Maryland ranks second among most educated states, WalletHub's study shows
Maryland is ranked second among the most educated states in America, according to a study by WalletHub.
WalletHub's study compared the 50 states across 18 metrics that examined factors of well-educated populations; educational attainment; school quality; and achievement gaps between genders and races.
Maryland is only behind Massachusetts in this study.
WalletHub credits Maryland for enacting a free statewide community college program. The study says Maryland has the fourth-highest share of residents 25 years or older with at least a bachelor's degree and the second-highest share with a graduate or professional degree.
Maryland also has a "great education at the high school level," according to WalletHub. The study points out that Maryland has the seventh-highest share of students who scored at least a 3 out of 5 on an AP exam during high school, and its public school systems rank as the seventh best in the nation.
The study said that Maryland's universities, as a whole, rank as the sixth-best in the country, and also has one of the smallest gender gaps when it comes to Bachelor's degree attainment, and the ninth-smallest racial gap.
Debate over state education funding
Earlier this month, Maryland education advocates rallied in Annapolis against proposed rollbacks to the "Blueprint for Maryland's Future."
Maryland is facing a nearly $3 billion deficit and Gov. Wes Moore's proposal includes restructuring how the state funds education and its Blueprint.
In the proposed budget, the governor seeks to limit collaborative time for teachers and calls for community school funding freezes.
The Blueprint became law in 2021 after the General Assembly overrode a veto of the bill by former Gov. Larry Hogan.
The Kirwan Commission was formed in 2016 and worked for three years to develop the Blueprint based on best practices to help the state's poorest schools.
The education plan sought to bolster spending in high-concentration poverty schools and uplift students who need additional services to succeed in underserved districts.
