At a time when education is under scrutiny because of concerns over AI, a perceived literacy crisis, and learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic, test scores can provide a snapshot of student performance.
But that performance can vary widely across state lines.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a federal program that the National Assessment Governing Board called "the gold standard assessment" for gauging students' knowledge in the US. Known as The Nation's Report Card, the assessments are given to representative samples of public school students in each state, and results are released every two years for grades four and eight.
The most recent state-by-state data, released in January 2025, shows how students in the two grades performed in math and reading assessments in 2024 based on average scale scores ranging from 0 to 500, per the National Center for Education Statistics.
The NCES notes that scores can't be directly compared across grades and subjects. Instead, Business Insider ranked each state separately on the four assessments: fourth-grade reading, eighth-grade reading, fourth-grade math, and eighth-grade math. We then averaged each state's four rankings to produce an overall ranking of all states.
For some states, there is a correlation between test scores and rankings in overall education performance. Massachusetts, which was previously ranked the most educated state in a WalletHub report, had the highest average NAEP scores. Second-ranked Vermont, however, landed at No. 32 on our list for its average scores.
See how each state ranked based on its performance across the four assessments.
50. New Mexico
Math average scale score, grade 4: 224
Math average scale score, grade 8: 256
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 201
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 245
49. Alaska
Math average scale score, grade 4: 226
Math average scale score, grade 8: 264
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 202
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 246
48. West Virginia
Math average scale score, grade 4: 232
Math average scale score, grade 8: 261
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 206
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 247
47. Oklahoma
Math average scale score, grade 4: 233
Math average scale score, grade 8: 264
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 207
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 249
46. Delaware
Math average scale score, grade 4: 233
Math average scale score, grade 8: 263
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 210
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 249
45. Oregon
Math average scale score, grade 4: 229
Math average scale score, grade 8: 268
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 207
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 255
44. Arkansas
Math average scale score, grade 4: 230
Math average scale score, grade 8: 266
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 210
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 255
43. Arizona
Math average scale score, grade 4: 232
Math average scale score, grade 8: 270
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 208
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 254
42. Nevada
Math average scale score, grade 4: 233
Math average scale score, grade 8: 265
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 213
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 253
41. Alabama
Math average scale score, grade 4: 236
Math average scale score, grade 8: 262
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 213
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 250
40. California
Math average scale score, grade 4: 233
Math average scale score, grade 8: 269
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 212
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 254
39. Maine
Math average scale score, grade 4: 233
Math average scale score, grade 8: 273
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 210
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 255
38. Michigan
Math average scale score, grade 4: 235
Math average scale score, grade 8: 270
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 209
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 255
37. Missouri
Math average scale score, grade 4: 235
Math average scale score, grade 8: 270
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 212
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 255
36. South Carolina
Math average scale score, grade 4: 238
Math average scale score, grade 8: 268
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 215
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 254
35. Texas
Math average scale score, grade 4: 241
Math average scale score, grade 8: 269
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 212
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 252
34. Louisiana
Math average scale score, grade 4: 235
Math average scale score, grade 8: 267
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 216
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 257
32 (tie). Vermont
Math average scale score, grade 4: 235
Math average scale score, grade 8: 276
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 213
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 257
32 (tie). Kansas
Math average scale score, grade 4: 237
Math average scale score, grade 8: 274
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 213
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 255
31. Maryland
Math average scale score, grade 4: 234
Math average scale score, grade 8: 268
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 216
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 258
30. New York
Math average scale score, grade 4: 234
Math average scale score, grade 8: 271
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 215
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 257
29. Georgia
Math average scale score, grade 4: 236
Math average scale score, grade 8: 269
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 214
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 259
28. North Carolina
Math average scale score, grade 4: 239
Math average scale score, grade 8: 276
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 213
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 255
27. Virginia
Math average scale score, grade 4: 238
Math average scale score, grade 8: 275
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 214
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 256
26. Mississippi
Math average scale score, grade 4: 239
Math average scale score, grade 8: 269
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 219
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 253
25. Nebraska
Math average scale score, grade 4: 238
Math average scale score, grade 8: 280
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 212
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 256
23 (tie). Rhode Island
Math average scale score, grade 4: 237
Math average scale score, grade 8: 270
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 216
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 258
23 (tie). Florida
Math average scale score, grade 4: 243
Math average scale score, grade 8: 267
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 218
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 253
22. Iowa
Math average scale score, grade 4: 237
Math average scale score, grade 8: 275
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 215
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 261
21. Washington
Math average scale score, grade 4: 238
Math average scale score, grade 8: 274
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 216
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 259
20. Kentucky
Math average scale score, grade 4: 238
Math average scale score, grade 8: 271
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 218
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 258
18 (tie). Illinois
Math average scale score, grade 4: 236
Math average scale score, grade 8: 277
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 214
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 262
18 (tie). Hawaii
Math average scale score, grade 4: 239
Math average scale score, grade 8: 270
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 216
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 257
17. Pennsylvania
Math average scale score, grade 4: 238
Math average scale score, grade 8: 276
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 216
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 259
16. Tennessee
Math average scale score, grade 4: 240
Math average scale score, grade 8: 276
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 215
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 259
14 (tie). South Dakota
Math average scale score, grade 4: 240
Math average scale score, grade 8: 281
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 214
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 260
14 (tie). Idaho
Math average scale score, grade 4: 238
Math average scale score, grade 8: 278
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 216
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 261
13. North Dakota
Math average scale score, grade 4: 241
Math average scale score, grade 8: 280
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 216
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 257
12. Montana
Math average scale score, grade 4: 238
Math average scale score, grade 8: 279
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 217
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 261
11. Wisconsin
Math average scale score, grade 4: 239
Math average scale score, grade 8: 283
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 215
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 260
10. Minnesota
Math average scale score, grade 4: 241
Math average scale score, grade 8: 282
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 214
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 260
9. Ohio
Math average scale score, grade 4: 239
Math average scale score, grade 8: 279
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 216
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 260
8. Connecticut
Math average scale score, grade 4: 239
Math average scale score, grade 8: 277
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 219
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 263
7. Colorado
Math average scale score, grade 4: 239
Math average scale score, grade 8: 278
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 221
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 265
6. Indiana
Math average scale score, grade 4: 240
Math average scale score, grade 8: 278
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 220
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 262
5. Wyoming
Math average scale score, grade 4: 243
Math average scale score, grade 8: 278
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 222
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 260
4. Utah
Math average scale score, grade 4: 242
Math average scale score, grade 8: 282
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 219
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 261
3. New Hampshire
Math average scale score, grade 4: 242
Math average scale score, grade 8: 280
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 221
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 264
2. New Jersey
Math average scale score, grade 4: 240
Math average scale score, grade 8: 282
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 222
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 266
1. Massachusetts
Math average scale score, grade 4: 246
Math average scale score, grade 8: 283
Reading average scale score, grade 4: 225
Reading average scale score, grade 8: 268
