15th Place – Hawaii

Despite boasting the dubious honor of the 13th highest poverty rate in the U.S., Hawaii dances to a different drumbeat. In this tropical paradise, a high poverty rate doesn’t equate to a low education level. Quite the contrary, Hawaii’s residents are blessed with the opportunity to enjoy quality education. It’s a testament to the Aloha State’s resilience, proving it can break the mold and defy the odds.

Between the years of 2010 and 2014, this state proudly strutted its intellectual feathers, boasting a population that surpassed the national average in terms of education. An impressive 62.6% of adults, aged 25 and above, had at some point graced college campuses with their presence, quenching their thirst for knowledge and expanding their intellectual horizons. It was indeed a time of scholarly triumph!