Across the country, students are starting college with the same hopes, but wildly different odds of actually graduating depending on where they live.
A new analysis from SEO agency Hennessey Digital shows the states where college students are most likely to finish their degrees and the states where they’re slipping through the cracks.
Using numbers from the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS database, Hennessey looked at college graduation rates by tracking groups of first‑time and full‑time students, calculating what percentage of them actually earned a degree within the standard time frame. Because the study uses percentages rather than raw numbers, states with smaller populations — like Alaska — aren’t penalized. Every state is judged on the same metric, which is of the students who start college, how many actually finish?
Alaska ranks last in the nation, with only 32.93% of students completing their programs — nearly 28 percentage points below the national average of 60.92%. Nevada (45.20%) and New Mexico (47.80%) follow, each falling more than 13 points short of the U.S. norm.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Northeast is in the lead with the most college grads. Massachusetts is at the top, with a 75.41% graduation rate, followed closely by Rhode Island (73.00%) and Connecticut (70.77%).
One standout state on this chart is Iowa. This state ranks seventh nationally at 69.44%, beating the national average by more than eight points. For a Midwestern state without a prestige factor, Iowa’s performance is pretty impressive. This state is home to strong public universities, and has a culture that values degree completion. It has also earned a place in the spotlight recently for being a great place to start a tech career, with grads earning 72% more than the national average, seen on the recently released College Scorecard. Also, the state’s relatively affordable tuition all contributes to a system where nearly seven in ten students finish their degrees.
Next Page: The Degrees With the Highest Employment
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