Data / Rankings / NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8 / US states

US states by NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8

Minnesota had the highest NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8 of 51 states in 2003, at 291 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). District of Columbia had the lowest, at 243 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). The median was 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) and the figure for the United States was 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest291Minnesota
Lowest243District of Columbia
Median27951 states
United States276History

Map of states, 2003

Alabama: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia: 243 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota: 291 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico: 263 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
  • Under 270
  • 270 to 280
  • 280 and over
NAEP scale score (0 to 500), 2003. Source: NCES, NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2003

Minnesota: 291 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota291North Dakota: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota287Massachusetts: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts287New Hampshire: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire286Montana: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana286Vermont: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont286South Dakota: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota285Kansas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas284Iowa: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa284Wisconsin: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin284Connecticut: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut284Wyoming: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming284Colorado: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado283Nebraska: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska282Maine: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine282Virginia: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia282Ohio: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio282New Jersey: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey281North Carolina: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina281Indiana: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana281Washington: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington281Oregon: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon281Utah: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah281Idaho: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho280New York: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York280Alaska: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska279Missouri: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri279Pennsylvania: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania279Maryland: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland278South Carolina: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina277Illinois: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois277Delaware: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware277Texas: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas277Michigan: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan276Kentucky: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky274Rhode Island: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island272Oklahoma: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma272Florida: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida271Arizona: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona271West Virginia: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia271Georgia: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia270Tennessee: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee268Nevada: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada268California: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California267Louisiana: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana266Arkansas: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas266Hawaii: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii266New Mexico: 263 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico263Alabama: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama262Mississippi: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi261District of Columbia: 243 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia243Minnesota: 291 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota291North Dakota: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota287Massachusetts: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts287New Hampshire: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire286Montana: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana286Vermont: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont286South Dakota: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota285Kansas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas284Iowa: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa284Wisconsin: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin284Connecticut: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut284Wyoming: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming284Colorado: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado283Nebraska: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska282Maine: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine282Virginia: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia282Ohio: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio282New Jersey: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey281North Carolina: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina281Indiana: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana281Washington: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington281Oregon: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon281Utah: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah281Idaho: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho280New York: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York280Alaska: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska279Missouri: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri279Pennsylvania: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania279Maryland: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland278South Carolina: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina277Illinois: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois277Delaware: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware277Texas: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas277Michigan: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan276Kentucky: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky274Rhode Island: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island272Oklahoma: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma272Florida: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida271Arizona: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona271West Virginia: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia271Georgia: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia270Tennessee: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee268Nevada: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada268California: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California267Louisiana: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana266Arkansas: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas266Hawaii: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii266New Mexico: 263 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico263Alabama: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama262Mississippi: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi261District of Columbia: 243 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia243
NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: NCES, NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2003
NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
1Minnesota291
2North Dakota287
3Massachusetts287
4New Hampshire286
5Montana286
6Vermont286
7South Dakota285
8Kansas284
9Iowa284
10Wisconsin284
11Connecticut284
12Wyoming284
13Colorado283
14Nebraska282
15Maine282
16Virginia282
17Ohio282
18New Jersey281
19North Carolina281
20Indiana281
21Washington281
22Oregon281
23Utah281
24Idaho280
25New York280
26Alaska279
27Missouri279
28Pennsylvania279
29Maryland278
30South Carolina277
31Illinois277
32Delaware277
33Texas277
34Michigan276
35Kentucky274
36Rhode Island272
37Oklahoma272
38Florida271
39Arizona271
40West Virginia271
41Georgia270
42Tennessee268
43Nevada268
44California267
45Louisiana266
46Arkansas266
47Hawaii266
48New Mexico263
49Alabama262
50Mississippi261
51District of Columbia243

Other periods

About this ranking

Average scale score of public school students in mathematics, grade 8 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, the Nation's Report Card), on a scale of 0 to 500, from the National Center for Education Statistics. The year is the year of the assessment, given from January to March.

NAEP tests a sample of students, so each score has a margin of error and a difference of a few points between states or years is often not statistically significant. States are tested every two years (2003 to 2019, then 2022 and 2024). The national value is for public schools only, the group NCES compares states with. Scores are on the same scale across years and states but cannot be compared with state test results.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

National Center for Education Statistics. (2026). NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation (US states by NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8, 2003) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE

MLA 9

NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation, US states by NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8, 2003. National Center for Education Statistics, 12 Oct. 2026, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2003. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

National Center for Education Statistics. 2026. NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. US states by NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8, 2003. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2003.

Harvard

National Center for Education Statistics (2026) NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation, US states by NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8, 2003 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2003 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_naep_2003,
  author = {{National Center for Education Statistics}},
  title = {{NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation: US states by NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8, 2003}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2003. Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - National Center for Education Statistics
TI  - NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation: US states by NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8, 2003
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/12
PB  - National Center for Education Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2003
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2003.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank US states by NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8 using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which state has the highest NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8?

Minnesota, with 291 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2003, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

Which state has the lowest NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8?

District of Columbia, with 243 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2003.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Data Service: average scale score, mathematics, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings