When it comes to intelligence, a new survey ranks Arizona dead last among the states.  For the second year in a row, an annual smartest-state ranking puts Arizona in the No. 50 spot.

The list is compiled by Morgan Quitno Press, a private research and publishing company in Kansas that also puts out annual rankings on the most livable, safest and healthiest states.
In the smart-state ranking, Vermont comes in at the top, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maine.
Arizona is at the bottom, preceded by Nevada, Mississippi, California and Alaska.

The ratings are based on 21 elementary and secondary education indicators, ranging from graduation rates and test scores to teacher pay and class size.
"Vermont performs very well in a number of important areas of education," said Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno Press, in a news release. "A high percentage of the state’s students are proficient in reading and math. In addition, class sizes are small and the number of teachers per student is among the lowest in the nation."