Each year, around 50 million young Americans attend public elementary and secondary schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, making the country's educational system one of the farthest-reaching and most impactful government services. That said, enrollment has recently seen a slight decline—roughly 49.5 million students enrolled in pre-K through 12th grade in the fall of 2023, a 0.2% decrease from the year before.
These numbers may drop even further in the coming years. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has been vocal about his plans to dismantle the Department of Education, which provides additional funding and oversight of all forms of education across the 50 states. In March 2025, Trump signed an executive order directing the closure of the department, though fully eliminating it requires Congressional approval.
In November 2025, the administration announced six interagency agreements to transfer key Education Department functions to the Departments of Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services, and State — a significant step toward restructuring federal education oversight. Though it remains to be seen whether Trump can actually eliminate the department altogether, the potential effects could be devastating for marginalized students—those who are low-income, LGBTQ+, or of color.
Because education is handled at the state level—from curricula and budgets to graduation requirements—a standard American education is somewhat hard to define. Formal academic education is one way children and young adults obtain the information needed to seek individual enrichment. Moreover, the social interaction inherent in public educational settings helps young people develop the traits and skills needed to thrive in diverse social environments.
To what extent education influences a person's ability to achieve a satisfactory level of well-being has been a constant discussion among psychologists, sociologists, educators, and philosophers ever since the time of Socrates; however, there is greater consensus about how education affects living conditions. Education has a causal relationship with income, housing, public policy, lifestyle, and health care. According to April 2025 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median weekly earnings for someone with a bachelor's degree or higher reached $1,754 in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the median weekly earnings of $743 for those without a high school diploma. Meanwhile, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Summer 2025 Salary Survey, new college graduates from the Class of 2024 earned an average starting salary of $65,677, a 2.2% increase over the Class of 2023's average of $64,291.
To help understand exactly how these numbers play out across the U.S., Stacker used data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, released in 2022, to determine areas with the highest educational attainment. This index evaluates each state's population across seven educational tiers, ranging from those uneducated past eighth grade to those with graduate or professional degrees. States are ranked by the percentage of the population with a graduate degree. Ties are broken by the percentage with a bachelor's degree or higher.
How does your state stack up? Read on to discover which states are the most educated in the U.S.
You may also like: How much do travel nurses make?
Terri Butler Photography // Shutterstock
1 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 14.1%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.6%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 28.0%
- Some college, no degree: 11.9%
- Associate's degree: 11.0%
- Bachelor's degree: 19.6%
- Graduate or professional degree: 7.8%
Canva
2 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.8%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 8.1%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 40.1%
- Some college, no degree: 18.5%
- Associate's degree: 7.7%
- Bachelor's degree: 13.0%
- Graduate or professional degree: 8.8%
Eduardo Medrano // Shutterstock
3 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.6%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.7%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 34.1%
- Some college, no degree: 21.7%
- Associate's degree: 7.7%
- Bachelor's degree: 15.5%
- Graduate or professional degree: 8.8%
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
4 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.6%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.1%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 26.1%
- Some college, no degree: 22.0%
- Associate's degree: 14.1%
- Bachelor's degree: 22.2%
- Graduate or professional degree: 8.9%
Canva
5 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.7%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 9.7%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 29.8%
- Some college, no degree: 22.1%
- Associate's degree: 10.5%
- Bachelor's degree: 14.2%
- Graduate or professional degree: 9.0%
You may also like: Worst jobs in America
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
6 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 5.3%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.6%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 27.8%
- Some college, no degree: 24.6%
- Associate's degree: 8.6%
- Bachelor's degree: 17.0%
- Graduate or professional degree: 9.1%
Canva
7 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.6%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 9.2%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 33.1%
- Some college, no degree: 20.9%
- Associate's degree: 6.7%
- Bachelor's degree: 16.3%
- Graduate or professional degree: 9.2%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
8 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.8%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.4%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 30.8%
- Some college, no degree: 22.9%
- Associate's degree: 8.2%
- Bachelor's degree: 17.5%
- Graduate or professional degree: 9.3%
Steven Frame // Shutterstock
9 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.7%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.8%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 30.1%
- Some college, no degree: 20.7%
- Associate's degree: 11.8%
- Bachelor's degree: 20.6%
- Graduate or professional degree: 9.4%
Charles Knowles // Shutterstock
10 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.2%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 5.6%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 26.5%
- Some college, no degree: 25.6%
- Associate's degree: 9.9%
- Bachelor's degree: 19.5%
- Graduate or professional degree: 9.6%
You may also like: Fastest-growing jobs in education
Grindstone Media Group // Shutterstock
11 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.8%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.4%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 30.6%
- Some college, no degree: 20.5%
- Associate's degree: 12.0%
- Bachelor's degree: 20.0%
- Graduate or professional degree: 9.7%
KYPhua // Shutterstock
12 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.5%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 6.7%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 33.0%
