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

US states by NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8

Massachusetts had the highest NAEP average score, mathematics, grade 8 of 51 states in 2005, at 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). District of Columbia had the lowest, at 245 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). The median was 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) and the figure for the United States was 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest292Massachusetts
Lowest245District of Columbia
Median28151 states
United States278History

Map of states, 2005

Alabama: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia: 245 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana: 282 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: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota: 290 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey: 284 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: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
  • Under 270
  • 270 to 280
  • 280 and over
NAEP scale score (0 to 500), 2005. 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, 2005

Massachusetts: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts292Minnesota: 290 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota290Vermont: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont287South Dakota: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota287North Dakota: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota287Montana: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana286New Hampshire: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire285Washington: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington285Wisconsin: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin285Virginia: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia284Kansas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas284Nebraska: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska284New Jersey: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey284Iowa: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa284Ohio: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio283Oregon: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon282Wyoming: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming282North Carolina: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina282Indiana: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana282South Carolina: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina281Texas: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas281Connecticut: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut281Maine: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine281Idaho: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho281Delaware: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware281Colorado: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado281Pennsylvania: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania281New York: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York280Utah: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah279Alaska: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska279Maryland: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland278Illinois: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois278Michigan: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan277Missouri: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri276Arizona: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona274Florida: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida274Kentucky: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky274Rhode Island: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island272Georgia: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia272Arkansas: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas272Oklahoma: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma271Tennessee: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee271Nevada: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada270West Virginia: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia269California: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California269Louisiana: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana268Hawaii: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii266New Mexico: 263 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico263Mississippi: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi262Alabama: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama262District of Columbia: 245 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia245Massachusetts: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts292Minnesota: 290 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota290Vermont: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont287South Dakota: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota287North Dakota: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota287Montana: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana286New Hampshire: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire285Washington: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington285Wisconsin: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin285Virginia: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia284Kansas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas284Nebraska: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska284New Jersey: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey284Iowa: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa284Ohio: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio283Oregon: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon282Wyoming: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming282North Carolina: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina282Indiana: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana282South Carolina: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina281Texas: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas281Connecticut: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut281Maine: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine281Idaho: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho281Delaware: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware281Colorado: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado281Pennsylvania: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania281New York: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York280Utah: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah279Alaska: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska279Maryland: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland278Illinois: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois278Michigan: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan277Missouri: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri276Arizona: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona274Florida: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida274Kentucky: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky274Rhode Island: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island272Georgia: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia272Arkansas: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas272Oklahoma: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma271Tennessee: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee271Nevada: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada270West Virginia: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia269California: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California269Louisiana: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana268Hawaii: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii266New Mexico: 263 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico263Mississippi: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi262Alabama: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama262District of Columbia: 245 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia245
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

RankStates2005
NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
1Massachusetts292
2Minnesota290
3Vermont287
4South Dakota287
5North Dakota287
6Montana286
7New Hampshire285
8Washington285
9Wisconsin285
10Virginia284
11Kansas284
12Nebraska284
13New Jersey284
14Iowa284
15Ohio283
16Oregon282
17Wyoming282
18North Carolina282
19Indiana282
20South Carolina281
21Texas281
22Connecticut281
23Maine281
24Idaho281
25Delaware281
26Colorado281
27Pennsylvania281
28New York280
29Utah279
30Alaska279
31Maryland278
32Illinois278
33Michigan277
34Missouri276
35Arizona274
36Florida274
37Kentucky274
38Rhode Island272
39Georgia272
40Arkansas272
41Oklahoma271
42Tennessee271
43Nevada270
44West Virginia269
45California269
46Louisiana268
47Hawaii266
48New Mexico263
49Mississippi262
50Alabama262
51District of Columbia245

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, 2005) [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, 2005. 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=2005. 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, 2005. 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=2005.

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, 2005 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2005 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_naep_2005,
  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, 2005}},
  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=2005. 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, 2005
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=2005
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2005.
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?

Massachusetts, with 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2005, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

District of Columbia, with 245 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2005.

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