Data / Rankings / NAEP average score, reading, grade 8 / US states

US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 8

Massachusetts had the highest NAEP average score, reading, grade 8 of 51 states in 2009, at 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). District of Columbia had the lowest, at 242 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). The median was 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) and the figure for the United States was 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest274Massachusetts
Lowest242District of Columbia
Median26551 states
United States262History

Map of states, 2009

Alabama: 255 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska: 259 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona: 258 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas: 258 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California: 253 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia: 242 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida: 264 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii: 255 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana: 253 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi: 251 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada: 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey: 273 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico: 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York: 264 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma: 259 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia: 255 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
  • Under 260
  • 260 to 270
  • 270 and over
NAEP scale score (0 to 500), 2009. Source: NCES, NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2009

Massachusetts: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts274New Jersey: 273 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey273Vermont: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont272Connecticut: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut272New Hampshire: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire271Pennsylvania: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania271Montana: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana270South Dakota: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota270Minnesota: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota270North Dakota: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota269Ohio: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio269Wyoming: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming268Maine: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine268Maryland: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland267Nebraska: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska267Washington: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington267Missouri: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri267Kentucky: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky267Kansas: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas267Wisconsin: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin266Indiana: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana266Virginia: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia266Utah: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah266Colorado: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado266Oregon: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon265Delaware: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware265Iowa: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa265Idaho: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho265Illinois: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois265Florida: 264 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida264New York: 264 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York264Michigan: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan262Tennessee: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee261Texas: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas260Georgia: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia260Rhode Island: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island260North Carolina: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina260Oklahoma: 259 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma259Alaska: 259 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska259Arkansas: 258 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas258Arizona: 258 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona258South Carolina: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina257Alabama: 255 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama255West Virginia: 255 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia255Hawaii: 255 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii255New Mexico: 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico254Nevada: 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada254Louisiana: 253 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana253California: 253 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California253Mississippi: 251 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi251District of Columbia: 242 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia242Massachusetts: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts274New Jersey: 273 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey273Vermont: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont272Connecticut: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut272New Hampshire: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire271Pennsylvania: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania271Montana: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana270South Dakota: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota270Minnesota: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota270North Dakota: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota269Ohio: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio269Wyoming: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming268Maine: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine268Maryland: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland267Nebraska: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska267Washington: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington267Missouri: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri267Kentucky: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky267Kansas: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas267Wisconsin: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin266Indiana: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana266Virginia: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia266Utah: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah266Colorado: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado266Oregon: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon265Delaware: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware265Iowa: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa265Idaho: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho265Illinois: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois265Florida: 264 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida264New York: 264 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York264Michigan: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan262Tennessee: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee261Texas: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas260Georgia: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia260Rhode Island: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island260North Carolina: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina260Oklahoma: 259 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma259Alaska: 259 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska259Arkansas: 258 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas258Arizona: 258 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona258South Carolina: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina257Alabama: 255 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama255West Virginia: 255 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia255Hawaii: 255 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii255New Mexico: 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico254Nevada: 254 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada254Louisiana: 253 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana253California: 253 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California253Mississippi: 251 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi251District of Columbia: 242 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia242
NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: NCES, NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2009
NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
1Massachusetts274
2New Jersey273
3Vermont272
4Connecticut272
5New Hampshire271
6Pennsylvania271
7Montana270
8South Dakota270
9Minnesota270
10North Dakota269
11Ohio269
12Wyoming268
13Maine268
14Maryland267
15Nebraska267
16Washington267
17Missouri267
18Kentucky267
19Kansas267
20Wisconsin266
21Indiana266
22Virginia266
23Utah266
24Colorado266
25Oregon265
26Delaware265
27Iowa265
28Idaho265
29Illinois265
30Florida264
31New York264
32Michigan262
33Tennessee261
34Texas260
35Georgia260
36Rhode Island260
37North Carolina260
38Oklahoma259
39Alaska259
40Arkansas258
41Arizona258
42South Carolina257
43Alabama255
44West Virginia255
45Hawaii255
46New Mexico254
47Nevada254
48Louisiana253
49California253
50Mississippi251
51District of Columbia242

Other periods

About this ranking

Average scale score of public school students in reading, 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, reading, 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, reading, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation (US states by NAEP average score, reading, 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, reading, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation, US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 8, 2009. National Center for Education Statistics, 12 Oct. 2026, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-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, reading, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 8, 2009. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-grade-8/us-states?period=2009.

Harvard

National Center for Education Statistics (2026) NAEP Data Service: average scale score, reading, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation, US states by NAEP average score, reading, grade 8, 2009 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-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, reading, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation: US states by NAEP average score, reading, 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-reading-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, reading, 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, reading, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation: US states by NAEP average score, reading, 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-reading-grade-8/us-states?period=2009
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-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, reading, 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, reading, grade 8 using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which state has the highest NAEP average score, reading, grade 8?

Massachusetts, with 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2009, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

District of Columbia, with 242 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, reading, grade 8, all students, public schools, states and nation. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings