Every state ranked by its math and reading test scores, from worst to best

Massachusetts ranked No. 1 in all score categories: fourth-grade reading, fourth-grade math, eighth-grade reading, and eighth-grade math.Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphotoNational Assessment of Educational Progress assessment data is released every two years.Known as The Nation's Report Card, it shows how fourth- and eighth-grade students performed in reading and math.Business Insider ranked the US states based on their performance across the four assessments.At a time when education is under scrutiny because of concerns over AI, a perceived literacy crisis, and learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic, test scores can provide a snapshot of student performance.But that performance can vary widely across state lines.The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a federal program that the National Assessment Governing Board called "the gold standard assessment" for gauging students' knowledge in the US. Known as The Nation's Report Card, the assessments are given to representative samples of public school students in each state, and results are released every two years for grades four and eight.The most recent state-by-state data, released in January 2025, shows how students in the two grades performed in math and reading assessments in 2024 based on average scale scores ranging from 0 to 500, per the National Center for Education Statistics.The NCES notes that scores can't be directly compared across grades and subjects. Instead, Business Insider ranked each state separately on the four assessments: fourth-grade reading, eighth-grade reading, fourth-grade math, and eighth-grade math. We then averaged each state's four rankings to produce an overall ranking of all states.For some states, there is a correlation between test scores and rankings in overall education performance. Massachusetts, which was previously ranked the most educated state in a WalletHub report, had the highest average NAEP scores. Second-ranked Vermont, however, landed at No. 32 on our list for its average scores.See how each state ranked based on its performance across the four assessments.50. New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico.Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 224Math average scale score, grade 8: 256Reading average scale score, grade 4: 201Reading average scale score, grade 8: 24549. AlaskaAnchorage, Alaska.Wirestock/Getty ImagesMath average scale score, grade 4: 226Math average scale score, grade 8: 264Reading average scale score, grade 4: 202Reading average scale score, grade 8: 24648. West VirginiaWheeling, West Virginia.Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 232Math average scale score, grade 8: 261Reading average scale score, grade 4: 206Reading average scale score, grade 8: 24747. OklahomaWheeling, West Virginia.Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 233Math average scale score, grade 8: 264Reading average scale score, grade 4: 207Reading average scale score, grade 8: 24946. DelawareWilmington, Delaware.ChrisBoswell/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 233Math average scale score, grade 8: 263Reading average scale score, grade 4: 210Reading average scale score, grade 8: 24945. OregonPortland, Oregon.Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 229Math average scale score, grade 8: 268Reading average scale score, grade 4: 207Reading average scale score, grade 8: 25544. ArkansasLittle Rock, Arkansas.ChrisBoswell/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 230Math average scale score, grade 8: 266Reading average scale score, grade 4: 210Reading average scale score, grade 8: 25543. ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona.Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 232Math average scale score, grade 8: 270Reading average scale score, grade 4: 208Reading average scale score, grade 8: 25442. NevadaLas Vegas, Nevada.f11photo/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 233Math average scale score, grade 8: 265Reading average scale score, grade 4: 213Reading average scale score, grade 8: 25341. AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama.Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 236Math average scale score, grade 8: 262Reading average scale score, grade 4: 213Reading average scale score, grade 8: 25040. CaliforniaLos Angeles, California.choness/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 233Math average scale score, grade 8: 269Reading average scale score, grade 4: 212Reading average scale score, grade 8: 25439. MainePortland, Maine.Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 233Math average scale score, grade 8: 273Reading average scale score, grade 4: 210Reading average scale score, grade 8: 25538. MichiganDetroit, Michigan.Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphotoMath average scale score, grade 4: 235Math average scale score, grade 8: 270Reading average scale score, grade 4: 209Reading av

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