PISA 2025 Results: U.S. Students Lag Behind in Global Achievement

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released the “PISA 2025 Results” report, revealing that numerous countries and economies outperformed the United States in student achievement. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests reading and math proficiency, administered every three years to 15-year-olds globally. Over 760,000 students across 91 countries participated in the 2025 exam, including approximately 4,600 American students.

Global Comparisons

American students scored 490 in reading and 463 in math. A total of 24 countries and economies surpassed the U.S. in math, while ten exceeded in both reading and math. Singapore achieved the highest reading score of 535, followed closely by China at 527. In math, China led with a score of 612, significantly higher than the American result, with Singapore trailing at 563.

China’s reported scores pertain only to Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang regions. Taiwan, identified as “Chinese Taipei,” also outperformed the U.S. Japan, Korea, and Estonia joined in beating the U.S. in both reading and math, whereas Ireland, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand overtook the U.S. in reading but not math. Additional countries like Switzerland, Canada, and Poland surpassed in math alone.

Decade-Long Decline

PISA results highlight a significant decline in student performance over the past decade, continuing a trend that began before the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationwide, OECD countries’ average science scores fell slightly from 489 to 482 between 2015 and 2025, while math scores dropped from 485 to 463, representing over a year’s learning loss. Reading scores saw the steepest fall, decreasing by 28 points among OECD countries.

A concerning 20% of 15-year-olds across OECD countries are now considered low performers in all three subjects, contrasted to 16% in 2022. Challenges in learning outcomes span socioeconomic groups, as noted by Andreas Schleicher from the OECD. Wealthier students experienced more pronounced declines compared to poorer students, resulting in a marginally narrowed achievement gap.

U.S. Ranking Rise

The U.S. rose in the rankings despite declining scores due to faster deterioration in other countries. American students achieved basic proficiency in reading at 74% and matched the math proficiency average of 65% across OECD countries. However, the U.S. still ranks far from the top, with merely 8% of students scoring at the highest math level, compared to Singapore’s 37%.

While U.S. students performed above average in science and computational problem-solving measures, concerns linger due to a low response rate among American test-takers. Only 60% completed necessary questionnaires, preventing comprehensive analysis by race and socioeconomic status. Concerns about sample bias remain given the shortfall in meeting PISA’s response rate benchmarks.

Technology and Distractions

Issues like classroom distractions from digital devices contribute to ongoing struggles. More than 25% of students reported peers being distracted regularly, impacting learning. While moderate device usage improved science scores, excessive leisure use correlated with lower performance.

PISA investigated artificial intelligence usage in schoolwork, revealing students benefitting from AI chatbots performed better than others. However, excessive reliance on AI for assignments was linked to lower scores. Additionally, bullying had an adverse impact, with affected students scoring significantly lower.

Positive Trends

Some countries demonstrated positive trends despite global declines. Costa Rica, Slovakia, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom posted improving science scores. Several non-OECD nations, including Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and the UAE, also saw notable gains, exemplified by Türkiye’s 70-point increase in science scores since 2015.