These states rank as the best places for education in 2026, data suggests

White House Education Secretary on future of education

White House Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, joined the White House Press briefing to discuss the future of education.

For millions of Americans, a quality education is a pathway to a better future. 

However, not all states offer the same quality of education. 

In new data, WalletHub evaluated all 50 states using 18 metrics that capture the key components of a well-educated population, including educational attainment, school quality, and disparities in achievement across gender and race, in order to determine the most and least educated states in the U.S.

Massachusetts is most educated state

By the numbers:

Massachusetts, known for its top colleges like MIT and Harvard, ranked as the most educated state in America. The state had the highest percentage of adults ages 25 and older with at least a Bachelor’s degree, at over 47%, and the highest share who had a graduate or professional degree, at nearly 22%.

The Bay State also ranked second in the country when it came to the average quality of its universities. Massachusetts also had the second-best public school system in the country, and students boasted the highest math and reading test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

FILE: Students inside college classroom (Credit: Durand T/Alpaca/Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Finally, Massachusetts is one of the states that provides state-sponsored free college tuition programs, though eligibility is limited by factors such as income, merit, location or field of study.

Massachusetts was followed by Vermont and Maryland. 

In contrast, the least educated states included West Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Nevada. 

What they're saying:

"There’s a strong correlation between being more educated and receiving higher compensation," Chip Lupo, an analyst for WalletHub, said in a statement. "The most educated states provide high-quality educational experiences from elementary school all the way to graduate programs, which helps parents raise children in an environment that gives them as many opportunities as possible. The top states also provide equitable schooling conditions, with low racial and gender gaps in educational attainment."

Most educated states in US

1. Massachusetts
2. Vermont
3. Maryland
4. Connecticut
5. Colorado
6. New Jersey
7. Virginia
8. New Hampshire
9. Minnesota
10. Washington

See the full report here.

Most, least educated cities

Dig deeper:

WalletHub also conducted a separate analysis ranking the most and least educated cities in the United States.

RELATED: California, Texas are home to America's least-educated cities: See the 2025 list

Multiple cities in Texas and California were ranked in the top 20 of least educated cities, including Visalia, California, Bakersfield, California, Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas, and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas.