Smartest States in the U.S.? Connecticut Ranks #2

A new study has revealed the smartest states in America, with Connecticut ranking second.

Data collected by the Web3 platform Freename analyzed 29 metrics, which were organized into six categories: business and professional indicators, educational attainment and achievement, IQ, lifelong learning and intellectual engagement, standardized test performance, and STEM focus and innovation.  

Each of the 29 metrics was ranked within its category and standardized to give each grouping a score out of 100. These six scores were then combined to calculate an overall score and determine the smartest state.  

The New England states and the Northeast were well-represented in the top 10.  The “Smartest States,” using this analysis, were Massachusetts, Connecticut, Washington, Vermont, Virginia, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maryland, Colorado and Minnesota.

Connecticut had an overall score of 70.80. The state has an average IQ of 103.1, and the Grade 8 NAEP scores above the national average for both reading (263.81) and math (276.49). Connecticut ranked fifth in business indicators, reflecting its strength in skilled fields like finance and healthcare, and ninth in STEM focus, underscoring its commitment to technical education, the analysts point out.

 “Education in America varies widely from state to state, creating a landscape where some regions consistently outperform others in academic achievement and resources. States often ranked as the 'smartest,' like Massachusetts, Connecticut and Washington, benefit from a combination of well-funded school systems, highly qualified teachers, and a strong emphasis on higher education access. These states tend to have higher graduation rates, standardized test scores, and college enrolment numbers,” explained Davide Vicini, CEO of Freename.

Data sources for the analysis included the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine.