Educational Attainment By State

Last updated September 18, 2024

High School Completion Rate
Top
Last
High School Completion Rate
1.MontanaMontana94.0%
2.WyomingWyoming93.6%
3.VermontVermont93.5%
4.MinnesotaMinnesota93.4%
5.New HampshireNew Hampshire93.3%
6.MaineMaine93.2%
7.AlaskaAlaska93.1%
8.North DakotaNorth Dakota93.1%
9.UtahUtah93.0%
10.WisconsinWisconsin92.6%
11.HawaiiHawaii92.5%
12.IowaIowa92.5%
13.South DakotaSouth Dakota92.2%
14.ColoradoColorado92.1%
15.WashingtonWashington91.7%
16.NebraskaNebraska91.6%
17.KansasKansas91.4%
18.IdahoIdaho91.3%
19.MichiganMichigan91.3%
20.MassachusettsMassachusetts91.1%
21.OregonOregon91.1%
22.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania91.0%
23.ConnecticutConnecticut90.9%
24.OhioOhio90.8%
25.DelawareDelaware90.6%
26.MarylandMaryland90.6%
27.MissouriMissouri90.6%
28.New JerseyNew Jersey90.3%
29.VirginiaVirginia90.3%
30.IllinoisIllinois89.7%
31.IndianaIndiana89.3%
32.Rhode IslandRhode Island89.2%
33.OklahomaOklahoma88.6%
34.FloridaFlorida88.5%
35.North CarolinaNorth Carolina88.5%
36.South CarolinaSouth Carolina88.3%
37.TennesseeTennessee88.2%
38.ArizonaArizona87.9%
39.GeorgiaGeorgia87.9%
40.West VirginiaWest Virginia87.6%
41.ArkansasArkansas87.2%
42.KentuckyKentucky87.2%
43.New YorkNew York87.2%
44.AlabamaAlabama86.9%
45.NevadaNevada86.9%
46.New MexicoNew Mexico86.5%
47.LouisianaLouisiana85.9%
48.MississippiMississippi85.3%
49.TexasTexas84.4%
50.CaliforniaCalifornia83.9%

Decoding Educational Attainment by State

Educational attainment continues to serve as a pivotal driver of development, economic growth, and social dynamism across the globe. Every progressive nation channels considerable efforts towards achieving higher educational standards, with the United States striving tirelessly to elevate its nationwide attainment. According to the Global Partnership for Education, education doesn't just shape individual lives - it is key to combating inequality, promoting gender equality, and bolstering sustainable economic progress. However, the rate of high school completion varies significantly across different states within the US. Diverse socio-economic realities, urban-rural bifurcations, and several individual factors contribute to these discrepancies.

  • The states leading in high school completion are predominantly located in the Northern and Western parts of the country. Montana tops the list with an impressive 94.0% completion rate, immediately followed by Wyoming, Vermont, Minnesota, and New Hampshire, whose completion rates hover above 93%.
  • Interestingly, states in the Southern and Western regions, along with some East Coast states, fare poorly in comparison. The three states with the lowest high school completion rates are Texas (84.4%), California (83.9%), and Mississippi (85.3%).
  • The data also reveals a fairly high median high school completion rate of 90.8%. This suggests that across the board, a significant majority of US states have robust public education systems that successfully shepherd students through high school education.
  • The top ten states hover within a thin margin of only 1% difference in their high school completion rates, indicating a closely contested educational attainment level among these states. Similarly, the bottom ten states also display a tightly packed range, underlining the shared challenges faced by these states.

By Region

Alabama

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Ranked in U.S.

#44

Alaska

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Ranked in U.S.

#7

Arizona

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Ranked in U.S.

#38

Arkansas

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Ranked in U.S.

#41

California

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Ranked in U.S.

#50

Colorado

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Ranked in U.S.

#14

Connecticut

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Ranked in U.S.

#23

Delaware

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Ranked in U.S.

#25

Florida

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Ranked in U.S.

#34

Georgia

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Ranked in U.S.

