Most Educated States by Bachelor's Degree Rate

Nationally, 35.7% of American adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher — but the state-level range is wide. Massachusetts leads all states at 47.3%, roughly double the rate in West Virginia (24.1%). This page ranks every state by educational attainment.

Top 10 by Bachelor's Degree Rate

64.3%

47.3%

45.7%

43.8%

43.6%

43.5%

42.5%

42.2%

40.6%

40.2%

Education and income track each other more tightly than almost any two measures on this site. The five most educated states average a median household income of $97,573, versus $60,262 for the five least educated — and the leaders, Massachusetts and Colorado, both also rank near the top of the richest states. The District of Columbia, included in the table for comparison, outpaces every state at 64.3%.

The pattern holds at the local level, only more sharply: college graduates concentrate in metro areas, so the gap between the most educated cities and their state averages is often larger than any gap between states. States with older industrial economies and rural states dominate the bottom of the ranking, though several of them post above-average rates of associate degrees and skilled-trade credentials that a bachelor's-degree measure does not capture.

Full Rankings

#	State	Bachelor's+	Graduate Degree	Median Income	Poverty
1	District of Columbia	64.3%	38.0%	$109,870	15.4%
2	Massachusetts	47.3%	21.8%	$103,960	10.0%
3	Colorado	45.7%	17.6%	$95,470	9.4%
4	Vermont	43.8%	18.6%	$81,203	10.1%
5	New Jersey	43.6%	17.5%	$103,556	9.7%
6	Maryland	43.5%	20.8%	$103,678	9.4%
7	Connecticut	42.5%	19.2%	$95,781	10.0%
8	Virginia	42.2%	18.5%	$93,170	9.9%
9	New Hampshire	40.6%	16.2%	$99,031	7.2%
10	New York	40.2%	17.9%	$85,974	14.0%
11	Washington	39.6%	15.6%	$98,141	9.9%
12	Minnesota	39.4%	13.8%	$89,062	9.3%
13	Illinois	37.9%	15.3%	$83,390	11.8%
14	Rhode Island	37.7%	15.4%	$87,796	11.2%
15	Utah	37.7%	13.0%	$95,166	8.5%
16	California	37.1%	14.4%	$99,122	12.0%
17	Oregon	36.8%	14.1%	$83,011	11.9%
18	Maine	36.2%	13.7%	$74,733	10.8%
19	Hawaii	36.1%	13.3%	$100,389	10.0%
20	Delaware	35.8%	15.3%	$84,954	10.4%
21	North Carolina	35.6%	13.5%	$72,388	13.0%
22	Kansas	35.6%	13.4%	$74,275	11.3%
23	Pennsylvania	35.2%	14.3%	$77,971	11.7%
24	Montana	35.2%	12.0%	$72,509	11.5%
25	Georgia	34.9%	13.9%	$77,353	13.4%
26	Nebraska	34.6%	12.3%	$76,475	10.6%
27	Florida	34.2%	12.9%	$74,568	12.6%
28	Texas	33.8%	12.3%	$78,476	13.8%
29	Wisconsin	33.4%	11.4%	$77,485	10.5%
30	Arizona	33.3%	13.0%	$79,964	12.5%
31	North Dakota	32.7%	9.7%	$76,657	10.8%
32	Michigan	32.5%	12.7%	$72,875	13.2%
33	Missouri	32.4%	12.6%	$70,702	12.6%
34	South Carolina	32.1%	12.3%	$69,324	14.1%
35	South Dakota	31.9%	10.0%	$75,081	11.9%
36	Idaho	31.8%	10.5%	$77,800	10.6%
37	Alaska	31.7%	11.8%	$92,788	10.1%
38	Ohio	31.5%	12.2%	$71,389	13.3%
39	Iowa	31.4%	10.5%	$75,059	11.1%
40	Tennessee	31.1%	11.7%	$69,595	13.8%
41	New Mexico	31.0%	13.9%	$64,059	17.8%
42	Wyoming	30.6%	11.5%	$76,176	10.5%
43	Indiana	29.5%	10.8%	$71,957	12.3%
44	Alabama	28.4%	11.1%	$63,999	15.6%
45	Oklahoma	28.3%	9.9%	$65,039	15.3%
46	Nevada	27.9%	9.8%	$78,260	12.4%
47	Kentucky	27.6%	11.3%	$63,726	16.1%
48	Louisiana	27.0%	10.1%	$60,756	18.9%
49	Arkansas	25.7%	9.5%	$60,773	16.0%
50	Mississippi	25.1%	9.9%	$56,447	18.9%
51	West Virginia	24.1%	9.7%	$59,608	16.7%

The District of Columbia is included for comparison, although it is not a state.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates.

About This Ranking

All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, the Bureau's most reliable dataset for state and local statistics. Because estimates pool five years of survey responses, they describe a recent period rather than a single moment, and small differences between closely ranked entries may fall within the survey's margin of error. Learn more about the data on our methodology page or at data.census.gov.

More National Rankings

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most educated state in the US?

Massachusetts is the most educated state, with 47.3% of adults 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher. The District of Columbia is higher still at 64.3%, but it is a city-sized federal district rather than a state.

What share of Americans have a college degree?

35.7% of US adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 14.1% hold a graduate or professional degree.

Which state has the fewest college graduates?

West Virginia has the lowest share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher at 24.1%.