- Some college, no degree: 19.9%
- Associate's degree: 9.0%
- Bachelor's degree: 17.7%
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.1%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
13 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.8%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 8.8%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 30.5%
- Some college, no degree: 21.3%
- Associate's degree: 8.9%
- Bachelor's degree: 16.5%
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.2%
f11photo // Shutterstock
14 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.8%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.6%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 32.8%
- Some college, no degree: 20.6%
- Associate's degree: 8.6%
- Bachelor's degree: 15.1%
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.6%
Canva
15 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 1.8%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.5%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 28.4%
- Some college, no degree: 25.2%
- Associate's degree: 11.6%
- Bachelor's degree: 17.9%
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.6%
You may also like: The 50 highest-earning 2-year degrees
CrackerClips Stock Media // Shutterstock
16 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.0%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.2%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 31.6%
- Some college, no degree: 20.6%
- Associate's degree: 7.6%
- Bachelor's degree: 18.2%
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.8%
Tony Savino // Shutterstock
17 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.4%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.7%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 30.0%
- Some college, no degree: 20.2%
- Associate's degree: 11.2%
- Bachelor's degree: 20.7%
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.8%
jdross75 // Shutterstock
18 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.5%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.7%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 28.7%
- Some college, no degree: 20.2%
- Associate's degree: 10.0%
- Bachelor's degree: 18.6%
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.2%
kintermedia // Shutterstock
19 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 7.6%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.5%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 24.5%
- Some college, no degree: 21.2%
- Associate's degree: 7.5%
- Bachelor's degree: 20.4%
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.2%
photo.ua // Shutterstock
20 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.7%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 6.2%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 32.6%
- Some college, no degree: 20.0%
- Associate's degree: 8.8%
- Bachelor's degree: 18.4%
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.3%
You may also like: What a difference a dollar makes: These are the metros where your paycheck stretches the furthest
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
21 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 1.6%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.1%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 27.8%
- Some college, no degree: 23.4%
- Associate's degree: 9.5%
- Bachelor's degree: 22.3%
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.3%
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
22 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.8%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.5%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 25.6%
- Some college, no degree: 22.5%
- Associate's degree: 10.7%
- Bachelor's degree: 21.5%
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.4%
mffoto // Shutterstock
23 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.3%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.5%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 28.5%
- Some college, no degree: 25.6%
- Associate's degree: 8.6%
- Bachelor's degree: 19.1%
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.5%
pisaphotography // Shutterstock
24 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.4%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 6.6%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 27.9%
- Some college, no degree: 19.5%
- Associate's degree: 10.1%
- Bachelor's degree: 19.8%
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.7%
Joe Hendrickson // Shutterstock
25 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.8%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 6.3%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 30.5%
- Some college, no degree: 21.6%
- Associate's degree: 8.2%
- Bachelor's degree: 18.9%
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.8%
You may also like: Which states have the most (and best-paid) federal employees?
antsdrone // Shutterstock
26 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.9%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 6.8%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 23.5%
- Some college, no degree: 24.6%
- Associate's degree: 9.0%
- Bachelor's degree: 19.3%
- Graduate or professional degree: 11.9%
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
27 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.6%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 5.8%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 28.5%
- Some college, no degree: 22.8%
- Associate's degree: 9.7%
- Bachelor's degree: 18.6%
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.0%
f11photo // Shutterstock
28 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.5%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.4%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 22.7%
- Some college, no degree: 25.1%
- Associate's degree: 9.9%
- Bachelor's degree: 23.5%
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.0%
Derek Olson Photography // Shutterstock
29 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.1%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 6.8%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 25.2%
- Some college, no degree: 20.8%
- Associate's degree: 10.0%
- Bachelor's degree: 20.9%
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.1%
Leigh Trail // Shutterstock
30 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.4%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 3.9%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 26.8%
- Some college, no degree: 20.5%
- Associate's degree: 11.0%
- Bachelor's degree: 22.2%
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.2%
You may also like: Stop confusing busyness with achievement
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
31 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.1%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.2%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 30.9%
- Some college, no degree: 18.9%
- Associate's degree: 10.3%
- Bachelor's degree: 21.0%
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.6%
turtix // Shutterstock
