Nearly half of all adults in Massachusetts now hold at least a bachelor's degree, cementing the state's position as America's most educated, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data analysed by Business Insider .

Massachusetts led the nation with 48.3% of residents aged 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher, narrowly ahead of Colorado at 47.8%. Vermont, Maryland and New Jersey rounded out the top five, highlighting the continued dominance of the Northeast and highly skilled knowledge-economy states.

The findings come as educational attainment across the United States continues to rise, with the Census Bureau reporting growing shares of Americans earning university degrees, particularly among younger adults.

Based on the share of adults aged 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher, the top 10 states are:

Massachusetts' educational advantage is closely tied to its concentration of world-renowned universities, including Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston University and Tufts University. The state also boasts the nation's highest share of adults with graduate or professional degrees at 22.6%.

Experts say highly educated populations often attract technology, healthcare, finance and biotechnology firms, creating a cycle in which talent and economic opportunity reinforce one another. Massachusetts consistently ranks among the strongest U.S. economies and highest-income states.

The Census Bureau's latest educational attainment data show that younger Americans are earning degrees at historically high rates. In 2024, 42.8% of Americans aged 25 to 39 held a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 34.2% among those aged 55 and older.

Research consistently links higher educational attainment with stronger earnings, lower unemployment and greater economic mobility. States with large concentrations of degree holders also tend to attract high-value industries and investment.

Brazil remains football's biggest talent exporter, with more players competing abroad than any other nation, according to a new report from the CIES Football Observatory , highlighting the country's enduring influence on the global game.

The study found that 3,020 Brazilian footballers played in foreign leagues between 2020 and 2025, comfortably ahead of France (2,293) and Argentina (2,171). Together, the three nations account for a significant share of the world's internationally mobile football talent.

For decades, Brazil has been synonymous with football excellence, producing legends from Pelé and Zico to Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar. The latest figures suggest the country's talent pipeline remains unmatched, with Brazilian players appearing in leagues across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.

According to CIES, Portugal remains the leading destination for Brazilian footballers, benefiting from shared language and historical ties. At the same time, Japan, the United States and several European leagues also attract large numbers of Brazilian players.

France ranked second, with the report noting the country recorded the largest increase in expatriate players during the period, adding 372 footballers abroad between 2020 and 2025. Argentina finished third, reinforcing South America's status as one of football's most important talent-producing regions.

England, Spain, Germany and Colombia also featured prominently in the top 10, while Nigeria was the highest-ranked African nation with 926 players competing overseas. Serbia and Croatia completed the list.

The CIES study examined player movements across 135 professional leagues worldwide, reflecting the increasingly global nature of modern football. Analysts say clubs are scouting talent more widely than ever, creating international pathways for players from emerging football markets.

The report also found strong growth in football migration from countries such as Nigeria, Colombia and France, underlining the growing demand for talent from Africa and South America .

The government-funded flight landed on Thursday carrying 262 passengers, including women and children , as part of a wider repatriation effort ordered by President Bola Tinubu.

Upon arrival, returnees were welcomed by officials before completing registration procedures.

Several passengers said life in South Africa had become increasingly difficult amid growing hostility towards foreign nationals.

"The problem in South Africa is with the leaders," said returnee Emeka Obodo. "They have literally made everybody an illegal immigrant in their country. When you seek a document, they will not give it to you, and when you go to process it, they will arrest you."

Others said the effects of discrimination were felt by their families.

"Xenophobia did not really affect me personally, but it affected my child. Teachers discriminated against him and were biased towards him," shared Millie Abu, a mother of three.

For Patience Chime, worsening conditions made the decision to return unavoidable.

"They asked us to leave," she said. "They stopped us from doing our business. They said we must not do business. That was why we decided to come back to Nigeria."

Nigerian authorities say attention is now turning to helping returnees rebuild their lives.

"Some of these children have to go to school. There is a lot of work to be done with state and local governments on how to reintegrate their citizens, but the President has done the biggest thing, which is to pay for their flight to come back home," said Abike Dabiri, CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.

The evacuation comes as anti-immigrant protests continue in parts of South Africa, driven by concerns over unemployment, poverty and pressure on public services.

Nigeria has approved five emergency evacuation flights expected to bring home more than 1,000 citizens from South Africa.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned attacks on foreign nationals, saying "there is no space for xenophobia, racism, sexism, Afrophobia or any other forms of intolerance" in the country.