According to the “PISA 2025 Results” report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, many countries and economies surpassed the U.S. in student achievement. American 15-year-olds achieved a score of 490 in reading and 463 in math.
Global Ranking and Comparisons
The report revealed that 24 countries and economies scored higher than the U.S. in math. Of these, ten countries also outperformed the U.S. in reading. Administered every three years, PISA evaluates the proficiency of around 760,000 students aged 15 worldwide. In 2025, approximately 4,600 U.S. students participated.
Top Performers in PISA 2025
Singapore led the reading scores with 535, while China topped math at 612, substantially higher than the U.S. Taiwan, tested as “Chinese Taipei,” outperformed the U.S. in both subjects.
Other countries like Japan, Korea, and Estonia also exceeded the U.S. in both reading and math. Nations including Ireland, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand surpassed the U.S. only in reading.
Overall Performance in Science and Problem Solving
Chinese regions, along with Estonia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, and the UK, ranked in the top ten for science, math, and reading. U.S. students performed above average in reading and science among the 38 OECD countries. They also excelled in computational problem-solving, with China, Singapore, and Japan leading.
Trends and Challenges
The decline in educational outcomes began before the pandemic. Reading, math, and science scores have been falling across the developed world for over a decade. The report shows that from 2015 to 2025, science scores fell from 489 to 482, while math dropped from 485 to 463. Reading experienced the most significant decline.
Approximately 20% of 15-year-olds in OECD countries now rate as low performers, up from 16% in 2022. This issue underscores inadequate foundational skills necessary for further education and employment.
U.S. Ranking Dynamics
Despite falling scores, U.S. rankings improved because of faster declines in other countries. However, reading scores are nearly at a 25-year low, and the math scores are the lowest since PISA began in 2000.
Seventy-four percent of U.S. students attained basic reading proficiency, compared to 69% across the OECD. U.S. math proficiency matched the OECD average. Yet, only 8% of American students reached the highest math level, compared to 37% in Singapore.
Data Limitations and Observations
The U.S. sample size did not meet PISA’s response-rate targets, leading to potential bias. More than 40% of U.S. students did not complete an accompanying questionnaire, affecting demographic analysis.
Impact of Technology and Classroom Environment
Over one-fourth of students reported distraction by digital devices in science classes. Moderate use of devices correlated with higher scores, while heavy leisure use led to lower performance.
The introduction of AI usage in school work showed that students using AI chatbots for learning scored higher. However, those relying on AI to draft assignments scored lower.
Bullying and Other Factors
Bullying affected scores, with victims performing worse on average. However, only a few students reported regular experiences of bullying.
Despite overall declines, some countries like Costa Rica, Slovakia, and Türkiye saw improvements in their OECD science scores.