EDUCATION

Virginia is the 4th Most Educated State in the U.S., According to Recent Study

The Most and Least Educated States Report breaks down the rankings and metrics

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 Most and Least Educated States report is an in-depth analysis to identify the most educated states in the country. The study offers a holistic view of Virginia's educational attainment and identifies where individuals excel at the most diverse levels of learning.

The results of the study, now in its second edition, show that Virginia has moved up one position compared to the previous year, ranking #4 overall.

KEY FINDINGS:

  • Virginia has the second-highest financial literacy score among high school students;
  • It has the seventh-highest rate of undergraduates graduating within six years;
  • The state fell 7 places in terms of the proportion of doctoral graduates and now ranks #12 in this indicator.

Most and Least Educated States: Virginia Category Breakdown
(In descendent order, with #1 considered the Best and #50 the Worst)

#12 Educational Attainment
#4 School Quality

A Look Nationally

Recognizing the significance of education is crucial, not only for creating additional opportunities and securing a comfortable future but also for fostering a robust and prosperous economy. In the United States, individuals with university degrees generally earn approximately $26,000 more annually than those who have only completed high school.

Scholaroo’s data team embarked on a quest to identify the states with the highest levels of education in the country. Their analysis focused on two key elements: the number of individuals who successfully completed their studies and the quality of educational institutions. Additional details were examined to provide a comprehensive overview.

Also read: States with Best & Worst Public School Systems

This report unveils compelling insights into the states boasting the most educated populace and the top-notch educational institutions. Consider it a guide to pinpoint regions where individuals excel in reading and learning. To get started, simply interact with the map provided below!

Rankings of Most & Least Educated States

Category Breakdown

Methodology

In order to determine the most and least educated states in America, Scholaroo compared the 50 states across two key dimensions:

  1. Educational Attainment
  2. School Quality

We evaluated those dimensions using 19 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weight. Each metric was graded on a 100 point scale, with a score of 100 being the max.

Finally, we determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.


Educational Attainment (50 points)

Share of Apprenticeships: Regular Weight (7.69 points)

Note: This metric measures the number of apprenticeships per 100k people.

Share of Partial College Experience: Half Weight (3.85 points)

Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults with partial college experience.

Share of Master Program Graduates: Double Weight (15.38 points)

Note: This metric measures the percentage of the population of adults with a Master’s Degree.

Share of Doctoral Program Graduates: Double Weight (15.38 points)

Note: This metric measures the percentage of the population of adults with a Doctoral or Professional Degree.

Literacy Rate: Half Weight (3.85 points)

Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults who scored a Level 3 or more in the U.S. PIAAC Literacy Proficiency. Adults at this level can understand, interpret, and synthesize information across multiple, complex texts.

Numeracy Rate: Half Weight (3.85 points)

Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults who scored a Level 3 or more in the U.S. PIAAC Numeracy Proficiency. Adults at this level can be considered proficient at working with mathematical information and ideas.

School Quality (50 points)

Best & Worst School Systems: Double Weight (8.33 points)

Note: This metric is based on Scholaroo’s Student Success Ranking.

Share of Top Universities per State: Half Weight (2.08 points)

Note: This metric measures the percentage of presence of Colleges/Universities in the top 500 America’s Top Colleges List by Forbes.

High School Graduation Rate: Regular Weight (4.17 points)

Note: This metric measures the rate of High School graduation.

College Graduation Rate: Regular Weight (4.17 points)

Note: This metric measures the rate of undergrads who graduated within 6 years.

College-Going Rates: Regular Weight (4.17 points)

Note: This metric measures the percentage of High School graduates going directly to College.

Number of Colleges/Universities: Half Weight (2.08 points)

Note: This metric measures the number of Colleges/Universities per 100k adults.

SAT Scores: Double Weight (15.38 points)

Note: This metric measures the average SAT score of High School Seniors.

ACT Scores: Double Weight (15.38 points)

Note: This metric measures the average ACT score of High School Seniors.

AP Exam Scores: Regular Weight (4.17 points)

Note: This metric measures the percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher on an AP exam.

High-School Financial Literacy Grade: Half Weight (2.08 points)

Note: This metric represents the Financial Literacy score of High School students.

Health Literacy: Half Weight (2.08 points)

Note: This metric represents the median in the Health IQ Score.

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