Is New Jersey Among The Most Educated States?

There is no lack of confidence here in the Garden State when it comes to measuring our intelligence. We're smart and we know it.

Photo by Charles DeLoye on Unsplash

Just think of all the things we are really good at. The list is extensive, and we are certainly proud of it. Just look at the way we approach driving

Let's face it. There are a million cars around us, but we know deep down in our hearts that we are the best driver on the road at any given time, and we enthusiastically, and sometimes colorfully offer our advice to any vehicles that might cross our path. Those helpful hints come in both verbal and gesture forms.

Photo by Jenny Ueberberg on Unsplash

But what we're talking about here is the most educated states in the country, and if you have a strong belief that we should be named the smartest state in the nation, you are about to be disappointed.

Stacker does put us in the top 20% in the nation for most educated states, but just barely. New Jersey ranks at #10 on the list, which is very respectable.

But I can't help think that some in the Garden State will feel a little insulted by this revelation. We are constantly ranked at or near the top for education, so why wouldn't this ranking be higher here?

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

It turns out the ranking is generally based on the highest level of education completed by residents. In New Jersey, our highest percentage of residents have a high school diploma (27.2%), while 24.2% have a Bachelor's Degree.

The percentage of people from New Jersey with a graduate or professional degree is a very impressive 15.5%.

I know many of you might be disappointed with a #10 ranking here, but if we're being honest, it's a pretty impressive ranking for the Garden State.

For Those 'Smart' Enough To Get Out Of NJ, Here Is Where They Are Going

Gallery Credit: Matt Ryan

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in New Jersey

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in New Jersey using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

LOOK: Best Beers From Every State

To find the best beer in each state and Washington D.C., Stacker analyzed January 2020 data from BeerAdvocate, a website that gathers user scores for beer in real-time. BeerAdvocate makes its determinations by compiling consumer ratings for all 50 states and Washington D.C. and applying a weighted rank to each. The weighted rank pulls the beer toward the list's average based on the number of ratings it has and aims to allow lesser-known beers to increase in rank. Only beers with at least 10 rankings to be considered; we took it a step further to only include beers with at least 100 user rankings in our gallery. Keep reading to find out what the best beer is in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C.

Gallery Credit: Angela Underwood

Filed Under: New Jersey education