Education: West Virginia can’t afford to be apathetic
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As state lawmakers ponder legislation that will be best for all West Virginians, and help the state retain and attract residents, there is bad -- though perhaps not surprising -- news from yet another national report. Financial website WalletHub says the Mountain State ranks dead last in its "2022's Most and Least Educated States in America" report.
West Virginia is 50th for educational attainment and 42nd for the quality of the education available. We are 50th for the percentage of associate's degree holders or college-experienced adults; 50th for the percentage of bachelor's degree holders; 49th for percentage of graduate or professional degree holders; and 46th for lowest average university quality.
WalletHub also took a look at how our economy is affecting education. While the state is last in education attainment, it is also 49th for median annual household income. We know the relationship between income and education is a tricky one. If you are able to afford a quality education in the first place, you are more likely to earn more later. On the other hand, a state in which the ability to afford post-secondary education is reduced is also less likely to have a lot to spend on improving the quality of education available at state-funded institutions of higher learning.
Lawmakers can do some of the heavy lifting, in terms of working to diversify and expand our economy, and conducting themselves in a manner that is more likely to keep our young people here and new families interested in relocating. But families have some work to do, too, as there is a heavy socio-cultural component to some Mountain State residents' attitudes toward higher education.
Perhaps we have gotten too used to seeing that 50th ranking pop up next to West Virginia in national report after national report. But now is the time to throw that apathy aside. Education may not be the only answer, but is certainly a large part of the answer when it comes to lifting us all.