The average cost of a college education in the United States is $35,720 a year — three times higher than it was two decades ago. While rising tuition costs are discouraging many Americans from enrolling, a college education is an investment that can increase access to career opportunities, improve job security, and increase earning potential.

Nationwide, an estimated 32.1% of American adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Educational attainment rates vary considerably across the country, however, and in every state, there is at least one ZIP code where the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree is well below the national average.

In Vermont’s 05459 ZIP code, located in Franklin County, only 10.3% of the adult population have a bachelor’s degree, the smallest share of any ZIP code in the state. Meanwhile, across Vermont, 38.0% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The average weekly wage for a college-educated worker in the United States is about 67% higher than it is for those with no more than a high school diploma — and in places with lower educational attainment, incomes also tend to be lower than average. In the 05459 ZIP code, the typical household earns just $52,731 per year, less than the median household income across Vermont of $61,973.

All data in this story are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey. We considered all ZIP codes with available data for which the margin of error was within an acceptable threshold.

Least educated ZIP	Adults with a bachelor’s degree (%)	Adults with a bachelor’s degree, statewide (%)	Median household income ($)	Median household income, statewide ($)
Alabama: ZIP 36048	5.3	25.5	31,250	50,536
Alaska: ZIP 99926	10.4	29.6	56,188	77,640
Arizona: ZIP 86020	2.9	29.5	33,958	58,945
Arkansas: ZIP 71644	2.2	23.0	32,723	47,597
California: ZIP 92233	1.6	33.9	37,009	75,235
Colorado: ZIP 80828	8.6	40.9	48,219	72,331
Connecticut: ZIP 06608	6.8	39.3	34,743	78,444
Delaware: ZIP 19941	8.3	32.0	55,547	68,287
Florida: ZIP 32445	4.9	29.9	34,638	55,660
Georgia: ZIP 30428	3.1	31.3	32,409	58,700
Hawaii: ZIP 96783	13.4	33.0	42,375	81,275
Idaho: ZIP 83849	6.4	27.6	43,548	55,785
Illinois: ZIP 62846	2.4	34.7	37,321	65,886
Indiana: ZIP 46571	4.5	26.5	69,896	56,303
Iowa: ZIP 51105	8.3	28.6	48,250	60,523
Kansas: ZIP 66607	4.5	33.4	33,610	59,597
Kentucky: ZIP 40828	5.8	24.2	27,468	50,589
Louisiana: ZIP 71327	4.3	24.1	48,047	49,469
Maine: ZIP 04289	8.5	31.8	46,196	57,918
Maryland: ZIP 21746	4.9	40.2	N/A	84,805
Massachusetts: ZIP 01841	8.1	43.7	43,411	81,215
Michigan: ZIP 48210	5.1	29.1	30,142	57,144
Minnesota: ZIP 56446	8.4	36.1	45,121	71,306
Mississippi: ZIP 38963	4.2	22.0	41,250	45,081
Missouri: ZIP 63660	4.3	29.2	41,068	55,461
Montana: ZIP 59022	10.0	32.0	39,886	54,970
Nebraska: ZIP 68107	8.8	31.9	43,754	61,439
Nevada: ZIP 89030	4.0	24.7	36,275	60,365
New Hampshire: ZIP 03582	8.8	37.0	45,492	76,768
New Jersey: ZIP 08314	4.2	39.7	78,796	82,545
New Mexico: ZIP 87305	2.3	27.3	24,447	49,754
New York: ZIP 12929	3.6	36.6	51,429	68,486
North Carolina: ZIP 28347	3.1	31.3	29,722	54,602
North Dakota: ZIP 58852	12.2	30.0	88,194	64,894
Ohio: ZIP 44902	3.4	28.3	27,815	56,602
Oklahoma: ZIP 74829	4.3	25.5	27,969	52,919
Oregon: ZIP 97844	6.1	33.7	62,167	62,818
Pennsylvania: ZIP 15510	4.9	31.4	N/A	61,744
Rhode Island: ZIP 02863	8.1	34.2	32,928	67,167
South Carolina: ZIP 29570	5.0	28.1	28,917	53,199
South Dakota: ZIP 57770	8.8	28.8	43,333	58,275
Tennessee: ZIP 37755	4.2	27.3	34,063	53,320
Texas: ZIP 77093	3.0	29.9	31,301	61,874
Utah: ZIP 84534	7.5	34.0	31,597	71,621
Vermont: ZIP 05459	10.3	38.0	52,731	61,973
Virginia: ZIP 24430	2.9	38.8	31,250	74,222
Washington: ZIP 99173	4.2	36.0	34,889	73,775
West Virginia: ZIP 26386	7.0	20.6	50,161	46,711
Wisconsin: ZIP 53936	4.7	30.1	41,875	61,747
Wyoming: ZIP 82716	11.8	27.4	75,468	64,049

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