47th Place – Arkansas
Sometimes, it can be difficult to determine precisely why Arkansas performs so inadequately in terms of education. However, economists believe the cause is relatively clear. The state is also one of the poorest in the nation, a factor that significantly relates to educational attainment.
In Arkansas, only about half of children (47.7%) have families with incomes that are at least double the poverty level, which is the lowest proportion of any state in the U.S. Additionally, only 39.3% of Arkansas children live with a parent who has obtained a post-secondary degree. Unfortunately, the situation in the next state is even worse.