SC is one of the least educated states, according to a WalletHub study

South Carolina is one of the least educated states in the United States, according to a new study from personal finance website WalletHub.

The study, which ranked the Palmetto State the 44th most educated state, conducted the study using 18 metrics such as the percentage of adults with degrees, quality of school systems and universities, high school graduation rate, test scores and the racial/gender gap in bachelor’s degree holders, according to the site’s methodology.

The bad news: In the “quality of education” section, South Carolina ranked No. 49, and in the “gender gap in educational attainment,” the state ranked No. 48. The state also ranked No. 43 in “racial gap in educational attainment,” according to the study.

Many of the states that finished at or near the bottom of the list were southern states. America’s least educated state is Mississippi, according to the study.

Conversely, many of the top-ranked states were in the northeast part of the country. Massachusetts was America’s most educated state, according to the study.

The rankings come as state legislators weigh several proposals aimed at bolstering education in the Palmetto State. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s budget proposal includes spending $211 million to boost teacher pay by $3,000, $53 million expanding free, all-day 4-year-old kindergarten for children in poverty to every school district in the state and $26.1 million to freeze tuition at S.C. colleges.

This story was originally published January 20, 2020 at 10:22 AM.