SC continues to be one of the least-educated states in America, study shows

Once again, South Carolina is ranked in the bottom 10 of the most educated states in America, according to a study from personal finance site WalletHub.

The Palmetto State ranked No. 42 in the annual list of most educated states, an improvement from No. 44 in 2020, but no better or worse than 2019 where S.C. also ranked No. 42, according to previous WalletHub studies.

To determine the most and least educated states in America, WalletHub looked primarily at the percentage of adults with high school or college degrees, but also at “quality of education,” according to the report’s methodology.

Researchers measured quality of education by factoring in U.S. News and World Report’s school systems rating, the number of Blue Ribbon Schools per person, the ranking of state universities on WalletHub’s best colleges and universities ranking, public high school graduation rate, test scores, equity of education, and more.

S.C. ranked No. 48 in quality of education, No. 38 in percent of people with high school or college degrees, according to the report. S.C. finished above Nevada and Oklahoma and below New Mexico, Tennessee and Texas.

While South Carolina ranks low, several cities in the state are rated in WalletHub’s separate study of most educated American cities. In that study, Charleston/North Charleston rank No. 52 in most educated cities; Columbia ranks No. 66; Greenville/Anderson rank No. 100 and the Myrtle Beach/Conway area is rated No. 106. The report listed 150 cities.

S.C. officials have tried to improve its education system for several years by boosting teacher pay, keeping college tuition from increasing and more, The State previously reported.