You can find a study or a statistic for just about anything nowadays: cats vs. dogs, Junk fruit vs. veggies, Apple vs Android...but prisons vs. colleges? This is a new one for me.

Studee.com recently released a study that was done comparing the number of prisons each state had versus the number of places of higher education. Their study revealed that the United States has more jails and prisons than it does colleges and universities. They claim that the US prides itself in having one of the best education systems, but according to the report the US has more folks behind bars than any other country.

Which States Have the Worst Ratio?

The study compared the number of people incarcerated vs. people with higher education. According to the research near 75% of the states have more prisons than colleges. Wyoming made the top of the list because they only have one college and they have 28 jails/prisons which gives them 2700% more prisons to colleges. They based the percentage on a number per 100 thousand. The top five also included Mississippi, Alaska, Alabama and Louisiana.

Which States Have the Best Ratio?

Texas was at the top of the pack with 144 colleges vs 313 prisons/jails. Oregon is in the center of the pack with a 32 to 50 ratio, giving Texas a 117% ratio. The bottom five, or should we say the states that have more colleges than places to pay for your crime, are Rhode Island, California, Vermont, New York and the last one may surprise you, New Jersey.

What About the Hudson Valley?

I did my own calculation for the Hudson Valley and according to my recall New York State might be doing well with 239 Colleges vs 116 Jails/prisons with a -51% ratio but here in the Hudson Valley, we seem pretty even. Maybe we have most of the jails for the whole state.

Hudson Valley Colleges

Marist College in Poughkeepsie

Columbia-Green Community College in Hudson

Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh

The Culinary Institute of American in Hyde Park

SUNY New Paltz in New Paltz

Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie

Sullivan Community College (SUNY Sullivan) in Loch Sheldrake

SUNY Ulster in Marbletown

Rockland Community College (SUNY Rockland) in Suffern

Orange County Community College (SUNY Orange) in Middletown

Bard College in Red Hook

Vassar College in Poughkeepsie

List of Correctional Facilities in the Hudson Valley

Coxsackie Correctional Facility in Coxsackie

Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill

Fishkill Correctional Facility in Beacon

Green-Haven Correctional Facility in East Fishkill

Otisville Correctional Facility in Otisville

Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Plattekill

Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg

Ulster Correctional Facility in Napanoch

Wallkill Correctional Facility in Wallkill

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