Best And Worst States: Workers With Post-Secondary Education

Degrees Of Separation

Recruiting employees is one of the biggest challenges solution providers wrestle with. And while experience usually tops the hiring criteria, most jobs in the IT world today call for a college degree.

The following are the states with the highest and the lowest percentage of adults age 25 or more with a bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science) or higher. The rankings, part of a CRN analysis of the best and worst states in which to start a solution provider business, are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and its American Community Survey.

The states with the highest concentration of people with degrees are listed from No. 5 to No. 1. The states with the lowest concentration of people with degrees are listed from No. 46 to No. 50 -- the state with the lowest percentage of college graduates.

Best States No. 5: Vermont

In the "Green Mountain State," 35.4 percent of the adult population age 25 or more have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Best States No. 4: Connecticut

In the "Constitution State," 36.2 percent of the adult population age 25 or more have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Best States No. 3: Colorado

In the "Centennial State," 36.7 percent of the adult population age 25 or more have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Best States No. 2: Maryland

In the "Old Line State," 36.9 percent of the adult population age 25 or more have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Best States No. 1: Massachusetts

In the "Bay State," 39.1 percent of the adult population age 25 or more have a bachelor's degree or higher, the highest among all 50 states.

Worst States No. 46 (tie): Kentucky

In the "Bluegrass State," 21.1 percent of the adult population age 25 or more have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Worst States No. 46 (tie): Louisiana

In the "Pelican State," 21.1 percent of the adult population age 25 or more have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Worst States No. 48: Arkansas

In the "Natural State," 20.3 percent of the adult population age 25 or more have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Worst States No. 49: Mississippi

In the "Magnolia State," 19.8 percent of the adult population age 25 or more have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Worst States No. 50: West Virginia

In the "Mountain State," 18.5 percent of the adult population age 25 or more have a bachelor's degree or higher, the lowest among all 50 states.