Posted on 06/07/2014 4:38:46 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- When writing an article ranking the "smartest" and "dumbest" states in the Union it is important to explain your methodology. This list is based on the level of education a certain percentage of the residents of each state achieves.
According to information compiled by the website infoplease.com, as of 2010 men with a BA make 60% more than their counterparts with a high school diploma -- $40,000 to $64,000 -- while women with BA's make 56.6% more than their counterparts with a lower level of education -- $30,000 to $47,000.
And the gulf is widening. Twenty years ago male college graduates only made 47.5% more than high school grads while female BA holders made 53% more.
For this reason there is some correlation between states with higher percentages of people with Bachelor's and advanced degrees also having fewer people living below the poverty line.
One would think that states with more colleges and universities per capita might do better on this list but that is not necessarily the case. Vermont -- number 8 on the smartest list -- has the most schools per capita with 1 university per 36,545.3 residents, while New Jersey -- number 6 on the smartest list -- has the second lowest number of schools per capita with 1 university per 526,764.8 residents.
Average SAT scores also do not accurately reflect the level of education as certain states with higher average SAT scores have a smaller percentage of students taking the test. North Dakotan students for example had an average SAT score of 1799 in 2013, good for second in the country. However, the state only had a 2% participation rate.
(Excerpt) Read more at thestreet.com ...
Educated and smart are different animals. Is this another “the northeast is smarter and better” story?
I think it is.
Looks that way to me.
So who's dumber now?
Some of the states they rank as “dumbest” are also the most stable, economically vibrant, and fiscally responsible. So who’s dumb, eh? Free enterprise guys or Marxists?
So many of the degree programs today, even at the most prestigious colleges, are really worthless in the marketplace.
Does the study adjust for illegals?
Lemme guess...at least 9 of the 10 dumbest states is below the Mason-Dixon Line.
Of course. But I find liberals to be the dumbest people on earth.
Not sure where they come with salaries because many educated people are on welfare and without a job. North Dakota has lowest unemployment rate... so, what the heck.
Lebanon has the highest rate of PhDs in the world...
Hard to say really. Our local community college is trying to morph into another big 4 year college that we don’t need. It brings in lots of taxpayer dollars but shuts out the community.
My sister is taking some kind of course for certification in business management but it requires a nearly full classload that she wouldn’t have needed 10 years ago. She even had to take a course in socialization in college life. She’s 50 years old and has 5 kids, she hasn’t had a social life in years.
Arbitrary data collection. :)
DC 90.91% Obama 2012
HI 70.55% Obama 2012
VT 66.57% Obama 2012
NY 63.35% Obama 2012
RI 62.70% Obama 2012
MD 61.97% Obama 2012
MA 60.65% Obama 2012
CA 60.24% Obama 2012
DE 58.61% Obama 2012
NJ 58.38% Obama 2012
CT 58.06% Obama 2012
One could reasonably argue that voting for Obama in 2008 was a simple case of ignorance - smart people who didn’t collect the information needed to make a better decision. Those who voted Obama is 2012 though? Colossal stupidity, almost beyond measure. Good people lose the most under Obama, but even the parasites who form his voting base are far worse off under FedGov’s inept socialism that has replaced the rule of law.
These studies don’t adjust for population mix. I suspect that when students of various ethnicities in the US are matched up with students in their homelands, they do quite well.
It’s surprising Florida isn’t on the list ...
This is like Swedes faulting Hawaiians for being unable to ski.
When you rig the educational game it's very easy to claim to be 'smarter' than the other guy.
Yep. Dumb redneck southerners, as usual.
10th smartest - MN
9th - NH
8th - NY
7th - VT
6th - VA
5th - NJ
4th - CT
3rd - MD
2nd - CO
1st - MA
Dumbest States -
10th - TN
9th - OK
8th - IN
7th - AL
6th - NV
5th - LA
4th - KY
3rd - MS
2nd - AK
1st - WV
Not from what I can see in my neighborhood.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.