>>13348144You can look at data and say whatever the fuck you want. I know plenty of Conservatives who are dumb as a rock, and I know a lot of Liberals who are equally as stupid.
If I could access the article I'd give a hot take, but since I can't I'll just go off the included chart in OP.
This is only looking at SAT Scores, so it already is skewed towards states where taking the SAT is more common. You'll notice that the lower scores are in the coastal states, the typically liberal ones, but they're also pretty low in the South, Texas, Alaska, Hawaii, and then Idaho of all places. Since you're only looking at one metric (SAT Score), you're not going to see the bigger picture. Maybe these states have moved away from giving the SAT test? I work in Education and I know that it has become decreasingly popular with colleges and high schools.
You also have a major difference in demographics between these states. Ignoring politics, the Midwest is also more homogenous than the lower scoring states: more white, more rural, more family oriented. These things, however you feel about it, can contribute in a positive way. High schools out there tend to be much larger and better funded since they tend to be regional and families have higher rate of having educated adults. Unlike the other states with low scores, the Midwest probably doesn't have such a wide distribution of wealth or inequality. I live in the Northeast and this is exactly our problem.
