Alabama Is 2020’s 5th Least Educated State In U.S.: Report

WASHINGTON, DC — Alabama residents may be tired of hearing it year after year, but the state again has landed near the bottom of a list of the country's most educated states. A recent study by WalletHub showed Alabama among the five least educated states in the U.S.

With BLS data showing a correlation between higher education levels, higher income and lower unemployment rates, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020's Most & Least Educated States in America. Alabama led only Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia and Mississippi on the list.

Massachusetts was listed as the country's most educated state, followed by Maryland, Colorado, Vermont and Connecticut.

In order to determine where the most educated Americans live, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 18 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of adults aged 25 and older with at least a high school diploma to average university quality to gender gap in educational attainment.

Here is how Alabama ranked:

• 44th – % of High-School Diploma Holders
• 44th – % of Associate's Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults
• 44th – % of Bachelor’s Degree Holders
• 40th – % of Graduate- or Professional-Degree Holders
• 34th – Avg. University Quality
• 20th – Racial Gap in Educational Attainment

Read the full report on WalletHub.