COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina has one of the least educated populations among the 50 states, a recent WalletHub study discovered.
At number 44, South Carolina is listed as having a "low education level and Low Income.
South Carolina is ahead of only Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia and Mississippi (with Mississippi in last place). Massachusetts is ranked number one, followed by Maryland, Colorado, Vermont and Connecticut.
WalletHub says the rankings were calculated from 18 metrics among three categories: educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps.
The study measured adults with high school diplomas, college experience, bachelors degrees and professional degrees. It also accounted for school system qualities, Blue Ribbon Schools per capita, average quality of universities, enrolled students in top universities per capita, public high school graduation rates, projected high school graduation rates, test scores, advanced placement exam scores, school engagement of students, summer learning legislation, voucher programs, availability of community college, and racial and gender gaps in educational attainment.
Researchers gathered the data from a variety of sources, including the US Census Bureau, the National Center for Education Statistics and the US News & World Report.
You can check out the full list of rankings below.
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Colorado
- Vermont
- Connecticut
- Virginia
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Minnesota
- Utah
- Illinois
- New York
- Oregon
- Hawaii
- Wyoming
- Delaware
- Maine
- Montana
- North Dakota
- Wisconsin
- Rhode Island
- Nebraska
- Kansas
- California
- Alaska
- Florida
- Michigan
- Iowa
- Pennsylvania
- North Carolina
- Missouri
- Ohio
- Georgia
- South Dakota
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Arizona
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- South Carolina
- Kentucky
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
- West Virginia
- Mississippi