Maryland ranks as the second most educated state in the country, according to a new study released by WalletHub. This is the third year in a row that WalletHub ranked Maryland number two.
Key factors of a well-educated population include the highest level of education achieved (educational attainment), quality of schools, and achievement gaps between genders and races.
Generally, the level of education one completes, the higher their income potential and the lower their chances of unemployment. The Brookings Institution reports that a “person’s educational attainment is one of the most important determinants of his or her life chances in terms of employment, income, health status, housing, and many other amenities.”
Analysts say the data ranges from a percentage of adults ages 25 and older with at least a high school diploma, average university quality, and the gender and racial gap in educational attainment.
Maryland also ranks second in highest percentage of graduate or professional degrees and first for quality of education.
The other top ten states: Massachusetts (#1), Connecticut (#3), Colorado (#4), Vermont (#5), New Jersey (#6), Virginia (#7), New Hampshire (#8), Minnesota (#9), and Washington (#10).
Data used by WalletHub to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. News & World Report, Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, National Summer Learning Association, The Campaign for Free College Tuition, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, U.S. Department of Education, The College Board and WalletHub research.
For more information on WalletHub’s study, click here.
