New study ranks the most educated states. Here’s how Arizona did

Arizona ranks among the lower half of states for a well-educated population in a new study.

It was also among one of only six states in the country to have a low education ranking in the study but place among the top half of median household income.

The study by personal finance company WalletHub ranked Arizona as the 34th most educated state in the country, above Ohio and Alaska and below South Dakota and Iowa.

MORE: Arizona teachers push ballot measure to end school voucher fraud

“There’s a strong correlation between being more educated and receiving higher compensation,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in a statement.

WalletHub in 2025 placed Arizona’s public education system 48th among U.S. states.

What accounted for Arizona’s score?

Despite scoring in the lower half of states in terms of education, Arizona ranks 20th by median annual household income. Only five other states also rank low in education and high in income: California, Texas, Nevada, Alaska and Idaho.

WalletHub gave Arizona a total score of 47 on a 100-point scale measuring educational attainment and quality of education across 18 metrics. Massachusetts, the state in the highest spot, received a score of 78.

Educational attainment accounted for 60% of a state’s total score. This was determined by measuring the percentage of adults 25 years or older that had a high school diploma, some college experience, a bachelor’s degree or post-graduate degree. Each of these accounted for 15% of the total weighted score. Arizona ranked 29th for educational attainment.

Quality of education accounted for 40% of a state’s total score and used 14 metrics. The metrics with the highest weight included a state’s public school system’s ranking, its universities’ rankings and graduation rate. Each of these accounted for a little over 5% of the total weighted score. Other factors include the number of students in top universities, graduation rate improvement, national assessments, AP exam scores and school engagement.

“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,” Lupo said.

Reporting by Erick Trevino, Arizona Republic