Worst Colleges in America by State

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You’d think Iowa would be cheaper than others on the list, but nope. Waldorf University is over market, and students usually end up with $27,804 in debt. The good news is that the median salary is $37,800, but that doesn’t stop 9.7% defaulting on their loans.

Iowa – Waldorf University

We're guessing that part of the reason the default rate is so high is because the graduation rate is 31.4%, according to the Department of Education. Still, of the people that do graduate, 26% do so on time, which is better than some others on this list. 

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Did you know...

  • Boston has the highest concentration of higher ed institutions in the nation. There are over 100 colleges and universities in the Greater Boston area. It also has seven R1 "very high research activity" universities: Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Brandeis, Boston College, Northeastern, and Tufts. This R1 concentration, too, is a record.
  • Finland has some of the highest performing schools in the world. They often lead world rankings in education. Even so, primary school isn't compulsory until the age of seven. There are no national tests, no rankings, no inspections, and very few private schools. Finish students also report some of the highest satisfaction levels and lowest anxiety levels.
  • Did you know that illiteracy and crime are correlated? One study found that up to two-thirds of students who could not read with proficiency by the end of 4th grade ended up on welfare or in jail. One of the most effective anti-crime efforts is to fund quality educational programs.
  • Teaching is a hard job, and when compared to other industrialized nations, American teacher pay is middle-of-the-pack. Maybe that’s what explains a University of Pennsylvania study that found a third of teachers quit the profession within the first 3 years. When you extend the time frame to five years, 46% leave.
  • Where are the most-learned people in America? According to a 2019 WalletHub study, the most educated city in America was Ann Arbor, Michigan. The San Jose and Washington, D.C. metro areas followed closely behind. The least educated city, according to the study, was Visalia, California—in between Fresno and Bakersfield.