Though contrarian millionaires may tell you otherwise, education is still the best way to increase your earning potential, decrease your chances of unemployment and meet your career goals.
The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce calculates that a bachelor's degree is worth $2.8 million over a lifetime and researchers at the London School of Economics have found that going to college can even increase your life expectancy by a decade.
However, education levels still vary significantly across the U.S. WalletHub compared all 50 states across 15 different metrics in order to calculate which were the most and least educated states in the country. They considered statistics about the educational attainment of adults over the age of 24, the quality of local education and the racial and gender education gaps.
Check out the 10 most educated states in the country:
10. New Jersey
Total score: 64.60
9. Washington
Total score: 64.86
8. Minnesota
Total score: 66.28
7. New Hampshire
Total score: 68.28
6. Virginia
Total score: 69.37
5. Colorado
Total score: 70.17
4. Vermont
Total score: 71.14
3. Connecticut
Total score: 71.90
2. Maryland
Total score: 76.54
1. Massachusetts
Total score: 81.92
Check out the 10 least educated states in the country
41. New Mexico
Total score: 36.11
42. Oklahoma
Total score: 35.58
43. Tennessee
Total score: 35.52
44. Nevada
Total score: 32.84
45. Kentucky
Total score: 31.80
46. Alabama
Total score: 31.33
47. Arkansas
Total score: 27.18
48. Louisiana
Total score: 22.96
49. West Virginia
Total score: 21.71
50. Mississippi
Total score: 21.06
Massachusetts topped WalletHub's list of most educated states. The state is home of prestigious schools like Harvard University, MIT and Wellesley College and boasts the highest percentage of bachelor's degree holders, the highest percentage of graduate degree holders and was found to have the highest average university quality.
Mississippi, West Virginia and Louisiana were ranked last on WalletHub's list. All three of these states were in the bottom five states for bachelor's degrees and graduate degrees.
Cinda Klickna, President of the Illinois Education Association says that educational attainment can have a huge impact on local communities. "Education attainment drives a strong economy," she says. "Every community can attract and retain quality workers, build an economic engine and increase productivity, but these all rely on a strong focus on education."
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