Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics
2023 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 222.85.Average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics scale score, by age and selected student characteristics: Selected years, 1973 through 2023
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Selected student characteristic 19731 1978 1982 1986 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 20042 2008 2012 2020 2022 2023
Previous format Revised format
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
9-year-olds  
   All students  219 (0.8) 219 (0.8) 219 (1.1) 222 (1.0) 230 (0.8) 230 (0.8) 231 (0.8) 231 (0.8) 232 (0.8) 241 (0.9) 239 (0.9) 243 (0.8) 244 (1.0) 241 (0.8) 234 (1.2) --- (†)
Sex
  Male  218 (0.7) 217 (0.7) 217 (1.2) 222 (1.1) 229 (0.9) 231 (1.0) 232 (1.0) 233 (1.2) 233 (1.0) 243 (1.1) 239 (1.0) 242 (0.9) 244 (1.2) 243 (1.0) 236 (1.3) --- (†)
  Female  220 (1.1) 220 (1.0) 221 (1.2) 222 (1.2) 230 (1.1) 228 (1.0) 230 (0.9) 229 (0.7) 231 (0.9) 240 (1.1) 240 (1.0) 243 (1.0) 244 (1.0) 239 (0.8) 231 (1.3) --- (†)
  Gap between female and male score  2 (1.3) 3 (1.3) 4 (1.7) # (†) 1 (1.4) -2 (1.4) -2 (1.4) -4 (1.4) -2 (1.3) -3 (1.5) 1 (1.4) 1 (1.3) # (†) -4 (1.3) -5 (1.8) --- (†)

Race/ethnicity
































  Black  190 (1.8) 192 (1.1) 195 (1.6) 202 (1.6) 208 (2.2) 208 (2.0) 212 (1.6) 212 (1.4) 211 (1.6) 224 (2.1) 221 (2.1) 224 (1.9) 226 (1.8) 225 (1.5) 212 (1.9) --- (†)
  Hispanic  202 (2.4) 203 (2.2) 204 (1.3) 205 (2.1) 214 (2.1) 212 (2.3) 210 (2.3) 215 (1.7) 213 (1.9) 230 (2.0) 229 (2.0) 234 (1.2) 234 (0.9) 232 (1.2) 223 (1.2) --- (†)
  White  225 (1.0) 224 (0.9) 224 (1.1) 227 (1.1) 235 (0.8) 235 (0.8) 237 (1.0) 237 (1.0) 239 (0.9) 247 (0.9) 245 (0.8) 250 (0.8) 252 (1.1) 250 (1.0) 244 (1.5) --- (†)

  Gap between White and Black score 

35

(2.1)

32

(1.5)

29

(2.0)

25

(2.0)

27

(2.4)

27

(2.2)

25

(1.8)

25

(1.8)

28

(1.8)

23

(2.2)

24

(2.2)

26

(2.1)

25

(2.1)

25

(1.8)

33

(2.5)

---

(†)
  Gap between White and Hispanic score  23 (2.6) 21 (2.4) 20 (1.7) 21 (2.3) 21 (2.3) 23 (2.5) 27 (2.5) 22 (2.0) 26 (2.1) 18 (2.2) 16 (2.1) 16 (1.4) 17 (1.5) 18 (1.6) 21 (1.9) --- (†)

13-year-olds

 




 



























   All students  266 (1.1) 264 (1.1) 269 (1.1) 269 (1.2) 270 (0.9) 273 (0.9) 274 (1.0) 274 (0.8) 276 (0.8) 281 (1.0) 279 (1.0) 281 (0.9) 285 (1.1) 280 (0.8) --- (†) 271 (0.9)
Sex
  Male  265 (1.3) 264 (1.3) 269 (1.4) 270 (1.1) 271 (1.2) 274 (1.1) 276 (1.3) 276 (0.9) 277 (0.9) 283 (1.2) 279 (1.0) 284 (1.0) 286 (1.3) 281 (1.0) --- (†) 274 (1.0)
  Female  267 (1.1) 265 (1.1) 268 (1.1) 268 (1.5) 270 (0.9) 272 (1.0) 273 (1.0) 272 (1.0) 274 (1.1) 279 (1.0) 278 (1.2) 279 (1.0) 284 (1.1) 278 (0.9) --- (†) 267 (1.1)
  Gap between female and male score  2 (1.7) 1 (1.7) -1 (1.7) -2 (1.9) -2 (1.5) -2 (1.5) -3 (1.6) -4 (1.4) -3 (1.4) -3 (1.6) -1 (1.6) -4 (1.4) -2 (1.7) -3 (1.4) --- (†) -7 (1.5)

