• Educational attainment varied across the US and across educational levels.
• While some states prioritize advanced degrees, others have a higher share of associate degrees.
• Massachusetts had the highest share of adults with bachelor's degrees or higher in 2026.

Access to higher education varies widely across the US.

Some states and cities have an abundance of prestigious schools and universities, while others rely on a smaller number of large public institutions to educate their populations.

The importance given to a college degree also varies by state, region, and individual career path.

For some, graduate degrees are a symbol of success and a gateway to high-earning careers. Others may prioritize technical education or trades programs, especially in places where local labor demand is less centered on fields that require advanced academic credentials.

Business Insider analyzed the latest US Census Bureau data on the percentage of adults 25 and older in all 50 states who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher. We used that measure to rank the states by educational attainment for this list.

Associate degrees were not included in each state's ranking, but Business Insider also reviewed those figures to highlight where two-year credentials are more common, helping show how residents in different states may prioritize different levels of education.

In some cases, states with low shares of bachelor's and graduate degree holders have higher rates of adults with associate degrees. The trend is also evident in the inverse: Some of the most educated states, in terms of bachelor's degrees or higher, also have some of the lowest rates of associate degree attainment.

Here's every state, ranked from the lowest share of adults with at least a bachelor's degree to the highest. See how the states compare.

50. West Virginia

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 24.4%

West Virginia ranks last in bachelor's attainment, and its 9.6% share of adults aged 25 and older with graduate or professional degrees is also the lowest among states.

Additionally, 8.4% of adults 25 and older in the state hold an associate degree, ranking 14th-lowest among states.

49. Mississippi

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 27.0%

Although Mississippi ranks as the second-lowest US state for educational attainment at the bachelor's degree or higher level, it also has the fifth-highest share of adults 25 and older with an associate degree, at 11.8%.

48. Arkansas

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 27.1%

Arkansas also has the second-lowest graduate or professional-degree share among states, at 10.0%.

47. Louisiana

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 27.8%

Louisiana has some of the lowest educational attainment rates for both associate degrees and graduate and professional degrees, with 7.4% and 10.5% of adults 25 and older holding those degrees, respectively.

46. Kentucky

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 27.9%

Kentucky ranks the 12th-lowest state for adults aged 25 and over with graduate or professional degrees, while it ranks near the middle for attainment of associate degrees.

45. Nevada

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 28.5%

In Nevada, 10.1% of adults aged 25 and older in the state hold a graduate or professional degree, the third-lowest rate in the nation.

44. Oklahoma

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 29.3%

Oklahoma ranks among the lowest states across degree categories, ranking 11th lowest for associate degree attainment and 4th lowest for graduate or professional degree attainment among adults 25 and over.

43. Alabama

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 29.9%

Alabama ranks as the 18th-highest state for attainment of associate degrees, with 9.7% of adults having associate degrees, which is higher than the US average.

42. Indiana

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 30.7%

While Indiana has the 9th-lowest share of adults with bachelor's or graduate degrees, it also ranks above the US average in attainment of associate degrees.

41. New Mexico

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 31.8%

Along with a 31.8% share of bachelor's-or-higher degree holders in the state, New Mexico ranks below the US average for both associate and graduate or professional degree attainment among adults 25 or older.

40. Iowa

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 32.1%

Iowa has low attainment for bachelor's and graduate or professional degrees — ranking eighth-lowest among US states — but a high rate of adults with associate degrees, the third-highest in the nation.

39. Wyoming

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 32.3%

Wyoming ranks among the lowest states for educational attainment in bachelor's and graduate degrees, but the state ranks eighth-highest in associate degree attainment.

37. (tie) Ohio

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 32.4%

While Ohio's educational attainment for graduate and professional degrees ranks near the bottom, its attainment of associate degrees is higher than the US average.

37. (tie) Tennessee

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 32.4%

Tennessee ranks among the lowest 15 states for attainment of both graduate and associate degrees.

36. Alaska

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 32.8%

Alaska ranks in the top half of US states for attainment of associate degrees despite low attainment in higher education levels.

35. Idaho

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 33.0%

Idaho has a gap in educational attainment across higher education levels, ranking in the bottom 10 states for graduate and professional degrees but 15th-highest for attainment of associate degrees.

33. (tie) South Carolina

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 33.3%

Ranking ninth-highest among states, in South Carolina, 10.4% of adults 25 and older hold an associate degree.

33. (tie) Michigan

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 33.3%

Michigan ranks slightly above the US average in associate degree attainment, with 9.9% of adults holding an associate degree.

32. Missouri

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 33.5%

Missouri is below the US average on both associate degrees and graduate and professional degrees.

31. North Dakota

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 34.0%

North Dakota has the highest share of adults 25 and older with an associate degree among US states at 14.2%, although relatively low educational attainment for bachelor's degrees or higher.

30. South Dakota

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 34.2%

South Dakota ranks ninth-lowest among US states for graduate degree attainment, but it has the second-highest share of adults with an associate degree in the US.

29. Wisconsin

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 34.6%

Wisconsin also leans associate-heavy in its educational attainment, with 11.6% of adults 25 and older having an associate degree, ranking sixth-highest among states.

28. Arizona

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 34.7%

Arizona ranks slightly higher than the US average for associate degree attainment but slightly below the average for graduate and professional degrees.

