U.S. NAEP Math Scores by State 2026: Charts, Scores & Rankings
State ranking uses the latest full state release of Grade 8 NAEP mathematics average scale scores for public school students. NAEP has not released a 2026 state mathematics score set; the latest complete state source year is 2024.
Scores are reported on the NAEP mathematics scale from 0 to 500. The ranking covers the 50 states and the District of Columbia and compares each jurisdiction with the 2024 national public Grade 8 mathematics average of 274.
NAEP Math Score Statistics
The snapshot summarizes the 2024 Grade 8 mathematics state distribution used for the 2026 ranking page.
Highest 15 States by Grade 8 NAEP Math Score
Average scale score, 2024 NAEP mathematics assessment.
The chart shows the highest 15 jurisdictions by 2024 Grade 8 average scale score. The full 51-row ranking appears in the table.
Chart analysis
- Massachusetts and Wisconsin share the highest rounded score at 283.
- The highest 15 jurisdictions range from 278 to 283.
- Utah is the only western state in the top five.
- Seven of the highest 15 jurisdictions are in the Midwest.
- The chart is a visual summary; the sortable table carries the full ranking.
Full State NAEP Math Score Ranking
Ranking is based on the 2024 Grade 8 NAEP mathematics average scale score. Ties are ordered alphabetically after sorting by rounded score.
| Rank | Code | State | Score | Vs. U.S. public | Region | Source year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MA | Massachusetts | 283 | +9 | Northeast | 2024 |
| 2 | WI | Wisconsin | 283 | +9 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 3 | MN | Minnesota | 282 | +8 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 4 | NJ | New Jersey | 282 | +8 | Northeast | 2024 |
| 5 | UT | Utah | 282 | +8 | West | 2024 |
| 6 | SD | South Dakota | 281 | +7 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 7 | NE | Nebraska | 280 | +6 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 8 | NH | New Hampshire | 280 | +6 | Northeast | 2024 |
| 9 | ND | North Dakota | 280 | +6 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 10 | MT | Montana | 279 | +5 | West | 2024 |
| 11 | OH | Ohio | 279 | +5 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 12 | CO | Colorado | 278 | +4 | West | 2024 |
| 13 | ID | Idaho | 278 | +4 | West | 2024 |
| 14 | IN | Indiana | 278 | +4 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 15 | WY | Wyoming | 278 | +4 | West | 2024 |
| 16 | CT | Connecticut | 277 | +3 | Northeast | 2024 |
| 17 | IL | Illinois | 277 | +3 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 18 | NC | North Carolina | 276 | +2 | South | 2024 |
| 19 | PA | Pennsylvania | 276 | +2 | Northeast | 2024 |
| 20 | TN | Tennessee | 276 | +2 | South | 2024 |
| 21 | VT | Vermont | 276 | +2 | Northeast | 2024 |
| 22 | IA | Iowa | 275 | +1 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 23 | VA | Virginia | 275 | +1 | South | 2024 |
| 24 | KS | Kansas | 274 | 0 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 25 | WA | Washington | 274 | 0 | West | 2024 |
| 26 | ME | Maine | 273 | -1 | Northeast | 2024 |
| 27 | KY | Kentucky | 271 | -3 | South | 2024 |
| 28 | NY | New York | 271 | -3 | Northeast | 2024 |
| 29 | AZ | Arizona | 270 | -4 | West | 2024 |
| 30 | HI | Hawaii | 270 | -4 | West | 2024 |
| 31 | MI | Michigan | 270 | -4 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 32 | MO | Missouri | 270 | -4 | Midwest | 2024 |
| 33 | RI | Rhode Island | 270 | -4 | Northeast | 2024 |
| 34 | CA | California | 269 | -5 | West | 2024 |
| 35 | GA | Georgia | 269 | -5 | South | 2024 |
| 36 | MS | Mississippi | 269 | -5 | South | 2024 |
| 37 | TX | Texas | 269 | -5 | South | 2024 |
| 38 | MD | Maryland | 268 | -6 | South | 2024 |
| 39 | OR | Oregon | 268 | -6 | West | 2024 |
| 40 | SC | South Carolina | 268 | -6 | South | 2024 |
| 41 | FL | Florida | 267 | -7 | South | 2024 |
| 42 | LA | Louisiana | 267 | -7 | South | 2024 |
| 43 | AR | Arkansas | 266 | -8 | South | 2024 |
| 44 | NV | Nevada | 265 | -9 | West | 2024 |
| 45 | AK | Alaska | 264 | -10 | West | 2024 |
| 46 | OK | Oklahoma | 264 | -10 | South | 2024 |
| 47 | DE | Delaware | 263 | -11 | South | 2024 |
| 48 | AL | Alabama | 262 | -12 | South | 2024 |
| 49 | DC | District of Columbia | 262 | -12 | South | 2024 |
| 50 | WV | West Virginia | 261 | -13 | South | 2024 |
| 51 | NM | New Mexico | 256 | -18 | West | 2024 |
Table analysis
- The full table includes 51 jurisdictions: 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- 25 jurisdictions score at or above the national public average of 274.