#39

Hawaii

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Ranked in U.S.

#11

Idaho

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Ranked in U.S.

#18

Illinois

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Ranked in U.S.

#30

Indiana

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Ranked in U.S.

#31

Iowa

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Ranked in U.S.

#12

Kansas

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Ranked in U.S.

#17

Kentucky

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Ranked in U.S.

#42

Louisiana

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Ranked in U.S.

#47

Maine

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Ranked in U.S.

#6

Maryland

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Ranked in U.S.

#26

Massachusetts

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Ranked in U.S.

#20

Michigan

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Ranked in U.S.

#19

Minnesota

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Ranked in U.S.

#4

Mississippi

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Ranked in U.S.

#48

Missouri

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Ranked in U.S.

#27

Montana

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Ranked in U.S.

#1

Nebraska

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Ranked in U.S.

#16

Nevada

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Ranked in U.S.

#45

New Hampshire

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Ranked in U.S.

#5

New Jersey

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Ranked in U.S.

#28

New Mexico

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Ranked in U.S.

#46

New York

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Ranked in U.S.

#43

North Carolina

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Ranked in U.S.

#35

North Dakota

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Ranked in U.S.

#8

Ohio

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Ranked in U.S.

#24

Oklahoma

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Ranked in U.S.

#33

Oregon

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Ranked in U.S.

#21

Pennsylvania

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Ranked in U.S.

#22

Rhode Island

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Ranked in U.S.

#32

South Carolina

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Ranked in U.S.

#36

South Dakota

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Ranked in U.S.

#13

Tennessee

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Ranked in U.S.

#37

Texas

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Ranked in U.S.

#49

Utah

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Ranked in U.S.

#9

Vermont

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Ranked in U.S.

#3

Virginia

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Ranked in U.S.

#29

Washington

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Ranked in U.S.

#15

West Virginia

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Ranked in U.S.

#40

Wisconsin

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Ranked in U.S.

#10

Wyoming

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Ranked in U.S.

#2

Table

Region ↕High School Completion Rate↕
Alabama iconAlabama86.9%
Alaska iconAlaska93.1%
Arizona iconArizona87.9%
Arkansas iconArkansas87.2%
California iconCalifornia83.9%
Colorado iconColorado92.1%
Connecticut iconConnecticut90.9%
Delaware iconDelaware90.6%
Florida iconFlorida88.5%
Georgia iconGeorgia87.9%
Hawaii iconHawaii92.5%
Idaho iconIdaho91.3%
Illinois iconIllinois89.7%
Indiana iconIndiana89.3%
Iowa iconIowa92.5%
Kansas iconKansas91.4%
Kentucky iconKentucky87.2%
Louisiana iconLouisiana85.9%
Maine iconMaine93.2%
Maryland iconMaryland90.6%
Massachusetts iconMassachusetts91.1%
Michigan iconMichigan91.3%
Minnesota iconMinnesota93.4%
Mississippi iconMississippi85.3%
Missouri iconMissouri90.6%
Montana iconMontana94.0%
Nebraska iconNebraska91.6%
Nevada iconNevada86.9%
New Hampshire iconNew Hampshire93.3%
New Jersey iconNew Jersey90.3%
New Mexico iconNew Mexico86.5%
New York iconNew York87.2%
North Carolina iconNorth Carolina88.5%
North Dakota iconNorth Dakota93.1%
Ohio iconOhio90.8%
Oklahoma iconOklahoma88.6%
Oregon iconOregon91.1%
Pennsylvania iconPennsylvania91.0%
Rhode Island iconRhode Island89.2%
South Carolina iconSouth Carolina88.3%
South Dakota iconSouth Dakota92.2%
Tennessee iconTennessee88.2%
Texas iconTexas84.4%
Utah iconUtah93.0%
Vermont iconVermont93.5%
Virginia iconVirginia90.3%
Washington iconWashington91.7%
West Virginia iconWest Virginia87.6%
Wisconsin iconWisconsin92.6%
Wyoming iconWyoming93.6%
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