Here’s Why Kentucky is 6th Least Educated State in America

According to a new report, Kentucky is the sixth-least educated state in America. In the study, WalletHub compared all 50 states in educational attainment, school quality, and achievement gaps between genders and races. Here's how it breakdown.

I feel like one of the root issues is the lack of funding for education. At least in my case, it was. Besides math, I was a pretty good student and always knew that I wanted to go to college. I wanted to get a degree in sociology to help children. The problem with my plan was coming up with the money to make the dream a reality. My parents helped me as much as they could with what they could afford. Financial aid and student loans helped, but not enough, so I had to work. And, I worked a lot. I worked so hard that I became a manager at McDonald's at 20-years-old. Because of this, I no longer qualified for a loan because "I made too much money". The money I earned went to rent, a vehicle, and living expenses, so it really wasn't fair. I was just nine credits short of my associate's degree when the money ran out. I had to look forward and not look back. I can wonder what I'd be doing now if I would have completed school, but it wouldn't do any good. I was blessed to stay in management positions all of my life and make a nice career for myself, so I can't complain.

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Kentucky Is 2022’s 6th Least Educated State in America

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who left school without a degree. I have a feeling many students in the commonwealth left for the same reason as me. It's just out of reach for many students.

Based on this WalletHub study, while Massachusetts is the most educated state in the country, Kentucky sits at the bottom in most categories.

In this study, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 18 metrics that examined the key factors of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality, and achievement gaps between genders and races.

How Educated is Kentucky?

How educated is Kentucky? (1=Most; 25=Avg.):
• 44th – % of High-School Diploma Holders
• 47th – % of Associate's Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults
• 46th – % of Bachelor’s Degree Holders
• 36th – % of Graduate- or Professional-Degree Holders
• 39th – Avg. University Quality

State By State Findings

There's much work to be done to ensure any child that wants to attend school has a chance. I don't feel like everyone has all of the answers. I don't think the government should relieve all student debt or pay for a student to attend college. I do think they need to give a pathway to allow them to borrow what they need, with little to no interest. Maybe they could give incentives for students that get good grades. How many smart students are in high school and know they'll never afford college tuition? What will become of their future? Every child deserves to have access to greater educational opportunities.