December 9, 2025

Best states for college students

SmileHub - With over 3.8 million high schoolers expected to graduate in 2026, the non-profit organization SmileHub today released new reports on the Best States for College Students and the Best Charities for Education in 2026.

To highlight the best states for college students and the ones that have more work to do, SmileHub compared each of the 50 states based on 28 key metrics. The data set ranges from graduation rate to the cost of higher education to the earning potential for college graduates. 

Best States for College Students

States in Need of Improvement

1. Massachusetts 41. Kansas
2. New York 42. Louisiana
3. Illinois 43. Tennessee
4. Rhode Island 44. Hawaii
5. California 45. South Carolina
6. Connecticut 46. Mississippi
7. Utah 47. Arkansas
8. Texas 48. Alaska
9. Pennsylvania 49. Montana
10. North Dakota 50. West Virginia

 Key Stats

  • California has the most education charities per capita – 8.4 times more than New Hampshire, which has the fewest charities.
  • Massachusetts has the highest undergraduate graduation rate – 5.4 times higher than Alaska, which has the lowest graduation rate.
  • Alaska has the most state funding for higher education – 6.6 times higher than Arizona, which has the least state funding.
To view the full report and your state’s rank

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