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
151 |
Member Name
Clarke, Rep. Yvette (D-NY) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.73 |
Member Education Index
1.17
|
|
Rank
152 |
Member Name
Moskowitz, Rep. Jared (D-FL) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.73 |
Member Education Index
2.25
|
|
Rank
153 |
Member Name
Stevens, Rep. Haley (D-MI) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.72 |
Member Education Index
2.58
|
|
Rank
154 |
Member Name
Frost, Rep. Maxwell (D-FL) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.72 |
Member Education Index
1.00
|
|
Rank
155 |
Member Name
Ramirez, Rep. Delia (D-IL) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.72 |
Member Education Index
1.50
|
|
Rank
156 |
Member Name
Pallone, Rep. Frank (D-NJ) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.71 |
Member Education Index
4.17
|
|
Rank
157 |
Member Name
Gomez, Rep. Jimmy (D-CA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.71 |
Member Education Index
2.75
|
|
Rank
158 |
Member Name
Himes, Rep. Jim (D-CT) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.70 |
Member Education Index
2.58
|
|
Rank
159 |
Member Name
Armstrong, Rep. Kelly (R-ND) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.70 |
Member Education Index
2.75
|
|
Rank
160 |
Member Name
Rogers, Rep. Hal (R-KY) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.70 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
161 |
Member Name
Banks, Rep. Jim (R-IN) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.70 |
Member Education Index
2.08
|
|
Rank
162 |
Member Name
Gooden, Rep. Lance (R-TX) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.70 |
Member Education Index
1.63
|
|
Rank
163 |
Member Name
Foushee, Rep. Valerie (D-NC) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.70 |
Member Education Index
2.00
|
|
Rank
164 |
Member Name
Norton, Delegate Eleanor Holmes (D-DC) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.69 |
Member Education Index
3.44
|
|
Rank
165 |
Member Name
Bonamici, Rep. Suzanne (D-OR) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.69 |
Member Education Index
2.00
|
|
Rank
166 |
Member Name
Jackson Lee, Rep. Sheila (D-TX) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.69 |
Member Education Index
3.92
|
|
Rank
167 |
Member Name
McGovern, Rep. Jim (D-MA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.69 |
Member Education Index
2.58
|
|
Rank
168 |
Member Name
Case, Rep. Ed (D-HI) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.68 |
Member Education Index
2.50
|
|
Rank
169 |
Member Name
Mrvan, Rep. Frank (D-IN) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.68 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
170 |
Member Name
Diaz-Balart, Rep. Mario (R-FL) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.68 |
Member Education Index
1.00
|
|
Rank
171 |
Member Name
Smucker, Rep. Lloyd (R-PA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.67 |
Member Education Index
1.00
|
|
Rank
172 |
Member Name
Kamlager, Rep. Sydney (D-CA) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.67 |
Member Education Index
3.33
|
|
Rank
173 |
Member Name
Cammack, Rep. Kat (R-FL) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.66 |
Member Education Index
1.88
|
|
Rank
174 |
Member Name
McCollum, Rep. Betty (D-MN) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.66 |
Member Education Index
1.25
|
|
Rank
175 |
Member Name
Johnson, Sen. Ron (R-WI) |
Average Staff Education Index
2.66 |
Member Education Index
3.00
|
* 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.
