The cost of attending college across the US continues to drastically rise. For many Americans, the decision to pursue a four-year degree is as much a financial calculation as an academic one.
A recent study about the earnings outcomes of different fields reignited an ongoing conversation about the value of a college education in a landscape that increasingly asks students to invest mini-fortunes in their education — or go into student loan debt.
A college degree can lead to an earnings premium in most career paths. Across the US, bachelor’s degree-holding adults earn an average of 38.6% more than adults with an associate degree or those who attended some college but did not complete a four-year degree.
That translates to an average earnings gap of about $18,539 a year across states.
Business Insider analyzed the latest available earnings data from the US Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey and ranked states by the median earnings for adults 25 and older with some college or an associate degree, to account for people who may have pursued careers in more technical trades after graduating from high school. We also identified the median earnings for high school graduates in each state.
Across all states, higher levels of education were largely associated with higher median earnings.
The ranking does not adjust for differences in cost of living across states, which often overlap with educational attainment levels and can affect how far those earnings go. States with large professional labor markets are often ranked among the highest-cost-of-living states.
Still, for people who decide to forgo a four-year education, these are the states ranked by median earnings, from lowest to highest.
50. Arkansas
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $41,732
Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,020
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $57,152
49. Mississippi
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $41,781
Median earnings for high school graduates: $35,287
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $55,481
48. New Mexico
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $42,468
Median earnings for high school graduates: $37,038
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $56,159
47. Louisiana
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $43,459
Median earnings for high school graduates: $35,973
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $59,917
46. West Virginia
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $43,674
Median earnings for high school graduates: $37,207
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $56,967
45. Oklahoma
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $43,787
Median earnings for high school graduates: $37,015
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $60,006
44. Montana
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $43,921
Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,322
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $56,457
43. Wyoming
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $44,339
Median earnings for high school graduates: $46,543
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $54,213
42. North Carolina
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $44,474
Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,689
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $65,170
41. Florida
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,172
Median earnings for high school graduates: $37,044
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $60,618
40. Alabama
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,321
Median earnings for high school graduates: $39,147
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $61,183
39. Kentucky
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,352
Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,137
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $60,854
38. Missouri
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,360
Median earnings for high school graduates: $39,568
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $62,091
37. Tennessee
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,492
Median earnings for high school graduates: $39,835
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $62,654
36. Michigan
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,580
Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,399
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $66,497
35. Idaho
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,707
Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,114
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $60,198
34. Kansas
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,825
Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,694
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $65,534
33. South Carolina
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,860
Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,043
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $63,731
32. Georgia
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,919
Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,311
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $70,582
31. Nevada
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $46,278
Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,969
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $62,782
30. Ohio
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $46,601
Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,810
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $67,591
29. Vermont
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $46,998
Median earnings for high school graduates: $44,859
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $61,949
28. Nebraska
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,163
Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,356
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $62,021
26. (tie) Texas
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,269
Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,098
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $69,494
26. (tie) Maine
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,269
Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,689
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $62,442
25. Oregon
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,544
Median earnings for high school graduates: $42,165
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $69,562
24. Illinois
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,598
Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,132
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $72,625
23. Arizona
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,923
Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,518
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $67,466
22. Indiana
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,929
Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,985
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $63,367
21. Iowa
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $48,062
Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,765
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $62,244
20. Pennsylvania
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $48,250
Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,765
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $70,261
19. Delaware
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $49,094
Median earnings for high school graduates: $39,495
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $65,673
18. New York
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $49,538
Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,608
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $76,760
17. Utah
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $49,669
Median earnings for high school graduates: $44,405
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $65,299
16. South Dakota
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $49,698
Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,822
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $58,207
15. Rhode Island
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $50,264
Median earnings for high school graduates: $42,251
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $69,496
14. Wisconsin
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $50,315
Median earnings for high school graduates: $42,333
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $65,697
13. Virginia
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $50,450
Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,012
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $75,575
12. Hawaii
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $50,549
Median earnings for high school graduates: $42,373
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $62,969
11. California
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $51,031
Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,535
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $80,874
10. Colorado
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $51,247
Median earnings for high school graduates: $46,010
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $75,637
8. (tie) North Dakota
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $51,644
Median earnings for high school graduates: $47,787
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $60,560
8. (tie) New Jersey
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $51,644
Median earnings for high school graduates: $46,624
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $81,107
7. Connecticut
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $51,686
Median earnings for high school graduates: $44,573
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $77,879
6. Minnesota
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $52,185
Median earnings for high school graduates: $42,121
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $72,538
5. Massachusetts
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $52,218
Median earnings for high school graduates: $46,742
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $81,784
4. New Hampshire
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $52,513
Median earnings for high school graduates: $47,609
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $71,669
3. Washington
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $53,857
Median earnings for high school graduates: $47,996
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $81,640
2. Alaska
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $54,950
Median earnings for high school graduates: $45,904
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $69,031
1. Maryland
Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $55,301
Median earnings for high school graduates: $45,273
Median earnings for adults with a bachelor’s degree: $79,242
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