32 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 5.4%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.8%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 26.0%
- Some college, no degree: 23.3%
- Associate's degree: 8.9%
- Bachelor's degree: 15.8%
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.7%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
33 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.4%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.4%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 27.2%
- Some college, no degree: 19.9%
- Associate's degree: 8.2%
- Bachelor's degree: 20.2%
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.8%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
34 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.5%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.9%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 25.7%
- Some college, no degree: 22.7%
- Associate's degree: 8.9%
- Bachelor's degree: 21.6%
- Graduate or professional degree: 12.8%
Canva
35 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.7%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 3.7%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 23.9%
- Some college, no degree: 20.5%
- Associate's degree: 11.6%
- Bachelor's degree: 24.6%
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.0%
You may also like: Fastest-growing jobs that pay over $150k
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
36 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.0%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 5.6%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 33.8%
- Some college, no degree: 15.7%
- Associate's degree: 8.7%
- Bachelor's degree: 19.9%
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.2%
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
37 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.3%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 5.2%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 22.5%
- Some college, no degree: 24.9%
- Associate's degree: 9.1%
- Bachelor's degree: 21.7%
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.3%
Canva
38 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 8.7%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 7.1%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 20.4%
- Some college, no degree: 20.5%
- Associate's degree: 8.0%
- Bachelor's degree: 21.9%
- Graduate or professional degree: 13.4%
Real Window Creative // Shutterstock
39 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.2%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 5.7%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 30.4%
- Some college, no degree: 18.8%
- Associate's degree: 8.2%
- Bachelor's degree: 19.4%
- Graduate or professional degree: 14.2%
kan_khampanya// Shutterstock
40 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.5%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.6%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 21.8%
- Some college, no degree: 22.7%
- Associate's degree: 10.2%
- Bachelor's degree: 23.1%
- Graduate or professional degree: 14.2%
You may also like: To show employee appreciation and build morale in 2025, think beyond free pizza and beer
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
41 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.7%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 6.2%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 27.9%
- Some college, no degree: 17.7%
- Associate's degree: 8.2%
- Bachelor's degree: 20.9%
- Graduate or professional degree: 14.4%
marchello74 // Shutterstock
42 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.6%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 5.6%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 25.4%
- Some college, no degree: 20.1%
- Associate's degree: 8.2%
- Bachelor's degree: 21.8%
- Graduate or professional degree: 14.4%
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
43 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 2.1%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.3%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 27.3%
- Some college, no degree: 17.8%
- Associate's degree: 10.3%
- Bachelor's degree: 23.4%
- Graduate or professional degree: 14.9%
Maciej Bledowski // Shutterstock
44 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.2%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.4%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 20.6%
- Some college, no degree: 20.5%
- Associate's degree: 8.5%
- Bachelor's degree: 26.7%
- Graduate or professional degree: 16.1%
Kamira // Shutterstock
45 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.6%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.9%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 26.4%
- Some college, no degree: 15.9%
- Associate's degree: 6.7%
- Bachelor's degree: 25.1%
- Graduate or professional degree: 16.4%
You may also like: The 25 fastest-growing jobs that pay over $100K
haveseen // Shutterstock
46 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 1.8%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.3%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 28.0%
- Some college, no degree: 16.5%
- Associate's degree: 8.6%
- Bachelor's degree: 24.2%
- Graduate or professional degree: 16.7%
Canva
47 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 6.0%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 6.6%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 25.2%
- Some college, no degree: 15.2%
- Associate's degree: 8.9%
- Bachelor's degree: 21.3%
- Graduate or professional degree: 16.8%
Canva
48 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.7%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 5.5%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 23.8%
- Some college, no degree: 18.7%
- Associate's degree: 7.9%
- Bachelor's degree: 22.8%
- Graduate or professional degree: 17.6%
Laura Stone // Shutterstock
49 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.0%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.9%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 26.1%
- Some college, no degree: 16.6%
- Associate's degree: 7.8%
- Bachelor's degree: 22.3%
- Graduate or professional degree: 18.2%
Real Window Creative // Shutterstock
50 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.8%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 5.4%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 23.9%
- Some college, no degree: 18.4%
- Associate's degree: 6.9%
- Bachelor's degree: 22.0%
- Graduate or professional degree: 19.5%
You may also like: Tech and the city: 2025's best places in the US for women in tech
lunamarina // Shutterstock
51 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 4.2%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.6%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 23.2%
- Some college, no degree: 15.1%
- Associate's degree: 7.7%
- Bachelor's degree: 24.8%
- Graduate or professional degree: 20.4%
Orhan Cam // Shutterstock
52 / 52Highest level of education completed:
- Less than 9th grade: 3.2%
- 9th to 12th grade, no diploma: 4.5%
- High school graduate (includes equivalency): 15.5%
- Some college, no degree: 12.4%
- Associate's degree: 3.0%
- Bachelor's degree: 25.5%
- Graduate or professional degree: 35.9%
