Measuring Up 2002: The State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education
BENEFITS


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Compare State Performance
Compare States by Contextual Information
Performance Gaps or Change Over Time

BENEFITS
EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
Adults with Bachelor's
   Degree or Higher
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Increased Income from
   Bachelor's Degree
Increased Income from
   Some College
CIVIC BENEFITS
Population Voting
Charitable Contributions
ADULT SKILL LEVELS
Quantitative Literacy
Prose Literacy
Document Literacy

What benefits does the state receive as a result of having a highly educated population?

The percentage of the state population with a bachelor's degree varies dramatically from one state to another-as do the resulting economic and civic benefits to the states.

Educational Achievement

° In Massachusetts, 36% of state residents have a bachelor's degree-double the 18% who have one in West Virginia.
° In 14 states, at least 30% of state residents have a bachelor's degree. In only one state (West Virginia) do less than 20% of state residents have this degree.

Large gaps also exist within states.

  ° In Colorado, 41% of the white population has a bachelor's degree, compared with 15% for all other residents.
  ° In seven states, the percentage of the white population with a bachelor's degree is more than double the percentage for all other residents.

Economic Benefits

° In Maryland, the total amount of personal income generated in the state is increased by 13% due to the population with a bachelor's degree. In Wyoming, the increase is only 5%.
° All education and training beyond high school, even if it does not result in a bachelor's degree, can have economic benefits for the state. In four states (Michigan, Delaware, Oregon, and California), the total amount of personal income in the state is increased by four percent or more as a result of state residents attending college without attaining a bachelor's degree. In four states (Missouri, Montana, South Dakota, and West Virginia) on the other hand, the increase is less than one percent.

Civic Benefits

Some states with more highly educated populations tend to have higher levels of civic benefits, such as voting and charitable giving.

° In Minnesota, where 32% of the adult population has a bachelor's degree, the rate of voting is the highest in the nation. Charitable giving among residents in the state is also among the highest in the nation.

 
Grades measure a state's performance in relation to other states.
A
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island
B
Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington
C
Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin
D
Arkansas, Georgia, Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wyoming
F
West Virginia
Colorado is the top-performing state in benefits.