Education Quality: States with lower overall education quality, including underfunded schools and limited access to advanced coursework, may show lower average IQ scores among students.
Economic Factors: Lower-income states often face challenges that can impact cognitive development, such as limited access to quality education
Health and Nutrition: Poor access to healthcare and nutritious food, especially in childhood, can negatively affect brain development
Rural vs. Urban Areas: States with large rural populations may have lower average IQ scores due to limited access to educational resources
Educational Attainment Levels: States with lower high school graduation rates and college attainment levels often have lower average IQ scores
Brain Drain: Some states experience "brain drain," where educated and skilled individuals move to other states for better job opportunities
Socioeconomic Disparities: States with significant income inequality and disparities in education access can see variations in IQ scores
tandardized Test Performance: States with lower average scores on standardized tests, which are sometimes used as proxies for IQ