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 2017, at 297 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). District of Columbia had the lowest, at 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). The median was 282 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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Highest297Massachusetts
Lowest266District of Columbia
Median28251 states
United States282History

Map of states, 2017

Alabama: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts: 297 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan: 280 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: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia: 290 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia: 273 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
  • Under 270
  • 270 to 280
  • 280 to 290
  • 290 and over
NAEP scale score (0 to 500), 2017. 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, 2017

Massachusetts: 297 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts297Minnesota: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota294New Hampshire: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire293New Jersey: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey292Virginia: 290 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia290Washington: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington289Wyoming: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming289Nebraska: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska288North Dakota: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota288Wisconsin: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin288Ohio: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio288Indiana: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana288Vermont: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont288Utah: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah287Pennsylvania: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania286South Dakota: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota286Colorado: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado286Iowa: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa286Montana: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana286Kansas: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas285Idaho: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho284Connecticut: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut284Maine: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine284Texas: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas282Arizona: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona282Oregon: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon282North Carolina: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina282New York: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York282Illinois: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois282Georgia: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia281Maryland: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland281Missouri: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri281Michigan: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan280Florida: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida279Tennessee: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee279Delaware: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware278Kentucky: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky278Hawaii: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii277Rhode Island: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island277Alaska: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska277California: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California277Nevada: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada275Oklahoma: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma275South Carolina: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina275Arkansas: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas274West Virginia: 273 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia273Mississippi: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi271New Mexico: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico269Alabama: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama268Louisiana: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana267District of Columbia: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia266Massachusetts: 297 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts297Minnesota: 294 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota294New Hampshire: 293 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire293New Jersey: 292 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey292Virginia: 290 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia290Washington: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington289Wyoming: 289 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming289Nebraska: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska288North Dakota: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota288Wisconsin: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin288Ohio: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio288Indiana: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana288Vermont: 288 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont288Utah: 287 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah287Pennsylvania: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania286South Dakota: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota286Colorado: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado286Iowa: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa286Montana: 286 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana286Kansas: 285 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas285Idaho: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho284Connecticut: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut284Maine: 284 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine284Texas: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas282Arizona: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona282Oregon: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon282North Carolina: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina282New York: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York282Illinois: 282 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois282Georgia: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia281Maryland: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland281Missouri: 281 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri281Michigan: 280 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan280Florida: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida279Tennessee: 279 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee279Delaware: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware278Kentucky: 278 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky278Hawaii: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii277Rhode Island: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island277Alaska: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska277California: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California277Nevada: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada275Oklahoma: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma275South Carolina: 275 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina275Arkansas: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas274West Virginia: 273 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia273Mississippi: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi271New Mexico: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico269Alabama: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama268Louisiana: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana267District of Columbia: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia266
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

RankStates2017
NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
1Massachusetts297
2Minnesota294
3New Hampshire293
4New Jersey292
5Virginia290
6Washington289
7Wyoming289
8Nebraska288
9North Dakota288
10Wisconsin288
11Ohio288
12Indiana288
13Vermont288
14Utah287
15Pennsylvania286
16South Dakota286
17Colorado286
18Iowa286
19Montana286
20Kansas285
21Idaho284
22Connecticut284
23Maine284
24Texas282
25Arizona282
26Oregon282
27North Carolina282
28New York282
29Illinois282
30Georgia281
31Maryland281
32Missouri281
33Michigan280
34Florida279
35Tennessee279
36Delaware278
37Kentucky278
38Hawaii277
39Rhode Island277
40Alaska277
41California277
42Nevada275
43Oklahoma275
44South Carolina275
45Arkansas274
46West Virginia273
47Mississippi271
48New Mexico269
49Alabama268
50Louisiana267
51District of Columbia266

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, 2017) [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, 2017. 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=2017. 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, 2017. 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=2017.

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, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_naep_2017,
  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, 2017}},
  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=2017. 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, 2017
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=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-math-grade-8/us-states?period=2017.
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 2017, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

District of Columbia, with 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2017.

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