Data / Rankings / NAEP average score, reading, grade 4 / US states

US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 4

Massachusetts had the highest NAEP average score, reading, grade 4 of 51 states in 2011, at 237 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). District of Columbia had the lowest, at 201 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). The median was 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) and the figure for the United States was 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest237Massachusetts
Lowest201District of Columbia
Median22151 states
United States220History

Map of states, 2011

Alabama: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska: 208 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona: 212 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas: 217 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California: 211 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia: 201 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii: 214 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois: 219 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana: 210 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland: 231 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts: 237 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan: 219 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi: 209 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada: 213 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire: 230 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey: 231 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico: 208 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas: 218 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia: 214 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
  • Under 210
  • 210 to 220
  • 220 to 230
  • 230 and over
NAEP scale score (0 to 500), 2011. Source: NCES, NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2011

Massachusetts: 237 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts237New Jersey: 231 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey231Maryland: 231 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland231New Hampshire: 230 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire230Connecticut: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut227Pennsylvania: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania227Vermont: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont227Virginia: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia226North Dakota: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota226Montana: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana225Kentucky: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky225Delaware: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware225Florida: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida225Wyoming: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming224Ohio: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio224Kansas: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas224Colorado: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado223Nebraska: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska223New York: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York222Rhode Island: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island222Minnesota: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota222Maine: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine222North Carolina: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina221Wisconsin: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin221Idaho: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho221Georgia: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia221Indiana: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana221Iowa: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa221Washington: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington221Utah: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah220Missouri: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri220Alabama: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama220South Dakota: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota220Illinois: 219 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois219Michigan: 219 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan219Texas: 218 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas218Arkansas: 217 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas217Oregon: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon216Oklahoma: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma215South Carolina: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina215Tennessee: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee215West Virginia: 214 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia214Hawaii: 214 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii214Nevada: 213 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada213Arizona: 212 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona212California: 211 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California211Louisiana: 210 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana210Mississippi: 209 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi209New Mexico: 208 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico208Alaska: 208 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska208District of Columbia: 201 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia201Massachusetts: 237 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts237New Jersey: 231 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey231Maryland: 231 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland231New Hampshire: 230 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire230Connecticut: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut227Pennsylvania: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania227Vermont: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont227Virginia: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia226North Dakota: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota226Montana: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana225Kentucky: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky225Delaware: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware225Florida: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida225Wyoming: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming224Ohio: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio224Kansas: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas224Colorado: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado223Nebraska: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska223New York: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York222Rhode Island: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island222Minnesota: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota222Maine: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine222North Carolina: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina221Wisconsin: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin221Idaho: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho221Georgia: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia221Indiana: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana221Iowa: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa221Washington: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington221Utah: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah220Missouri: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri220Alabama: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama220South Dakota: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota220Illinois: 219 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois219Michigan: 219 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan219Texas: 218 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas218Arkansas: 217 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas217Oregon: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon216Oklahoma: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma215South Carolina: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina215Tennessee: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee215West Virginia: 214 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia214Hawaii: 214 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii214Nevada: 213 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada213Arizona: 212 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona212California: 211 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California211Louisiana: 210 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana210Mississippi: 209 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi209New Mexico: 208 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico208Alaska: 208 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska208District of Columbia: 201 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia201
NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: NCES, NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2011
NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
1Massachusetts237
2New Jersey231
3Maryland231
4New Hampshire230
5Connecticut227
6Pennsylvania227
7Vermont227
8Virginia226
9North Dakota226
10Montana225
11Kentucky225
12Delaware225
13Florida225
14Wyoming224
15Ohio224
16Kansas224
17Colorado223
18Nebraska223
19New York222
20Rhode Island222
21Minnesota222
22Maine222
23North Carolina221
24Wisconsin221
25Idaho221
26Georgia221
27Indiana221
28Iowa221
29Washington221
30Utah220
31Missouri220
32Alabama220
33South Dakota220
34Illinois219
35Michigan219
36Texas218
37Arkansas217
38Oregon216
39Oklahoma215
40South Carolina215
41Tennessee215
42West Virginia214
43Hawaii214
44Nevada213
45Arizona212
46California211
47Louisiana210
48Mississippi209
49New Mexico208
50Alaska208
51District of Columbia201

Other periods

About this ranking

Average scale score of public school students in reading, grade 4 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, reading, grade 4, 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, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation (US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 4, 2011) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE

MLA 9

NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation, US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 4, 2011. National Center for Education Statistics, 12 Oct. 2026, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-grade-4/us-states?period=2011. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

National Center for Education Statistics. 2026. NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation. US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 4, 2011. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-grade-4/us-states?period=2011.

Harvard

National Center for Education Statistics (2026) NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation, US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 4, 2011 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-grade-4/us-states?period=2011 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_naep_2011,
  author = {{National Center for Education Statistics}},
  title = {{NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation: US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 4, 2011}},
  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-reading-grade-4/us-states?period=2011. Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 4, 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, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation: US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 4, 2011
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-reading-grade-4/us-states?period=2011
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-grade-4/us-states?period=2011.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 4, 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, reading, grade 4 using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which state has the highest NAEP average score, reading, grade 4?

Massachusetts, with 237 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2011, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

Which state has the lowest NAEP average score, reading, grade 4?

District of Columbia, with 201 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2011.

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, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings