LegiStorm's education index provides a way to compare the average level of formal education attained by congressional staff and members among different offices which vary in staff size and composition. This education comparison provides certain insights into an office's staffing, hiring and compensation strategy. While the Best Educated Offices index is useful in comparing the average level of formal education attained by staff, this data is not intended to convey any judgment or measurement related to the impact of education on the quality of the staff or the office's ability to carry out its work.
Best educated offices are ranked by calculating an average education score for each office's current staff. The education score is based on the level of education attained* (e.g., a PhD is weighted more heavily than a master's degree, which in turn is weighted more heavily than a bachelor's degree) and the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rank of the institution attended.** LegiStorm obtains education information for members of Congress and their staff based on a variety of public sources and attempts to verify the accuracy of these records directly with each staffer. The education index is updated daily, indicating real-time changes in the office composition.
Important Caveats
Formal education is only a part of the broader picture of an individual person's skills and experience. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that the average education level in an office can be skewed by such factors as staff composition (e.g., an office staffed with a relatively high percent of entry-level positions and low percent of senior positions will tend to have a lower education score); geographic distribution (e.g., an office which predominantly hires staff from states with many high-ranked schools will tend to have a higher education score); and the cultural values of the individual staffers (e.g., individuals who value experience over formal education may not make their up-to-date education history information publicly available).
|
Rank
|
Member Name |
Average Staff Education Index ↑ |
Member Education Index |
|
Rank
26 |
Member Name
Bice, Rep. Stephanie (R-OK) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.91 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
27 |
Member Name
Cramer, Sen. Kevin (R-ND) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.92 |
Member Education Index
1.83
|
|
Rank
28 |
Member Name
Crane, Rep. Eli (R-AZ) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.92 |
Member Education Index
1.00
|
|
Rank
29 |
Member Name
Hageman, Rep. Harriet (R-WY) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.92 |
Member Education Index
1.75
|
|
Rank
30 |
Member Name
McConnell, Sen. Mitch (R-KY) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.93 |
Member Education Index
2.00
|
|
Rank
31 |
Member Name
Zinke, Rep. Ryan (R-MT) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.93 |
Member Education Index
2.50
|
|
Rank
32 |
Member Name
Yakym, Rep. Rudy (R-IN) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.93 |
Member Education Index
2.38
|
|
Rank
33 |
Member Name
Lucas, Rep. Frank (R-OK) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.94 |
Member Education Index
1.50
|
|
Rank
34 |
Member Name
Kustoff, Rep. David (R-TN) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.94 |
Member Education Index
2.00
|
|
Rank
35 |
Member Name
Mills, Rep. Cory (R-FL) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.95 |
Member Education Index
1.67
|
|
Rank
36 |
Member Name
Westerman, Rep. Bruce (R-AR) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.96 |
Member Education Index
3.33
|
|
Rank
37 |
Member Name
Spartz, Rep. Victoria (R-IN) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.96 |
Member Education Index
2.75
|
|
Rank
38 |
Member Name
Harris, Rep. Andy (R-MD) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.97 |
Member Education Index
4.75
|
|
Rank
39 |
Member Name
Williams, Rep. Roger (R-TX) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.97 |
Member Education Index
1.63
|
|
Rank
40 |
Member Name
Guthrie, Rep. Brett (R-KY) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.98 |
Member Education Index
3.58
|
|
Rank
41 |
Member Name
Biggs, Rep. Andy (R-AZ) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.98 |
Member Education Index
2.92
|
|
Rank
42 |
Member Name
Giménez, Rep. Carlos (R-FL) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.98 |
Member Education Index
1.38
|
|
Rank
43 |
Member Name
Jordan, Rep. Jim (R-OH) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.00 |
Member Education Index
3.00
|
|
Rank
44 |
Member Name
Cloud, Rep. Michael (R-TX) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.00 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
45 |
Member Name
Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Alexandria (D-NY) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.00 |
Member Education Index
2.00
|
|
Rank
46 |
Member Name
Timmons, Rep. William (R-SC) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.00 |
Member Education Index
2.44
|
|
Rank
47 |
Member Name
Stauber, Rep. Pete (R-MN) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.00 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
48 |
Member Name
Miller, Rep. Mary (R-IL) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.00 |
Member Education Index
1.33
|
|
Rank
49 |
Member Name
LaTurner, Rep. Jake (R-KS) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.00 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
50 |
Member Name
Fischbach, Rep. Michelle (R-MN) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.02 |
Member Education Index
1.75
|
* Levels of education considered are: professional certificate, some undergraduate coursework, associate's degree, bachelor's degree, some graduate coursework, post-graduate certificate, master's degree, juris doctor, doctorate, doctor of medicine.
** Institutions are weighted by U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings, grouped by top 10, 10-49, 50-100, higher than 100 or unranked. National universities are weighed more heavily than regional universities or liberal arts colleges.
