When compared to the rest of the world, some say we’re far behind in education. Our science sucks, our math is elementary, and our language skills are as diverse as a Stephenie Meyer book signing. When compared to the other rest of the world, some taut American education as more robust than most countries on the planet, as we have a solid trajectory of nursery-through-post-graduate options for anyone who can muster their way through the necessary bureaucracy and financing.

But despite what any of them say… how do we compare to ourselves?

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released statistics reflecting the 50 states by percentage of residents aged 25-34 who hold a college degree. I instantly thought about the dozens of annoying under-employed Census representatives who’ve banged on my door over the past few months trying to get me to fess up to the ethnicity of my next-door neighbor who no longer lives there. Clearly, the Census is unable to track those who go unnacounted for–many of which do not hold college degrees–so I was instantly skeptical of the stats.

Instant cynicism aside, the results are thought-provoking. And if Statistics 101 taught me anything, a sampling is indicative of a larger population. The Chronicle of Higher Education, the ivory tower of all that is sacred and holy in academic news, prettified the numbers with a lovely interactive chart, which you can play with and view by clicking here.