New Study: Montanans Among Smartest in the Nation

Just after we found data that suggests Montanans are more literate than most states, a new study shows that Montanans score high in other measures of intelligence, too.

The study from the free online education platform Guru99.com looks at common measures of intelligence. From the press release, these are the metrics:

• average IQ
• graduation rate
• percentage of the population with low literacy rates
• average SAT scores
• % of the states that don't have a high school diploma or GED
• GDP per capita

Read More: Montanans Are Surprisingly Literate Compared to Other States

Given the metrics listed above Montana scores very well overall. With a total possible score of 60, Montana's index score was 54.64. This places Montana as the fifth smartest state in the country. While we already know that Montanan's literacy rate is high, the study highlighted Montana's average SAT score (1206) and the percentage of people who don't have a high school diploma or GED (5.6%) as key contributing factors. The top five states were ranked as follows:

5. Montana

4. Vermont

3. Wyoming

2. Minnesota

1. New Hampshire

Recent Academic and Intellectual Achievements in Montana

It's no wonder Montana ranks well for these metrics given some of the recent news out of our state:

• The University of Montana recently shared that one student is the first in 30 years to receive a Rhodes Scholarship. That student is Kolter Stevenson, who is from Amsterdam, Montana.
• Missoula's Butterfly House and Insectarium is celebrating its grand opening in December and this will be a valuable opportunity for people young and old to learn about Lepidopterans.
• The journal Environmental Research Letters recently published a study from a doctoral student at Montana State University. The study "concludes that reintroducing historic fire patterns is also needed to restore key processes that shaped North American ecosystems for millions of years."

Now that we know Montanans are smart, let's take a look at how smart their dogs are: