The average reading score for U.S. 15-year-olds fell 14 points between the 2022 and 2025 Program for International Student Assessment tests, according to results reported by The 74. The U.S. math score declined another two points, while science was essentially unchanged.
The small 2022-to-2025 math change sits within a longer decline: The 74 reported that the U.S. math score was 15 points below its 2018 level. The results extend concern about academic performance following pandemic-era disruptions.
America’s relative standing improved in several comparisons because scores in many other participating education systems also fell. Chalkbeat reported that the United States rose in the rankings even though its reading performance declined and math and science were broadly flat.
PISA is an international assessment of sampled 15-year-olds, not a census of every American student. Its rankings compare participating systems and should not be read as proof that U.S. outcomes improved in absolute terms or that any single factor caused the changes.