- 26 jurisdictions score below the national public average.
- The median state score is 273, one point below the national public average.
- The highest-to-lowest spread is 27 points, from 283 to 256.
- Massachusetts and Wisconsin are tied at the top.
- New Mexico is the lowest rounded-score jurisdiction in the table.
- Rounded NAEP values can create ties that may differ from unrounded statistical ordering.
State Score Distribution
The state grid groups jurisdictions into rounded score bands to show the distribution across the country.
Map analysis
- The highest band, 280–283, contains 9 jurisdictions.
- The lowest band, 256–266, also contains 9 jurisdictions.
- The largest band is 267–270, with 14 jurisdictions.
- Most high-band jurisdictions are in the Midwest and Northeast.
- The grid uses rounded scale scores, not tested state-to-state difference categories.
Regional Average NAEP Math Scores
Unweighted average of state and DC rounded scores by Census region.
Regional values are unweighted averages across jurisdictions in the table. They are not student-weighted national estimates.
Score Band Counts
Number of jurisdictions in each rounded score range.
Band counts use the same score ranges as the state grid.
| Region | Jurisdictions | Avg. score | Median | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest | 12 | 277.4 | 278.5 | 270 | 283 | 13 |
| Northeast | 9 | 276.4 | 276 | 270 | 283 | 13 |
| West | 13 | 271.6 | 270 | 256 | 282 | 26 |
| South | 17 | 267.8 | 268 | 261 | 276 | 15 |
Regional analysis
- The Midwest has the highest unweighted regional average at 277.4.
- The South has the lowest unweighted regional average at 267.8.
- The West has the widest regional spread at 26 points.
- The Midwest and Northeast both have a high score of 283.
- The regional averages are calculated from rounded state scores, so they should be read as summary measures.
| Score band | Jurisdictions | States and DC |
|---|---|---|
| 280–283 | 9 | Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Jersey, Utah, South Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota |
| 276–279 | 12 | Montana, Ohio, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Wyoming, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont |
| 271–275 | 7 | Iowa, Virginia, Kansas, Washington, Maine, Kentucky, New York |
| 267–270 | 14 | Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan, Missouri, Rhode Island, California, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Maryland, Oregon, South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana |
| 256–266 | 9 | Arkansas, Nevada, Alaska, Oklahoma, Delaware, Alabama, District of Columbia, West Virginia, New Mexico |
Band analysis
- The middle-lower band, 267–270, has the largest count with 14 jurisdictions.
- The 276–279 band has 12 jurisdictions.
- The highest and lowest bands each contain 9 jurisdictions.
- 17 jurisdictions score above 276.
Score Interpretation Notes
The ranking is a state-level view of one NAEP subject, grade, and year. It should not be read as a complete school quality measure.
Ranking unit
The table ranks jurisdictions by Grade 8 mathematics average scale score only. It does not combine reading, graduation, attendance, course-taking, or funding data.
Rounded values
NAEP graphics and tables often display rounded values. Unrounded values are used by NAEP for formal statistical testing, but the public ranking here uses rounded scores.
Public-school sample
State NAEP results shown here are based on public school students. The national comparison value is the national public average.
State context
Average scores do not adjust for student demographics, course access, school funding, regional price levels, disability identification, or English learner shares.
Grade level
The full state table uses Grade 8 mathematics. Grade 4 results can show a different ordering because the tested grade, content balance, and cohort differ.
Use of bands
Score bands are descriptive. A one-point difference between rounded state scores should not be treated as a tested state-to-state difference.
Source and Methodology
National Science Board, Science & Engineering Indicators, Figure TAL-19, using NCSES special tabulations of the 2024 main NAEP mathematics assessment from NCES.
NCES, 2024 NAEP Mathematics Assessment: Results at Grades 4 and 8 for the Nation, States, and Districts.
2024 state NAEP mathematics results. The page title uses 2026 as the publication year, not as a new NAEP assessment year.
Average scale score, Grade 8 mathematics, 0–500 NAEP scale.
50 states and the District of Columbia. Puerto Rico, DoDEA, and TUDA districts are not included in the state ranking table.
Rows are sorted from highest to lowest rounded score. Ties are ordered alphabetically for stable display. Differences from the U.S. public average use 274 as the comparison value.
Displayed scores are rounded to whole scale-score points. Regional averages are unweighted calculations from rounded state values.
NAEP results are designed for group-level reporting. The values shown here summarize state public-school performance for a single grade and subject. The ranking does not adjust for demographic, cost, course-taking, or policy differences across states.
NAEP scale-score rankings should be read with caution. A higher rounded score does not by itself explain why a state performed differently, and small rounded gaps should not be treated as tested differences without NAEP statistical comparison output.