Governor Deval Patrick fist bump

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick fist bumps graduates at the start of the UMass-Amherst commencment on Friday afternoon in Amherst. Patrick was the keynote speaker. At left is UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. (DAVE ROBACK / THE REPUBLICAN).

SPRINGFIELD - Residents of Massachusetts, hold your stereotypically elitist, well-educated head high. The Commonwealth has been named the smartest state in the nation.

In the list "The 10 Smartest States in America," the website The Street compared education levels, income and standardized testing scores.

The report considered the following data:

Percent of population with bachelor's degrees: 38.2 percent

2013 median household income: $65,339

2013 Average SAT score: 1553

While the state average for SAT scores is low, Massachusetts has some of the best high schools in the nation. 75 Massachusetts high schools were declared so by the U.S. News & World Report 2014 rankings.

Sabis International Charter School and Springfield Renaissance School in Springfield are on the list.

As Massachusetts is home to 113 colleges and universities, including some of the most prestigious schools in the world, the percentage of the population who further their education is unsurprising.

In a recent editorial board meeting with staff of The Republican and MassLive.com, Gov. Deval Patrick spoke of efforts to lure students to stay in the state for their post-collegiate careers.

Referencing Facebook and Microsoft - two companies conceived in the Commonwealth but grown elsewhere - he hopes to encourage such innovation to stay. "When they catch fire, we want them to grow to scale here," Patrick said.

According to recent census numbers cited by The Street's report, 38.2 percent of the state population has at least a bachelor's degree.

Men with a bachelor's degree make 60 percent more than those with a high school diploma, and women make 56.6 percent more than their counterparts without a college diploma, the report states, citing 2010 numbers. As such, the author concludes there is a negative correlation between a high number of residents with college degrees and those living below the poverty line.

The median household income last year in Massachusetts was $65,339, the fifth highest in the nation. While the median income is high nationwide, the report does not mention that Massachusetts has extreme income disparities statewide.

The opportunity for six-or-seven figure paying positions, draws well-educated candidates to the state, according to the report. "Intuitively, states offering better jobs will attract better educated residents. The correlation between states offering better employment opportunities and the number of college graduates residing there is strong."

Other states in New England were ranked as well. Connecticut was named the 4th smartest state, Vermont 7th and New Hampshire 9th.

The Street also ranked the "dumbest" states in the nation, with West Virginia coming in 1st.