbest States in the United States
    r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  3. % of Residents with a College DegreeBest States for Education
    r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Overall ScoreHealthiest States
    r = +0.92 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. Median Income - Three Person HouseholdMedian Household Income by State
    r = +0.89 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Education and Health (WalletHub)Best States to Live InA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.89 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Overall Education Score tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Teen Birth RateTeen Pregnancy Rates by State
    r = −0.85 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. % of Median Income Spent On GroceriesGrocery Prices by State
    r = −0.84 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  3. % Of Population Below Poverty LevelPoverty Rate by State
    r = −0.83 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Lifestyle Habits & Health Outlook ScoreMost Unhealthy States in the U.S.
    r = −0.83 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  5. Obesity Rate 18-39Most Obese States
    r = −0.80 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  6. Pain Reliever Misuse Past MonthDrug Use by State
    r = −0.80 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Overall Education Score?
Massachusetts has the highest Overall Education Score in 2026, at 78.41, followed by Vermont (75.35) and Maryland (74.01).
Which state has the lowest Overall Education Score?
West Virginia has the lowest Overall Education Score in 2026, at 24.35.
What is the median Overall Education Score across US states?
The median is 50.84 across the 50 US states with data in 2026.
Where does this most educated u.s. states data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Educational Attainment - US Census Bureau; Most & Least Educated States in America (2025) - WalletHub; Educational Attainment (Table S1501) - US Census Bureau; Best States Ranking: Education - US News.