LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Associated Press reports that "the board, which administers the SAT and AP tests, ranks Texas 40th in the number of people ages 25 to 34 who hold at least a college associate degree.

"In addition, less than one-third of Texans in that age group have a post-secondary degree, far below the 41 percent national average."

Adding to these disheartening figures is the fact that many Texans are first-generation, or low-income students who are either unable to handle the workload or pay tuition. That analysis is provided by University of Texas assistant professor Richard Reddick.

The theory is compatible when compared to economic statistics. According to CNN Money, three of the top five poorest American counties with a population of 250,000 or more are in Texas. In Hidalgo County, Cameron County and El Paso County, median household incomes per year in 2004 ranged from $24,778 to $28,925.

Another sore spot for Texans comes in the form of a recent report from the Brookings Institute, which identified McAllen, TX as the least-educated metro area in America, with 15.1 percent of its residents holding bachelor's degrees.