schools
Five Rio Grande Valley cities rank as least educated in U.S.: WalletHub report
By Shirley Escobedo at ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local News
· July 3, 2026
· 1 min read
HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Five cities in the Rio Grande Valley ranked as the least educated in America via a WalletHub report. Out of 150 large metropolitan areas, Brownsville and Harlingen ranked 148 for educational attainment and received a 14.81 score. McAllen , Edinburg and Mission ra...
Key takeaway Out of 150 large metropolitan areas, Brownsville and Harlingen ranked 148 for educational attainment and received a 14.
Why this matters in The McAllen
The WalletHub report's findings that McAllen, Edinburg, and Mission ranked dead last in educational attainment, while Brownsville and Harlingen ranked 148, raise concerns about the long-term economic prospects of the Rio Grande Valley. With education often serving as a key factor in determining the competitiveness of a region's workforce, these rankings may impact the area's ability to attract new businesses and industries. The low educational attainment scores may also exacerbate existing challenges in the local job market, where workers may struggle to acquire the skills needed to fill higher-paying positions. As city leaders and educators in McAllen and the surrounding areas consider strategies to improve these rankings, they will likely need to focus on addressing the underlying issues contributing to the low educational attainment rates, such as limited access to quality educational resources and support services.
About this story
Original reporting by ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local News . The McAllen surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local News . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: schools ·
Published: July 3, 2026 ·
Source: ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local News ·
Reading time: 1 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Five cities in the Rio Grande Valley ranked as the least educated in America via a WalletHub report. Out of 150 large metropolitan areas, Brownsville and Harlingen ranked 148 for educational attainment and received a 14.81 score. McAllen, Edinburg and Mission ra...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 3, 2026 by ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local News and curated for The McAllen readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Shirley Escobedo at ValleyCentral (KVEO NBC 23 / CBS 4) - Local News. To learn more about how The McAllen selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more schools coverage from The McAllen, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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