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 2015, at 297 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). District of Columbia had the lowest, at 263 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). The median was 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) and the figure for the United States was 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest297Massachusetts
Lowest263District of Columbia
Median28351 states
United States281History

Map of states, 2015

Alabama: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia: 263 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts: 297 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico: 271 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: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont: 290 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
  • Under 280
  • 280 to 290
  • 290 and over
NAEP scale score (0 to 500), 2015. 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, 2015

Massachusetts: 297 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts297New Hampshire: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire294Minnesota: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota294New Jersey: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey293Vermont: 290 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont290Wisconsin: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin289North Dakota: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota288Virginia: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia288Montana: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana287Indiana: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana287Wyoming: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming287Washington: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington287Nebraska: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska286Iowa: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa286Utah: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah286Colorado: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado286Ohio: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio285Maine: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine285South Dakota: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota285Connecticut: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut284Kansas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas284Texas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas284Idaho: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho284Pennsylvania: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania284Maryland: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland283Arizona: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona283Oregon: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon283Illinois: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois282Rhode Island: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island281North Carolina: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina281Missouri: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri281Alaska: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska280New York: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York280Delaware: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware280Hawaii: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii279Georgia: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia279Tennessee: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee278Michigan: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan278Kentucky: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky278South Carolina: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina276California: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California275Florida: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida275Nevada: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada275Arkansas: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas275Oklahoma: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma275West Virginia: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia271New Mexico: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico271Mississippi: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi271Louisiana: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana268Alabama: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama267District of Columbia: 263 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia263Massachusetts: 297 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts297New Hampshire: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire294Minnesota: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota294New Jersey: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey293Vermont: 290 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont290Wisconsin: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin289North Dakota: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota288Virginia: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia288Montana: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana287Indiana: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana287Wyoming: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming287Washington: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington287Nebraska: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska286Iowa: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa286Utah: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah286Colorado: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado286Ohio: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio285Maine: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine285South Dakota: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota285Connecticut: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut284Kansas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas284Texas: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas284Idaho: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho284Pennsylvania: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania284Maryland: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland283Arizona: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona283Oregon: 283 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon283Illinois: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois282Rhode Island: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island281North Carolina: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina281Missouri: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri281Alaska: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska280New York: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York280Delaware: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware280Hawaii: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii279Georgia: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia279Tennessee: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee278Michigan: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan278Kentucky: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky278South Carolina: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina276California: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California275Florida: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida275Nevada: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada275Arkansas: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas275Oklahoma: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma275West Virginia: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia271New Mexico: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico271Mississippi: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi271Louisiana: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana268Alabama: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama267District of Columbia: 263 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia263
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

RankStates2015
NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
1Massachusetts297
2New Hampshire294
3Minnesota294
4New Jersey293
5Vermont290
6Wisconsin289
7North Dakota288
8Virginia288
9Montana287
10Indiana287
11Wyoming287
12Washington287
13Nebraska286
14Iowa286
15Utah286
16Colorado286
17Ohio285
18Maine285
19South Dakota285
20Connecticut284
21Kansas284
22Texas284
23Idaho284
24Pennsylvania284
25Maryland283
26Arizona283
27Oregon283
28Illinois282
29Rhode Island281
30North Carolina281
31Missouri281
32Alaska280
33New York280
34Delaware280
35Hawaii279
36Georgia279
37Tennessee278
38Michigan278
39Kentucky278
40South Carolina276
41California275
42Florida275
43Nevada275
44Arkansas275
45Oklahoma275
46West Virginia271
47New Mexico271
48Mississippi271
49Louisiana268
50Alabama267
51District of Columbia263

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, 2015) [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, 2015. 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=2015. 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, 2015. 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=2015.

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, 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_naep_2015,
  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, 2015}},
  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=2015. 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, 2015
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=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2015.
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 297 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2015, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

District of Columbia, with 263 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2015.

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