AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Lone Star State ranks among some of the lowest states in the U.S. when it comes to how many residents receive higher levels of education, a new study says.
In a study released Monday, WalletHub examined several factors that contribute to a well-educated population.
There were 18 total metrics to assemble the rankings, including educational attainment, school quality, amount of adults aged 25 and older with at least a high school diploma, to average university quality.
So where does Texas rank among the 50 states?
While coming in overall at No. 39, Texas ranks 43rd in educational attainment. When it comes to quality of education, however, Texas is near the top, ranking at No. 15.
As for the rest of the list, Massachusetts ranks as the No. 1 most-educated state with Maryland, Colorado, Vermont and Connecticut rounding out the top five. The least-educated states, according to the study, are Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, and, finally, Mississippi in last place.
In a similar July 2019 study, WalletHub ranked the Most Educated Cities in the U.S., with Austin coming in as the Texas’ most-educated city and the No. 9 city nationwide. The other Texas cities on the list were Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington at No. 71 nationwide, Houston-the Woodlands-Sugar Land at No. 90 nationwide, and San Antonio-New Braunfels at No. 106 nationwide.
The most educated city nationwide was Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that unemployment rates widely range based on levels of education. According to its current population survey, the unemployment rate for those with a high school diploma are 4.1%, while the percentages for degree holders are 2.8% for Associate’s degrees, 2.2% for Bachelor’s degrees, 2.1% for Master’s degrees, and 1.6% for Doctoral degrees.
Meanwhile average weekly earnings based on education range from $730 for high school diploma holders to $1,198-$1,825 for those with degrees.
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