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 2013, at 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). District of Columbia had the lowest, at 248 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). The median was 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) and the figure for the United States was 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500). Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Highest277Massachusetts
Lowest248District of Columbia
Median26751 states
United States266History

Map of states, 2013

Alabama: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia: 248 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi: 253 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico: 256 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas: 264 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
  • Under 260
  • 260 to 270
  • 270 and over
NAEP scale score (0 to 500), 2013. 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, 2013

Massachusetts: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts277New Jersey: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey276Connecticut: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut274Vermont: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont274New Hampshire: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire274Maryland: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland274Pennsylvania: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania272Washington: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington272Montana: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana272Minnesota: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota271Colorado: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado271Wyoming: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming271Idaho: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho270Utah: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah270Kentucky: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky270Nebraska: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska269Maine: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine269Ohio: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio269Iowa: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa269Oregon: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon268South Dakota: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota268North Dakota: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota268Virginia: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia268Wisconsin: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin268Indiana: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana267Missouri: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri267Illinois: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois267Kansas: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas267Rhode Island: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island267New York: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York266Delaware: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware266Michigan: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan266Florida: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida266Tennessee: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee265Georgia: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia265North Carolina: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina265Texas: 264 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas264Arkansas: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas262Oklahoma: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma262Nevada: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada262California: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California262South Carolina: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina261Alaska: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska261Arizona: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona260Hawaii: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii260Alabama: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama257West Virginia: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia257Louisiana: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana257New Mexico: 256 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico256Mississippi: 253 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi253District of Columbia: 248 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia248Massachusetts: 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Massachusetts277New Jersey: 276 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Jersey276Connecticut: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Connecticut274Vermont: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Vermont274New Hampshire: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Hampshire274Maryland: 274 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maryland274Pennsylvania: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Pennsylvania272Washington: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Washington272Montana: 272 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Montana272Minnesota: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Minnesota271Colorado: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Colorado271Wyoming: 271 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wyoming271Idaho: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Idaho270Utah: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Utah270Kentucky: 270 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kentucky270Nebraska: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nebraska269Maine: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Maine269Ohio: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Ohio269Iowa: 269 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Iowa269Oregon: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oregon268South Dakota: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Dakota268North Dakota: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Dakota268Virginia: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Virginia268Wisconsin: 268 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Wisconsin268Indiana: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Indiana267Missouri: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Missouri267Illinois: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Illinois267Kansas: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Kansas267Rhode Island: 267 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Rhode Island267New York: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New York266Delaware: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Delaware266Michigan: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Michigan266Florida: 266 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Florida266Tennessee: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Tennessee265Georgia: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Georgia265North Carolina: 265 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)North Carolina265Texas: 264 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Texas264Arkansas: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arkansas262Oklahoma: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Oklahoma262Nevada: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Nevada262California: 262 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)California262South Carolina: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)South Carolina261Alaska: 261 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alaska261Arizona: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Arizona260Hawaii: 260 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Hawaii260Alabama: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Alabama257West Virginia: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)West Virginia257Louisiana: 257 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Louisiana257New Mexico: 256 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)New Mexico256Mississippi: 253 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)Mississippi253District of Columbia: 248 NAEP scale score (0 to 500)District of Columbia248
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

RankStates2013
NAEP scale score (0 to 500)
1Massachusetts277
2New Jersey276
3Connecticut274
4Vermont274
5New Hampshire274
6Maryland274
7Pennsylvania272
8Washington272
9Montana272
10Minnesota271
11Colorado271
12Wyoming271
13Idaho270
14Utah270
15Kentucky270
16Nebraska269
17Maine269
18Ohio269
19Iowa269
20Oregon268
21South Dakota268
22North Dakota268
23Virginia268
24Wisconsin268
25Indiana267
26Missouri267
27Illinois267
28Kansas267
29Rhode Island267
30New York266
31Delaware266
32Michigan266
33Florida266
34Tennessee265
35Georgia265
36North Carolina265
37Texas264
38Arkansas262
39Oklahoma262
40Nevada262
41California262
42South Carolina261
43Alaska261
44Arizona260
45Hawaii260
46Alabama257
47West Virginia257
48Louisiana257
49New Mexico256
50Mississippi253
51District of Columbia248

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, 2013) [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, 2013. 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=2013. 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, 2013. 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=2013.

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, 2013 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-grade-8/us-states?period=2013 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{national_us_states_by_naep_2013,
  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, 2013}},
  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=2013. 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, 2013
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=2013
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/naep-reading-grade-8/us-states?period=2013.
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 277 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2013, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

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

District of Columbia, with 248 NAEP scale score (0 to 500) in 2013.

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