Iowa · Education
NAEP 8th Grade Math in Iowa
Average math score for 8th-graders on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the nation's report card, given every two years.
275 in 2024
#23 of 50 · Middle tier (higher is better)
Iowa is better than the 50-state median (273). That's a gap of 2.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
1990 – 2024 · Iowa only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About naep 8th grade math
What this measures: Average math score for 8th-graders on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, given every two years.
Why it matters: NAEP is the most comparable cross-state measure of student learning and a leading indicator of long-run workforce skills.
Watch out: This is a scale score (0 to 500), not a proficiency rate. A 10-point gap is roughly one grade level of learning.
Recent trend
| Year | Iowa | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 284 | 281 |
| 2007 | 285 | 283 |
| 2009 | 284 | 284 |
| 2011 | 285 | 283 |
| 2013 | 285 | 285 |
| 2015 | 286 | 283 |
| 2017 | 286 | 282 |
| 2019 | 282 | 281 |
| 2022 | 277 | 273 |
| 2024 | 275 | 273 |
Iowa vs. neighboring states
Same metric (naep 8th grade math), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | NAEP 8th Grade Math | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 282 | #3 of 50 |
| Wisconsin | 283 | #2 of 50 |
| Illinois | 277 | #16 of 50 |
| Missouri | 270 | #29 of 50 |
| Nebraska | 280 | #7 of 50 |
| South Dakota | 281 | #6 of 50 |
How Iowa compares (2024)
Top 5 best
| #1 | Massachusetts | 283 |
| #2 | Wisconsin | 283 |
| #3 | Minnesota | 282 |
| #4 | Utah | 282 |
| #5 | New Jersey | 282 |
Bottom 5
| #46 | Alaska | 264 |
| #47 | Delaware | 263 |
| #48 | Alabama | 262 |
| #49 | West Virginia | 261 |
| #50 | New Mexico | 256 |
Source and methodology
Source: NAEP / Nation's Report Card · Direction: higher is better · Unit: score
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)