25 Most Illiterate States in America

Published on September 3, 2023 at 9:13 am by Zarah Hamid in Industries, Lists, News

In this article, we will be looking at a brief overview of the American education system, the basis of US illiteracy as well as the 25 most illiterate states in America. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Most Illiterate States in America.

A National Literacy Crisis

The United States is in a state of a literary crisis as it labels many adults in the country as being ‘functionally illiterate’. This term refers to a literacy level where an individual understands basic vocabulary but is not able to comprehend anything beyond simple words. This equates to a below-average literacy level.

State-Level Literacy Dynamics

The Gallop analysis of data acquired from the United States Department of Education reports that almost 130 million adults in the US have low literacy. This implies that the country has a significant adult population whose reading skills are equivalent to those of a sixth grader.

The national literacy situation narrows down to the states. The United States comprises 50 states. The literacy statistics tend to vary among the states. On one extreme of the country are states like Massachusetts and New Hampshire which have high literacy rates. Children and adult education are promoted here and the government also significantly funds public schools. On the other extreme, there are states like New Mexico and Texas. These states have been struggling with their low literacy numbers. Some other factors also play a role here since these two cities are home to most immigrants whose first language is not English and hence, the literacy rates are low. Poverty worsens the scenario as New Mexico being highly poverty-ridden, is also the most illiterate state in the US. Hence, we notice the disparity in literacy among states.

Companies that are Changing the Literacy Scenario

Technology is the force that has transformed many conventional sectors of life, especially education. The technology adoption rates have been high since the pandemic hit the world. This is evident from the popularity of edtech firms. In the case of the United States, there are several edtech firms that enhance the accessibility and quality of education in the country. Some of these edtech giants include Chegg, Inc. (NYSE:CHGG), Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) and Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL).

Chegg, Inc. (NYSE:CHGG) is one of the notable names among American students. It provides help with homework, textbook rentals, and an opportunity to learn online. One of its major developments this year was CheggMate, an AI-powered chatbot for answering student queries.

On August 7, Chegg, Inc. (NYSE:CHGG) reported earnings for the fiscal second quarter of 2023. The company reported an EPS of $0.28 and generated a revenue of $182.85 million, outperforming market consensus by $6.34 million. Shortly after its earnings release, Piper Sandler analyst Arvind Ramnani raised his price target on Chegg, Inc. (NYSE:CHGG) to $13 from $11 and maintained a Neutral rating on the shares, citing improved retention rate and subscriber growth.

Another edtech company which contributes to education in the US is Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR). It is an online course provider. Other than courses, it also offers professional certificates and master’s degrees in subjects related to data science and entrepreneurship. Since the demand for learning skills related to AI has been on the rise, the company recently took a relevant initiative. On July 18, the company reported that they have launched their plugin on ChatGPT Pro where users can find content related to what they’ve searched for on the AI platform as the plugin displays a list of Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) courses, their links and descriptions.

Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) is known for its language certifications. It also offers a standardized English test known as Duolingo English Test, similar to IELTS. On March 14, the company reported the launch of its new product ‘Duolingo Max’. This product has been powered by Open AI and it provides exceptional features for language learners. These new features include practicing language with Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) characters or simply asking AI to know about the mistakes users have made while learning languages.

On August 8, Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) reported strong earnings for the fiscal second quarter of 2023. The company reported earnings per share of $0.08 and outperformed EPS estimates by $0.28. The company’s revenue for the quarter amounted to $126.84 million, up 43.51% year over year and ahead of revenue consensus by $3.14 million.

Socioeconomic Factors Contributing to Illiteracy

Socioeconomic factors do not explicitly mean income since they cover other aspects such as social status, living conditions, and exposure to opportunities. All of these factors play a role in literacy. The American Psychological Association reported that children from a low socioeconomic background have less cognitive abilities which restricts their learning process. Most of these students join school with a 5-year gap as compared to those from middle-income households. Thus, children living a less privileged life tend to develop fewer aspirations related to their careers and hence drop out of college at a higher rate, contributing to illiteracy in the country. Despite the prevailing situation, Chegg, Inc. (NYSE:CHGG), Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR), and Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) continue to transform the educational landscape across the country.

Now that we have reviewed illiteracy and its disparate outcomes in the United States, we can analyze the 25 most illiterate states in America.

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

Methodology

In order to create a list of the 25 most illiterate states in America, we utilized data from the US Census Bureau. This data was taken from the Education Attainment database. The data has been taken for a uniform age group between 18 to 24 years. We used three metrics as a measure of literacy. The metrics chosen include the number of high school graduates, college degree holders, and bachelor’s or higher degree holders. Further, we considered that the high school graduate number should be our first priority while college degree holders and bachelor’s degree holders will follow. Please note that a college degree refers to an associate degree or a certification and hence is different from a bachelor’s degree.

We calculated weighted scores on a priority basis for the metrics. Please note that the weighted score is a measure of literacy and hence, the states with higher weighted scores are less illiterate and ranked lower in the list. For every state, we assigned a weight of 3 to the high school graduates, 2 to the college degree holders, and 1 to the bachelor’s or higher degree holders to calculate the overall weighted score which reflects the priority of the metrics we assumed for the purpose of this research. Finally, we ranked the states in descending order of their weighted scores as follows:

25. Kentucky

High School Graduates: 161,223

College Degree Holders: 164,290

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 47,557

Weighted Score: 34.42

Kentucky state is located in the Southeastern part of the United States. It is one of the most illiterate states in the country as illiteracy among adults is common with many of them not being able to read anything above basic reading material.

24. Tennessee

High School Graduates: 239,537

College Degree Holders: 241,908

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 74,275

Weighted Score: 34.12

The US state of Tennessee also struggles with its illiteracy issue. Since the numbers are low for those who attend high school, college, and university, the state becomes one of the most illiterate American states.

23. Virginia

High School Graduates: 97,952

College Degree Holders: 149,572

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 36,675

Weighted Score: 34.03

The US state of Virginia also makes it to the top US illiterate states. The Virginia Literacy Foundation works to reduce adult literacy however there are many adults who have never even completed high school.

22. California

High School Graduates: 1,215,035

College Degree Holders: 1,568,917

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 434,774

Weighted Score: 33.78

Reading proficiency is significantly low in California. This puts the state behind other progressive states in the US. The school dropout rates are high, ranking the state as one of the least literate US states.

Chegg, Inc. (NYSE:CHGG), Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) and Duolingo Inc (NASDAQ:DUOL) are among the most notable companies making strides to promote the growth of literacy rates in America.

21. Oklahoma

High School Graduates: 156,286

College Degree Holders: 143,648

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 30,687

Weighted Score: 33.72

Oklahoma is one of the 25 most illiterate states in the United States. Some portion of the state population hasn’t even passed high school while many adults have below-average or average literacy.

20. Delaware

High School Graduates: 30,317

College Degree Holders: 35,184

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 7,890

Weighted Score: 33.67

Illiteracy is a concern for the US state of Delaware where many adults are functionally illiterate, Children in the state also struggle with reading, making it one of the most illiterate American states.

19. Ohio

High School Graduates: 396,138

College Degree Holders: 407,343

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 131,320

Weighted Score: 33.60

Another least educated state in the US is Ohio. Functional level of illiteracy is very common in the state and needs to be addressed.

18. Louisiana

High School Graduates: 163,451

College Degree Holders: 161,712

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 36,431

Weighted Score: 33.38

The literacy figures are not adequate for the US state of Louisiana either. Less than half of the students in the public schools of the state read at their grade level. Hence, Louisiana is one of the most less educated states in the country.

17. North Carolina

High School Graduates: 344,120

College Degree Holders: 428,964

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 125,122

Weighted Score: 33.37

The issue of illiteracy is also common in the US state of North Carolina. Those who drop out of school are not even proficient at the grade level they were studying at. The adverse literary situation makes the state a highly illiterate state in the country.

16. Pennsylvania

High School Graduates: 414,582

College Degree Holders: 426,998

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 155,459

Weighted Score: 33.33

The literacy situation in Pennsylvania is concerning. The lack of basic literary skills among adults is evident from the fact that some of them cannot even read newspapers or brochures. Thus, Pennsylvania is one of the most illiterate states in the country.

15. Michigan

High School Graduates: 318,898

College Degree Holders: 386,921

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 112,790

Weighted Score: 33.13

The city of Detroit in the US state of Michigan is subject to high illiteracy as many adults are functionally illiterate. Children are underperforming in their grades making the state one of the 25 most illiterate American states.

14. Mississippi

High School Graduates: 99,518

College Degree Holders: 125,586

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 24,818

Weighted Score: 33.02

Mississippi has a significant number of adults who have just passed nine years of school. The high school graduation rate is also low. All of this makes Mississippi one of the most illiterate cities in America.

Investors who wish to increase their exposure to the edtech industry can look up Chegg, Inc.(NYSE:CHGG), Coursera, Inc.(NYSE:COUR), and Duolingo Inc (NASDAQ:DUOL).

13. Indiana

High School Graduates: 241,977

College Degree Holders: 252,407

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 77,970

Weighted Score: 33.00

With a comparatively lower number of people who tend to be a part of a school, college, or university, Indiana has low literacy. Adults in the state struggle with reading and comprehending complex things, making it one of the most illiterate states in America.

12. Georgia

High School Graduates: 389,938

College Degree Holders: 389,304

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 115,177

Weighted Score: 32.97

Georgia is ranked as one of the US states where people tend to be illiterate. Many of these people lack basic literacy skills and hence experience unemployment and low wages.

11. Texas

High School Graduates: 1,040,301

College Degree Holders: 1,097,853

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 311,171

Weighted Score: 32.93

Texas is one of the 25 most illiterate states in America. Adult literacy is low and a problem for the state. Furthermore, there are many students who fail to perform at their grade levels.

10. South Carolina

High School Graduates: 166,475

College Degree Holders: 192,507

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 54,260

Weighted Score: 32.87

South Carolina is another American state which fails to have adequate literacy. The literacy rate is lower than the national average literacy. Children fail to read at their grade level, adding to the literacy crisis in the state.

9. Missouri

High School Graduates: 187,113

College Degree Holders: 233,565

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 71,365

Weighted Score: 32.85

Thus, Missouri ranks as one of the 25 most illiterate states in the United States. With average or below-average reading skills, many adults in the state are unable to advance in life.

8. Arizona

High School Graduates: 244,573

College Degree Holders: 265,391

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 71,571

Weighted Score: 32.67

Arizona is one of the 25 most illiterate states in America. Children in the state become a victim of a literacy crisis at an early age. Hence these students continue to struggle with reading.

7. Florida

High School Graduates: 586,777

College Degree Holders: 715,710

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 199,597

Weighted Score: 32.63

Florida is one of the most illiterate American states. Many children fail their reading tests while some adults can’t read things as basic as food labels. Thus, the literacy rate is low.

6. Illinois

High School Graduates: 370,612

College Degree Holders: 463,253

Bachelor’s Or Higher Degree Holders: 185,926

Weighted Score: 32.50

Another state that makes it to the list of the most illiterate states in America is Illinois. Basic reading, writing, math, and language skills are common among only a few adults. Hence, the literacy rate of the city keeps on declining.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Most Illiterate States in America.

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