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
51 |
Member Name
Auchincloss, Rep. Jake (D-MA) |
Average Staff Education Index
3.00 |
Member Education Index
4.08
|
|
Rank
52 |
Member Name
Thompson, Rep. Mike (D-CA) |
Average Staff Education Index
3.00 |
Member Education Index
1.83
|
|
Rank
53 |
Member Name
Jayapal, Rep. Pramila (D-WA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.99 |
Member Education Index
3.33
|
|
Rank
54 |
Member Name
Clark, Rep. Katherine (D-MA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.99 |
Member Education Index
4.25
|
|
Rank
55 |
Member Name
Blumenthal, Sen. Richard (D-CT) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.98 |
Member Education Index
4.00
|
|
Rank
56 |
Member Name
Tonko, Rep. Paul (D-NY) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.98 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
57 |
Member Name
Green, Rep. Al (D-TX) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.97 |
Member Education Index
2.00
|
|
Rank
58 |
Member Name
Napolitano, Rep. Grace (D-CA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.97 |
Member Education Index
1.00
|
|
Rank
59 |
Member Name
Stabenow, Sen. Debbie (D-MI) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.96 |
Member Education Index
2.58
|
|
Rank
60 |
Member Name
Horsford, Rep. Steven (D-NV) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.96 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
61 |
Member Name
Phillips, Rep. Dean (D-MN) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.95 |
Member Education Index
2.83
|
|
Rank
62 |
Member Name
Butler, Sen. Laphonza (D-CA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.95 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
63 |
Member Name
Waltz, Rep. Michael (R-FL) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.94 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
64 |
Member Name
Barragán, Rep. Nanette (D-CA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.93 |
Member Education Index
4.25
|
|
Rank
65 |
Member Name
Duckworth, Sen. Tammy (D-IL) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.93 |
Member Education Index
2.06
|
|
Rank
66 |
Member Name
Evans, Rep. Dwight (D-PA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.93 |
Member Education Index
1.50
|
|
Rank
67 |
Member Name
Trahan, Rep. Lori (D-MA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.93 |
Member Education Index
3.42
|
|
Rank
68 |
Member Name
Levin, Rep. Mike (D-CA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.93 |
Member Education Index
4.50
|
|
Rank
69 |
Member Name
Smith, Sen. Tina (D-MN) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.92 |
Member Education Index
2.94
|
|
Rank
70 |
Member Name
Booker, Sen. Cory (D-NJ) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.92 |
Member Education Index
4.40
|
|
Rank
71 |
Member Name
Warner, Sen. Mark (D-VA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.92 |
Member Education Index
4.00
|
|
Rank
72 |
Member Name
Steil, Rep. Bryan (R-WI) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.91 |
Member Education Index
3.67
|
|
Rank
73 |
Member Name
Carper, Sen. Tom (D-DE) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.91 |
Member Education Index
2.58
|
|
Rank
74 |
Member Name
Veasey, Rep. Marc (D-TX) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.90 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
75 |
Member Name
Bush, Rep. Cori (D-MO) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.90 |
Member Education Index
1.00
|
* 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.