27. Texas

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 35.2%

Texas has one of the lowest associate-degree shares among states, at 7.6%, and its graduate or professional-degree share is also below the US average.

26. Nebraska

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 35.4%

Despite having below-average graduate or professional degree attainment, Nebraska's associate degree share is relatively high at 11.3%, ranking seventh-highest among states.

25. Florida

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 35.8%

Florida's 10.2% associate degree share ranks in the top 10 among states, while its graduate/professional-degree share ranks slightly below the US average.

23. (tie) Delaware

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 36.0%

Delaware ranks 12th-highest in graduate and professional degrees, with 16.0% of adults 25 and older holding one.

23. (tie) Kansas

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 36.0%

Kansas has above-average educational attainment in associate degrees, with 9.6% of adults aged 25 and older having one.

21. (tie) Montana

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 36.3%

Montana has relatively high educational achievement for associate and bachelor's degrees, but it ranks as the 14th-lowest state for educational attainment of graduate or professional degrees, with 12% of adults being advanced-degree holders.

21. (tie) Georgia

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 36.3%

Georgia ranks 15th lowest in its share of adults with associate degrees, but shows a strong commitment to higher education, ranking above the US average for graduate and professional degree attainment and placing 17th-highest nationwide.

20. Pennsylvania

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 36.4%

Pennsylvania, which ranks slightly below the US average for associate degree attainment, also shows high shares of adults with graduate and professional degrees, ranking 14th-highest nationwide.

18. (tie) Maine

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 37.1%

Ranking in the top 20 nationwide for bachelor's degrees and higher education, Maine also ranks high in associate degree attainment, placing 11th-highest nationwide.

18. (tie) North Carolina

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 37.1%

Ranking 12th highest for associate degree attainment, North Carolina pairs a high bachelor's-and-higher attainment rate with a similar emphasis on two-year degrees.

16. (tie) Oregon

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 37.8%

Oregon's high national ranking is largely driven by its bachelor's and advanced degree attainment, rather than associate degrees, in which it ranks below the national average. It ranks 15th-highest among all states for graduate and professional degree attainment.

16. (tie) Hawaii

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 37.8%

Hawaii ranked 13th highest in associate degree attainment, but ranked below the US average in graduate and professional degree attainment.

15. California

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 38.1%

Like other states in the top spots for attainment of bachelor's degrees and higher, California pairs its high achievement in advanced degrees with a lower emphasis on associate-degree attainment, ranking 7th-lowest in the country.

14. Rhode Island

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 39.0%

With over a third of its population aged 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher, Rhode Island ranked 11th in graduate and professional degree attainment, while ranking low in associate degree attainment.

13. Utah

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 39.1%

Utah has some of the highest educational attainment levels in the nation, ranking 13th for its bachelor's-and-higher share and 17th for its associate degree attainment.

12. Illinois

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 39.2%

Illinois ranks 13th-highest in its attainment of graduate and professional degrees in adults aged 25 and older. The state ranks 16th-lowest for associate degree attainment.

11. Minnesota

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 40.0%

Despite falling slightly below the US average for its share of adults aged 25 and older holding graduate or professional degrees, Minnesota ranks fourth-highest in the nation for associate degree attainment, with 12% of adults in the state holding an associate degree, and 40% holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

10. Washington

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 41.0%

Washington ranked above average in educational attainment across all levels. It also ranked ninth-highest in the nation for its share of adults aged 25 and older with a graduate or professional degree.

9. New York

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 41.2%

New York ranked among the most educated states in the nation, largely helped by its share of graduate- and professional-degree holders, which ranked 7th-highest nationwide.

8. New Hampshire

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 41.5%

New Hampshire ranked in the top 10 for both bachelor's-or-higher attainment and graduate/professional-degree attainment, while also ranking 18th-highest for associate degrees.

7. Connecticut

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 42.6%

Connecticut has the third-highest share of adults aged 25 and over with a graduate or professional degree, at 19.3%, which is a major factor in its high nationwide ranking. In terms of associate degrees, the state ranks sixth-lowest nationwide.

6. Virginia

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 43.3%

Virginia's 19.2% share of adults 25 and over with a graduate or professional degree ranks fourth-highest among states, while its share of adults with an associate degree is among the lowest in the nation.

5. New Jersey

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 44.5%

New Jersey ranks among the top 10 for graduate and professional degree attainment, while also tying for the lowest share of adults aged 25 and over with an associate degree.

4. Maryland

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 44.7%

Maryland has the second-highest share of adults aged 25 and over with a graduate or professional degree, at 21.5%. It is also tied for the lowest associate-degree share.

3. Vermont

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 45.1%

With over 19% of its adult population holding graduate or professional degrees, Vermont ranks fifth-highest in graduate degree attainment and third nationwide for bachelor's degrees and higher.

2. Colorado

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 47.8%

Colorado ranks second nationwide in bachelor's-or-higher attainment and sixth in the share of adults aged 25 and over with a graduate or professional degree.

1. Massachusetts

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher: 48.3%

With nearly half of its adult population holding a bachelor's degree or higher, Massachusetts ranked as the most educated state in the US by educational attainment.

The state also has the highest share of graduate-degree holders, at 22.6%.

Read the original article on Business Insider