Race/ethnicity
































  Black  228 (1.9) 230 (1.9) 240 (1.6) 249 (2.3) 249 (2.3) 250 (1.9) 252 (3.5) 252 (1.3) 251 (2.6) 262 (1.6) 257 (1.8) 262 (1.2) 264 (1.9) 256 (1.7) --- (†) 243 (2.1)
  Hispanic  239 (2.2) 238 (2.0) 252 (1.7) 254 (2.9) 255 (1.8) 259 (1.8) 256 (1.9) 256 (1.6) 259 (1.7) 265 (2.0) 264 (1.5) 268 (1.2) 271 (1.4) 267 (1.0) --- (†) 257 (1.1)
  White  274 (0.9) 272 (0.8) 274 (1.0) 274 (1.3) 276 (1.1) 279 (0.9) 281 (0.9) 281 (0.9) 283 (0.8) 288 (0.9) 287 (0.9) 290 (1.2) 293 (1.1) 291 (1.0) --- (†) 285 (1.0)

  Gap between White and Black score 

46

(2.1)

42

(2.1)

34

(1.9)

24

(2.6)

27

(2.6)

29

(2.1)

29

(3.7)

29

(1.6)

32

(2.7)

27

(1.8)

30

(2.1)

28

(1.7)

28

(2.2)

35

(2.0)

---

(†)

42

(2.4)
  Gap between White and Hispanic score  35 (2.4) 34 (2.1) 22 (1.9) 19 (3.2) 22 (2.1) 20 (2.0) 25 (2.1) 25 (1.9) 24 (1.9) 23 (2.2) 23 (1.8) 23 (1.7) 21 (1.8) 24 (1.4) --- (†) 28 (1.5)

Parents' highest level of education
































  Did not finish high school    --- (†) 245 (1.2) 251 (1.4) 252 (2.3) 253 (1.8) 256 (1.0) 255 (2.1) 254 (2.4) 256 (2.8) 262 (2.2) 263 (1.9) 268 (1.3) 266 (2.5) 261 (2.0) --- (†) 250 (2.1)
  Graduated high school    --- (†) 263 (1.0) 263 (0.8) 263 (1.2) 263 (1.2) 263 (1.2) 266 (1.1) 267 (1.1) 264 (1.1) 271 (1.7) 270 (1.3) 272 (1.1) 270 (1.1) 264 (1.4) --- (†) 254 (2.0)
  Some education after high school    --- (†) 273 (1.2) 275 (0.9) 274 (0.8) 277 (1.0) 278 (1.0) 277 (1.6) 277 (1.4) 279 (0.9) 283 (1.0) 282 (1.4) 285 (1.1) 286 (1.4) 281 (1.2) --- (†) 268 (1.5)
  Graduated college    --- (†) 284 (1.2) 282 (1.5) 280 (1.4) 280 (1.0) 283 (1.0) 285 (1.2) 283 (1.2) 286 (1.0) 292 (0.9) 289 (1.1) 291 (1.0) 296 (1.3) 292 (0.9) --- (†) 285 (1.0)

17-year-olds





 

 


























   All students  304 (1.1) 300 (1.0) 298 (0.9) 302 (0.9) 305 (0.9) 307 (0.9) 306 (1.0) 307 (1.2) 308 (1.0) 307 (0.8) 305 (0.7) 306 (0.6) 306 (0.8) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)
Sex
  Male  309 (1.2) 304 (1.0) 301 (1.0) 305 (1.2) 306 (1.1) 309 (1.1) 309 (1.4) 310 (1.3) 310 (1.4) 308 (1.0) 307 (0.9) 309 (0.7) 308 (1.0) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)
  Female  301 (1.1) 297 (1.0) 296 (1.0) 299 (1.0) 303 (1.1) 305 (1.1) 304 (1.1) 305 (1.4) 307 (1.0) 305 (0.9) 304 (0.8) 303 (0.8) 304 (0.8) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)
  Gap between female and male score  -8 (1.6) -7 (1.4) -6 (1.4) -5 (1.5) -3 (1.5) -4 (1.5) -4 (1.8) -5 (1.9) -3 (1.7) -3 (1.4) -3 (1.2) -5 (1.1) -4 (1.3) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)

