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 2009, at 299 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). District of Columbia had the lowest, at 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). The median was 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) and the figure for the United States was 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest299Massachusetts
Lowest254District of Columbia
Median28451 states
United States282History

Map of states, 2009

Alabama: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia: 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts: 299 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota: 291 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
  • Under 270
  • 270 to 280
  • 280 to 290
  • 290 and over
NAEP scale score (0 to 500), 2009. 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, 2009

Massachusetts: 299 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts299Minnesota: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota294Vermont: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont293North Dakota: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota293New Jersey: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey293New Hampshire: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire292Montana: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana292South Dakota: 291 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota291Washington: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington289Connecticut: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut289Kansas: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas289Maryland: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland288Pennsylvania: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania288Wisconsin: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin288Colorado: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado287Idaho: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho287Indiana: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana287Texas: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas287Maine: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine286Wyoming: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming286Virginia: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia286Missouri: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri286Ohio: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio286Oregon: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon285North Carolina: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina284Nebraska: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska284Iowa: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa284Utah: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah284Delaware: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware284Alaska: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska283New York: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York283Illinois: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois282South Carolina: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina280Florida: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida279Kentucky: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky279Michigan: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan278Rhode Island: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island278Georgia: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia278Arizona: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona277Arkansas: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas276Oklahoma: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma276Tennessee: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee275Nevada: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada274Hawaii: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii274Louisiana: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana272California: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California270West Virginia: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia270New Mexico: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico270Alabama: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama269Mississippi: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi265District of Columbia: 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia254Massachusetts: 299 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts299Minnesota: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota294Vermont: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont293North Dakota: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota293New Jersey: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey293New Hampshire: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire292Montana: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana292South Dakota: 291 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota291Washington: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington289Connecticut: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut289Kansas: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas289Maryland: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland288Pennsylvania: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania288Wisconsin: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin288Colorado: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado287Idaho: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho287Indiana: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana287Texas: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas287Maine: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine286Wyoming: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming286Virginia: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia286Missouri: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri286Ohio: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio286Oregon: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon285North Carolina: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina284Nebraska: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska284Iowa: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa284Utah: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah284Delaware: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware284Alaska: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska283New York: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York283Illinois: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois282South Carolina: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina280Florida: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida279Kentucky: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky279Michigan: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan278Rhode Island: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island278Georgia: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia278Arizona: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona277Arkansas: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas276Oklahoma: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma276Tennessee: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee275Nevada: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada274Hawaii: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii274Louisiana: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana272California: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California270West Virginia: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia270New Mexico: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico270Alabama: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama269Mississippi: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi265District of Columbia: 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia254
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

RankStates2009
NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
1Massachusetts299
2Minnesota294
3Vermont293
4North Dakota293
5New Jersey293
6New Hampshire292
7Montana292
8South Dakota291
9Washington289
10Connecticut289
11Kansas289
12Maryland288
13Pennsylvania288
14Wisconsin288
15Colorado287
16Idaho287
17Indiana287
18Texas287
19Maine286
20Wyoming286
21Virginia286
22Missouri286
23Ohio286
24Oregon285
25North Carolina284
26Nebraska284
27Iowa284
28Utah284
29Delaware284
30Alaska283
31New York283
32Illinois282
33South Carolina280
34Florida279
35Kentucky279
36Michigan278
37Rhode Island278
38Georgia278
39Arizona277
40Arkansas276
41Oklahoma276
42Tennessee275
43Nevada274
44Hawaii274
45Louisiana272
46California270
47West Virginia270
48New Mexico270
49Alabama269
50Mississippi265
51District of Columbia254

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, 2009) [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, 2009. 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=2009. 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, 2009. 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=2009.

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, 2009 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2009 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_naep_2009,
  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, 2009}},
  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=2009. 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, 2009
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=2009
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2009.
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 299 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2009, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

District of Columbia, with 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2009.

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