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 2017, at 236 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Alaska had the lowest, at 207 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). The median was 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) and the figure for the United States was 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest236Massachusetts
Lowest207Alaska
Median22251 states
United States221History

Map of states, 2017

Alabama: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska: 207 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut: 228 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia: 213 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida: 228 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana: 212 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts: 236 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan: 218 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire: 229 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey: 233 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: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma: 217 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon: 218 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina: 213 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee: 219 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia: 228 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia: 217 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
  • Under 220
  • 220 to 230
  • 230 and over
NAEP scale score (0 to 500), 2017. 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, 2017

Massachusetts: 236 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts236New Jersey: 233 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey233New Hampshire: 229 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire229Connecticut: 228 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut228Florida: 228 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida228Virginia: 228 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia228Wyoming: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming227Vermont: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont226Indiana: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana226Ohio: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio225Utah: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah225Maryland: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland225Pennsylvania: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania225Colorado: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado225Minnesota: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota225Nebraska: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska224Kentucky: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky224North Carolina: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina224Rhode Island: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island223Kansas: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas223Washington: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington223Idaho: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho223Missouri: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri223Montana: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana222New York: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York222South Dakota: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota222Iowa: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa222North Dakota: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota222Delaware: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware221Maine: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine221Illinois: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois220Georgia: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia220Wisconsin: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin220Tennessee: 219 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee219Michigan: 218 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan218Oregon: 218 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon218West Virginia: 217 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia217Oklahoma: 217 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma217Alabama: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama216Hawaii: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii216Arkansas: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas216Arizona: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona215California: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California215Mississippi: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi215Texas: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas215Nevada: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada215District of Columbia: 213 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia213South Carolina: 213 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina213Louisiana: 212 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana212New Mexico: 208 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico208Alaska: 207 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska207Massachusetts: 236 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts236New Jersey: 233 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey233New Hampshire: 229 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire229Connecticut: 228 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut228Florida: 228 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida228Virginia: 228 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia228Wyoming: 227 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming227Vermont: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont226Indiana: 226 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana226Ohio: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio225Utah: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah225Maryland: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland225Pennsylvania: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania225Colorado: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado225Minnesota: 225 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota225Nebraska: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska224Kentucky: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky224North Carolina: 224 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina224Rhode Island: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island223Kansas: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas223Washington: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington223Idaho: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho223Missouri: 223 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri223Montana: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana222New York: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York222South Dakota: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota222Iowa: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa222North Dakota: 222 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota222Delaware: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware221Maine: 221 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine221Illinois: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois220Georgia: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia220Wisconsin: 220 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin220Tennessee: 219 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee219Michigan: 218 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan218Oregon: 218 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon218West Virginia: 217 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia217Oklahoma: 217 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma217Alabama: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama216Hawaii: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii216Arkansas: 216 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas216Arizona: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona215California: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California215Mississippi: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi215Texas: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas215Nevada: 215 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada215District of Columbia: 213 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia213South Carolina: 213 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina213Louisiana: 212 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana212New Mexico: 208 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico208Alaska: 207 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska207
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

RankStates2017
NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
1Massachusetts236
2New Jersey233
3New Hampshire229
4Connecticut228
5Florida228
6Virginia228
7Wyoming227
8Vermont226
9Indiana226
10Ohio225
11Utah225
12Maryland225
13Pennsylvania225
14Colorado225
15Minnesota225
16Nebraska224
17Kentucky224
18North Carolina224
19Rhode Island223
20Kansas223
21Washington223
22Idaho223
23Missouri223
24Montana222
25New York222
26South Dakota222
27Iowa222
28North Dakota222
29Delaware221
30Maine221
31Illinois220
32Georgia220
33Wisconsin220
34Tennessee219
35Michigan218
36Oregon218
37West Virginia217
38Oklahoma217
39Alabama216
40Hawaii216
41Arkansas216
42Arizona215
43California215
44Mississippi215
45Texas215
46Nevada215
47District of Columbia213
48South Carolina213
49Louisiana212
50New Mexico208
51Alaska207

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

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, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-grade-4/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, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation: US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 4, 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-reading-grade-4/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, 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, 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-reading-grade-4/us-states?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-grade-4/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, 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 236 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2017, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

Alaska, with 207 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, reading, grade 4, all students, public schools, states and nation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings