Rhode Island, Massachusetts colleges have the highest graduation rates—here's how your state compares

College graduation rates vary widely from one state to another; while 60% of enrolled students graduate in New Hampshire, in South Dakota the same percentage of people drop out before earning a degree.

There are several reasons why students may not complete their four-year education. Many experience social isolation, anxiety, or depression. These conditions are likely to emerge during the first few months away from home or when personal or financial setbacks arise. Other factors that influence academic discouragement are transferring schools or tackling a full-time student schedule while holding down a job that demands more than 25 hours per week.

Some colleges have added time management counselors to their staff, aiming to provide students with timely information and tools to help them organize their schedules while implementing effective studying habits. The advisors help students choose the best route toward completing the requirements for the major of their choice in the shortest time possible.

EDsmart used data from the Department of Education to see which states' colleges have the highest graduation rates. The Education Department's College Scorecard may not showcase the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, as data generally culminates in the 2020-2021 school year. Still, the results offer some insight into not only each state's annual crop of new graduates—many of them job seekers—but also what type of degree people in each state tend to pursue.

Graduation rates are for full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates enrolled in a four-year institution who complete their program within six years or 150% of the originally planned amount of time. States were ranked by the average graduation rates of every college with a campus in that state, and rates are provided for the most prominent degree type granted.

#51. Nevada

- Overall graduation rate: 32.7%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 21.7%
--- Bachelor's degree: 35.6%

#50. Georgia

- Overall graduation rate: 39.1%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 21.8%
--- Bachelor's degree: 41.9%

#49. Wyoming

- Overall graduation rate: 39.7%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 29.9%
--- Bachelor's degree: 59.2%

#48. Alaska

- Overall graduation rate: 39.9%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: not available
--- Bachelor's degree: 46.7%

#47. South Dakota

- Overall graduation rate: 40.0%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 3.0%
--- Bachelor's degree: 45.7%

#46. New Mexico

- Overall graduation rate: 40.1%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 31.3%
--- Bachelor's degree: 44.0%

#45. North Dakota

- Overall graduation rate: 40.5%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 23.0%
--- Bachelor's degree: 50.0%

#44. Oklahoma

- Overall graduation rate: 40.6%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 28.8%
--- Bachelor's degree: 40.5%

#43. West Virginia

- Overall graduation rate: 41.4%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 30.2%
--- Bachelor's degree: 41.5%

#42. Hawaii

- Overall graduation rate: 42.2%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 24.6%
--- Bachelor's degree: 44.4%

#41. Kansas

- Overall graduation rate: 42.4%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 39.0%
--- Bachelor's degree: 44.1%

#40. Montana

- Overall graduation rate: 43.6%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 30.9%
--- Bachelor's degree: 47.4%

#39. Alabama

- Overall graduation rate: 43.7%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 23.6%
--- Bachelor's degree: 44.8%

#38. Texas

- Overall graduation rate: 44.3%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 28.8%
--- Bachelor's degree: 46.8%

#37. Colorado

- Overall graduation rate: 44.9%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 32.8%
--- Bachelor's degree: 50.2%

#36. Kentucky

- Overall graduation rate: 45.0%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 40.9%
--- Bachelor's degree: 46.0%

#35. Utah

- Overall graduation rate: 45.2%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 35.1%
--- Bachelor's degree: 51.0%

#34. Louisiana

- Overall graduation rate: 45.3%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 30.8%
--- Bachelor's degree: 45.6%

#33. Arizona

- Overall graduation rate: 45.7%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 51.7%
--- Bachelor's degree: 43.5%

#32. Mississippi

- Overall graduation rate: 46.2%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 11.8%
--- Bachelor's degree: 48.5%

#31. Ohio

- Overall graduation rate: 46.3%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 27.0%
--- Bachelor's degree: 55.2%

#30. Arkansas

- Overall graduation rate: 46.7%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 12.5%
--- Bachelor's degree: 48.8%

#29. Washington

- Overall graduation rate: 47.5%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 33.2%
--- Bachelor's degree: 62.4%

#28. Idaho

- Overall graduation rate: 48.9%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 30.9%
--- Bachelor's degree: 52.9%

#27. Florida

- Overall graduation rate: 49.3%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 44.1%
--- Bachelor's degree: 52.1%

#26. South Carolina

- Overall graduation rate: 49.5%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 22.5%
--- Bachelor's degree: 51.8%

#25. Delaware

- Overall graduation rate: 50.4%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 17.7%
--- Bachelor's degree: 55.9%

#24. North Carolina

- Overall graduation rate: 50.6%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 70.5%
--- Bachelor's degree: 50.5%

#23. New Jersey

- Overall graduation rate: 51.2%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 65.8%
--- Bachelor's degree: 48.4%

#22. Missouri

- Overall graduation rate: 51.4%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 70.8%
--- Bachelor's degree: 49.3%

#21. Tennessee

- Overall graduation rate: 51.9%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 53.7%
--- Bachelor's degree: 53.1%

#20. Washington D.C.

- Overall graduation rate: 52.5%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: not available
--- Bachelor's degree: 52.5%

#19. Michigan

- Overall graduation rate: 53.4%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 26.1%
--- Bachelor's degree: 57.3%

#18. Indiana

- Overall graduation rate: 54.4%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 59.9%
--- Bachelor's degree: 54.1%

#17. Oregon

- Overall graduation rate: 55.1%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: not available
--- Bachelor's degree: 55.0%

#16. California

- Overall graduation rate: 55.9%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 46.3%
--- Bachelor's degree: 58.1%

#15. Illinois

- Overall graduation rate: 56.1%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 54.5%
--- Bachelor's degree: 55.9%

#14. New York

- Overall graduation rate: 56.2%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 50.4%
--- Bachelor's degree: 57.4%

#13. Wisconsin

- Overall graduation rate: 56.4%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 17.9%
--- Bachelor's degree: 61.0%

#12. Maryland

- Overall graduation rate: 56.6%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: not available
--- Bachelor's degree: 56.6%

#11. Virginia

- Overall graduation rate: 57.2%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 51.4%
--- Bachelor's degree: 58.2%

#10. Nebraska

- Overall graduation rate: 57.3%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 71.4%
--- Bachelor's degree: 56.6%

#9. Vermont

- Overall graduation rate: 58.1%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 54.6%
--- Bachelor's degree: 59.2%

#8. Maine

- Overall graduation rate: 58.9%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 81.5%
--- Bachelor's degree: 56.4%

#7. Iowa

- Overall graduation rate: 59.7%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 100.0%
--- Bachelor's degree: 57.4%

#6. New Hampshire

- Overall graduation rate: 59.9%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: not available
--- Bachelor's degree: 59.9%

#5. Minnesota

- Overall graduation rate: 61.8%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 54.1%
--- Bachelor's degree: 62.6%

#4. Pennsylvania

- Overall graduation rate: 62.6%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 49.6%
--- Bachelor's degree: 63.4%

#3. Connecticut

- Overall graduation rate: 63.3%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 46.9%
--- Bachelor's degree: 63.9%

#2. Massachusetts

- Overall graduation rate: 66.4%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 37.7%
--- Bachelor's degree: 67.8%

#1. Rhode Island

- Overall graduation rate: 72.4%
- Rates by predominant degree type granted:
--- Associate's degree: 47.6%
--- Bachelor's degree: 75.2%

This story originally appeared on EDsmart and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.