The 5 most educated states in America — and the 5 least educated

For many people, education helps put them on the path to success. And in some states, that path is easier to find.

WalletHub set out to find the most and least educated states, trying to understand where Americans have the easiest access to the best education.

It looked at data from all 50 states across two key dimensions: educational attainment and quality of education. Beyond graduation rates, it considered factors like quality of school systems, blue ribbon schools per capita, quality of universities, states with summer learning opportunities, and gaps in attainment across race and gender lines.

“There’s a strong correlation between being more educated and receiving higher compensation,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “The most educated states provide high-quality educational experiences from elementary school all the way to graduate programs, which helps parents raise children in an environment that gives them as many opportunities as possible.”

“The top states also provide equitable schooling conditions, with low racial and gender gaps in educational attainment,” Lupo added.

Continue reading to see which states were ranked the five best — and which were ranked the five worst.