Race/ethnicity
































  Black  270 (1.3) 268 (1.3) 272 (1.2) 279 (2.1) 289 (2.8) 286 (2.2) 286 (1.8) 286 (1.7) 283 (1.5) 285 (1.6) 284 (1.4) 287 (1.2) 288 (1.3) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)
  Hispanic  277 (2.2) 276 (2.3) 277 (1.8) 283 (2.9) 284 (2.9) 292 (2.6) 291 (3.7) 292 (2.1) 293 (2.5) 289 (1.8) 292 (1.2) 293 (1.1) 294 (1.1) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)
  White  310 (1.1) 306 (0.9) 304 (0.9) 308 (1.0) 309 (1.0) 312 (0.8) 312 (1.1) 313 (1.4) 315 (1.1) 313 (0.7) 311 (0.7) 314 (0.7) 314 (1.0) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)

  Gap between White and Black score 

40

(1.7)

38

(1.6)

32

(1.5)

29

(2.3)

21

(3.0)

26

(2.4)

27

(2.1)

27

(2.2)

31

(1.9)

28

(1.8)

27

(1.6)

26

(1.4)

26

(1.6)

---

(†)

---

(†)

---

(†)
  Gap between White and Hispanic score  33 (2.5) 30 (2.4) 27 (2.0) 24 (3.0) 26 (3.1) 20 (2.8) 22 (3.9) 21 (2.5) 22 (2.7) 24 (1.9) 19 (1.4) 21 (1.3) 19 (1.5) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)

Parents' highest level of education
































  Did not finish high school    --- (†) 280 (1.2) 279 (1.0) 279 (2.3) 285 (2.2) 285 (2.3) 284 (2.4) 281 (2.4) 289 (1.8) 287 (2.4) 287 (1.2) 292 (1.3) 290 (1.4) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)
  Graduated high school    --- (†) 294 (0.8) 293 (0.8) 293 (1.0) 294 (0.9) 298 (1.7) 295 (1.1) 297 (2.4) 299 (1.6) 295 (1.1) 294 (0.9) 296 (1.2) 291 (1.1) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)
  Some education after high school    --- (†) 305 (0.9) 304 (0.9) 305 (1.2) 308 (1.0) 308 (1.1) 305 (1.3) 307 (1.5) 308 (1.6) 306 (1.1) 305 (0.9) 306 (0.8) 306 (0.9) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)
  Graduated college    --- (†) 317 (1.0) 312 (1.0) 314 (1.4) 316 (1.3) 316 (1.0) 318 (1.4) 317 (1.3) 317 (1.2) 317 (0.9) 315 (0.9) 316 (0.7) 317 (0.8) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†)
---Not available.  
†Not applicable.
#Rounds to zero.
1Extrapolated. Caution should be used in interpreting the patterns of trends when comparing results from other assessment years to 1973. For more information, see https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ltt/about/ltt-mathematics/?age=9#1973-mathematics-result.
2In 2004, two assessments were conducted--one using the same format that was used in previous assessments, and one using a revised assessment format that provides accommodations for students with disabilities and for English learners. In subsequent years, only the revised format was used.
NOTE: Scale ranges from 0 to 500. Students scoring 150 (or higher) know some basic addition and subtraction facts. Students scoring 200 have a considerable understanding of two-digit numbers and know some basic multiplication and division facts. Students scoring 250 have an initial understanding of the four basic operations and are developing an ability to analyze simple logical relations. Students scoring 300 can perform reasoning and problem solving involving fractions, decimals, percents, elementary geometry, and simple algebra. Students scoring 350 can perform reasoning and problem solving involving geometry, algebra, and beginning statistics and probability. Includes public, private, Bureau of Indian Education, and Department of Defense Education Activity schools. For assessment years prior to 2004, accommodations were not permitted. For 2004 (revised format) and later years, includes students tested with accommodations; excludes only those students with disabilities and English learners who were unable to be tested even with accommodations (1 to 8 percent of all students, depending on age and assessment year). Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Totals include other racial/ethnic groups not shown separately.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), NAEP 2020 Trends in Academic Progress; and 2020, 2022, and 2023 NAEP Long-Term Trend Mathematics Assessment, retrieved October 18, 2021, and September 14, 2023, from Long-Term Trend NAEP Data Explorer (https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ndecore/xplore/NDE). (This table was prepared September 2023.)

2023 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest