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
501 |
Member Name
Carl, Rep. Jerry (R-AL) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.94 |
Member Education Index
1.00
|
|
Rank
502 |
Member Name
McConnell, Sen. Mitch (R-KY) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.93 |
Member Education Index
2.00
|
|
Rank
503 |
Member Name
Hageman, Rep. Harriet (R-WY) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.92 |
Member Education Index
1.75
|
|
Rank
504 |
Member Name
Cramer, Sen. Kevin (R-ND) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.92 |
Member Education Index
1.83
|
|
Rank
505 |
Member Name
Crane, Rep. Eli (R-AZ) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.92 |
Member Education Index
1.00
|
|
Rank
506 |
Member Name
Bice, Rep. Stephanie (R-OK) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.91 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
507 |
Member Name
Loudermilk, Rep. Barry (R-GA) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.91 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
508 |
Member Name
Luna, Rep. Anna (R-FL) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.91 |
Member Education Index
1.50
|
|
Rank
509 |
Member Name
Pfluger, Rep. August (R-TX) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.91 |
Member Education Index
3.05
|
|
Rank
510 |
Member Name
Zinke, Rep. Ryan (R-MT) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.90 |
Member Education Index
2.50
|
|
Rank
511 |
Member Name
Yakym, Rep. Rudy (R-IN) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.90 |
Member Education Index
2.38
|
|
Rank
512 |
Member Name
Foxx, Rep. Virginia (R-NC) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.90 |
Member Education Index
4.33
|
|
Rank
513 |
Member Name
Barrasso, Sen. John (R-WY) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.89 |
Member Education Index
3.75
|
|
Rank
514 |
Member Name
Burchett, Rep. Tim (R-TN) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.88 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
515 |
Member Name
Carey, Rep. Mike (R-OH) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.88 |
Member Education Index
1.42
|
|
Rank
516 |
Member Name
Williams, Rep. Brandon (R-NY) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.88 |
Member Education Index
3.25
|
|
Rank
517 |
Member Name
Allen, Rep. Rick (R-GA) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.85 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
518 |
Member Name
Good, Rep. Bob (R-VA) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.85 |
Member Education Index
1.83
|
|
Rank
519 |
Member Name
LaMalfa, Rep. Doug (R-CA) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.84 |
Member Education Index
1.13
|
|
Rank
520 |
Member Name
Roy, Rep. Chip (R-TX) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.84 |
Member Education Index
3.81
|
|
Rank
521 |
Member Name
Carter, Rep. Buddy (R-GA) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.81 |
Member Education Index
1.42
|
|
Rank
522 |
Member Name
Gosar, Rep. Paul (R-AZ) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.78 |
Member Education Index
2.17
|
|
Rank
523 |
Member Name
Simpson, Rep. Mike (R-ID) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.77 |
Member Education Index
2.17
|
|
Rank
524 |
Member Name
Fry, Rep. Russell (R-SC) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.75 |
Member Education Index
2.00
|
|
Rank
525 |
Member Name
Flood, Rep. Mike (R-NE) |
Average Staff Education Index
1.73 |
Member Education Index
2.50
|
* 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.
