Massachusetts: One Of The Best States For Education

The Bay State certainly comes to mind when you think of American history, fall foliage, and great seafood. However, Massachusetts stands alone when when discussing the best states for education in the country.

WalletHub recently detailed the most educated states across America, and Massachusetts ranked as the best.

"It’s certainly worth living in one of the most educated states, which offer high-quality learning from childhood all the way through the university level," said WalletHub analyst, Cassandra Happe. In this report, WalletHub studied the quality of education and educational attainment in each state. Within those categories, 18 different metrics were examined. This includes enrollment, quality of school system, and the percentage of adults over the age of 25 that have college experience or an associate's degree.

It's well established that education is of the utmost importance in the state. In fact, Mass.gov states, "The public system is committed to continuous improvement and accountability in all aspects of teaching and learning." Regardless, when you really break it down, Massachusetts has some very impressive educational statistics, according to WalletHub.

Overall, the state's total report score was 82.32. For context, there was a large gap between the second and third-placed states, respectively. This is in part due to the fact that Massachusetts ranked the best in both of the primary topics.

Furthermore, the news for Massachusetts education ratings within the United States gets even better. As a state, we also finished as the best for bachelor's, professional, and graduate degree holders. Only Connecticut tops Massachusetts when it comes to average university quality. Speaking of other New England states, Vermont, Connecticut, and New Hampshire all finished in the top 10 states for education.

Last summer, WalletHub compiled a similar report where they detailed the most educated cities in America. Boston-Cambridge-Newton was the first metro area to crack this list, ranking as the 7th most educated city.

Okay, let me get right to the point. I'm from New Jersey and grew up about twenty miles from Manhattan. So, I've been on the hunt for the perfect bagel ever since I moved to New England 12 years ago, and have been pleasantly surprised to find a few Massachusetts chain restaurants that actually have great bagels.

I'm also always on the run driving to various events or tournaments across the state. Regardless of what county I am in, a good bagel and coffee breakfast is something I am always looking for. Time is usually of the essence so my preference is typically a quick grab-and-go.

I've compiled a short list of bagel chains that really deliver. To clarify, this list excludes any local bakery or privately owned single bagel shop. Many of those remain among my favorite places to grab an everything, extra-toasted, and lightly buttered. In fact, this past weekend I even tripped across one that cooks a "New Jersey Pork Roll" bagel sandwich. The proper term is Taylor Ham, but back to the point.

The bagel restaurants selected here don't have to be specific to Massachusetts only. They do, however have multiple locations throughout the state. So, If I'm en route to an early morning lacrosse tournament in Devens and stop in to grab breakfast at a Newton franchise, I can expect their other location in Milton will have a similar offering, when I'm there for a sunrise hockey game in the winter.

In full transparency, Dunkin' Donuts is not on this list. With all due respect,  it's called Dunkin "Donuts" for a reason. Throw a sausage, egg, and cheese on one of their bagels and I'm OK, but I'm still not going out of my way specifically for their bagels. However, if this were a coffee chain feature, Dunkin' would be standing strong towards the top.

Without further ado, let's hop in the car, roll down Route 3, 24, or take a sharp exit off 93, and pull into a few Massachusetts small chain restaurants that are cooking up some great bagels.

There are five Gunther Tooties locations from Foxborough down to the South Shore. The owner of this chain worked in a New York bagel shop before taking over the first location in Pembroke. Moreover, a few of their spots offer drive-through. The "French Toast" bagel listed under the New York Style portion of the menu is always hard to resist.

Sometimes known as "The Bagel Shop" (like their Chatham location), this is a family operated chain business that has a significant presence in eastern Massachusetts and in Florida. Everything is baked fresh onsite. If you've ever wondered what Chocolate Chip Cookie flavored Iced Coffee takes like, they have 22 different variations here. And it tastes as good as it sounds.

There are five Cafe Fresh Bagel restaurants all within about 30 minutes of each other. This is my bagel breakfast sandwich spot. I  keep it simple when I go there, with a classic: bacon, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel.

There are 14 Bruegger's in Massachusetts. Each one is a combination of its own character and consistent taste. The menu is the same everywhere, which is a good thing because their bagels contiguously deliver an essential bagel flavor whether you are in a Bruegger's on School St. in Boston or stopping in on your way to their Route 3a South Shore location on your way to the highway. Plus, their bagels are relatively small, so you can eat two.