Montana comes out on top when it comes to education in the Northern Plains
Montana is coming out on top when it comes to education in the Northern Plains.
New numbers from 2024 show about 35% of Montanans have a bachelor’s degree or higher—that’s better than North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Montana also has the lowest percentage of folks without a high school diploma in the region, at just over five percent.
Now, when you bring it closer to home, the picture shifts a bit. Here in Valley County, about one in five adults has a four-year degree, and roughly eight to nine percent didn’t finish high school.
That’s pretty typical for rural areas, where access to higher education and workforce demands can look a little different—but local schools are continuing to push graduation rates and create more opportunities.
