Louisiana Ranked Worst State for At-Risk Youth in New Study

LOUISIANA - Louisiana is once again landing at the top of a list no one wants to see.

A new WalletHub study ranks the Bayou State as the No. 1 State in America with the most at-risk youth, highlighting ongoing challenges. While Louisiana has made progress in some education metrics in recent years, this latest report shows there's still plenty of work ahead.

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Louisiana Earns The No. 1 Spot

Louisiana is once again landing at the top of a list no one wants to see.

A new WalletHub study ranks the Bayou State as the No. 1 state in America with the most at-risk youth, highlighting ongoing challenges involving education, employment, poverty, and opportunities for young adults.

From wallethub.com -

To determine the places where young Americans are not faring as well as others in the same age group, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 15 key indicators of youth risk. Our data set ranges from the share of disconnected youth to the labor force participation rate among young adults to the youth poverty rate.

The rankings looked at factors including:

1. Young adults who aren't working or attending school
2. High school diploma completion rates
3. Youth poverty
4. Teen birth rates
5. Labor force participation
6. Health-related measures
7. Other education and employment statistics

After combining all of those categories, Louisiana finished with the highest overall risk score in America, just ahead of Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Why Louisiana Ranked So Poorly

WalletHub says 16.6% of Louisianans between 18 and 24 are neither enrolled in school nor employed while also having no education beyond a high school diploma. That's the highest percentage in the country.

At Risk Youth — Unsplash Via Lesli Whitecotton

The report also found that Louisiana has:

The second-highest youth poverty rate
The fourth-highest percentage of young adults without a high school diploma
One of the nation's highest teen birth rates
One of the lowest youth labor force participation rates

Some Good News For Louisiana

Louisiana has recently received national recognition for improving student achievement. In fact, education data released this year showed Louisiana is one of the few states where students have recovered academically beyond pre-pandemic reading and math levels.

While Louisiana has shown encouraging gains in academic performance, this latest report suggests there's still significant work to do to make sure more young people have opportunities after high school.

Read the full report at wallethub.com.

Source: WalletHub

Louisiana’s 6 Best Private Schools Ranked

For many Louisiana parents, choosing the right school is one of the biggest decisions they'll make for their children. While public schools educate the majority of students across the state, private schools continue to attract families looking for smaller class sizes, college-preparatory programs, faith-based education, and specialized learning opportunities.

With hundreds of private schools operating throughout Louisiana, a handful consistently stand out for academic excellence, student success, college placement rates, extracurricular opportunities, and overall reputation.

U.S. News & World Report has released their list of what they say are the 6 best private schools in Louisiana

Gallery Credit: Michael Dot Scott