Where does Idaho rank in education?
By Michael Cooper. Published .
On the one reading and mathematics test every state gives the same way, between 9th and 21st highest of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, above the national public school figure in all four assessments. In 2024 Idaho’s eighth graders in reading scored 260.7 points against 256.7 points nationally, and its fourth graders in mathematics 238.4 points against 237.3 points. Idaho spent $11,060 per student in 2024, the lowest of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The four assessments in 2024
Idaho ranked 9th of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in eighth grade reading and 21st in fourth grade mathematics.
Idaho and the nation, all four assessments (4 rows)
| Assessment | Idaho score | National public score | Idaho at or above Proficient | National at or above Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, grade 4 | 215.7 | 214.3 | 31.9% | 30.5% |
| Reading, grade 8 | 260.7 | 256.7 | 32.0% | 28.7% |
| Mathematics, grade 4 | 238.4 | 237.3 | 40.7% | 39.4% |
| Mathematics, grade 8 | 278.1 | 272.2 | 30.9% | 26.9% |
Each row above is its own assessment on its own scale. A score in one row cannot be set against a score in another: NAEP scales grade 4 and grade 8 separately, and reading and mathematics separately again, so the only comparison a column supports is across states within one row. In eighth grade reading, Massachusetts was highest at 268.0 points and New Mexico lowest at 245.1 points.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress is the only reading and mathematics test given the same way in every state, which is what makes an Idaho score rankable at all. It goes to a sample of public school students in grades 4 and 8 every two years, and reports two figures for each group: an average score on a scale running to 500, and the share reaching the Proficient level.
Scale score
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) State Mathematics and Reading Assessments. Data period 2024. Published .
Scale score
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) State Mathematics and Reading Assessments. Data period 2024. Published .
What Idaho spends per student
Idaho spent $11,060 per pupil in 2024, the lowest of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the Census Bureau’s annual survey of school system finances. Utah was next lowest at $11,347 and New York highest at $31,918. The median state spent $16,147 and the national figure was $17,619.
That puts Idaho 37.2% below the national figure per student in the same year its scores ran above the national figure in every one of the four assessments.
Dollars
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances. Data period 2024. Published .
What a dollar buys in each state
A dollar does not buy the same thing in every state, and school spending is mostly salaries. The Bureau of Economic Analysis measures that with regional price parity, which sets the national price level at 100 and prices each state against it. Idaho stood at 95.5 in 2024, 23rd lowest of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with Arkansas lowest at 86.9 and California highest at 110.7.
Prices in Idaho were 4.5% below the national level in 2024. Its spending per student was 37.2% below the national figure in 2024.
Index
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (SARPP). Data period 2024. Published .
The two longest series
Idaho’s grade 4 reading score was 220.2 points in 2002, peaked at 223.4 points in 2007, and stood at 215.7 points in 2024. The national public figure was 216.8 points in 2002 and 214.3 points in 2024.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) State Mathematics and Reading Assessments. Published .
Data table (14 rows)
| Period | Idaho (scale score) | National public (scale score) |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | n/a | 212.8 |
| 2000 | n/a | 211.3 |
| 2002 | 220.2 | 216.8 |
| 2003 | 218.3 | 216.5 |
| 2005 | 221.9 | 217.3 |
| 2007 | 223.4 | 219.7 |
| 2009 | 221.0 | 219.6 |
| 2011 | 220.8 | 220.0 |
| 2013 | 219.3 | 220.7 |
| 2015 | 221.7 | 221.4 |
| 2017 | 222.8 | 220.8 |
| 2019 | 222.5 | 219.4 |
| 2022 | 214.9 | 216.1 |
| 2024 | 215.7 | 214.3 |
Grade 8 mathematics ran from 277.2 points in 2000 to 278.1 points in 2024, with its high of 287.3 points in 2009. Idaho was 5.9 points above the national public figure in 2024.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) State Mathematics and Reading Assessments. Published .
Data table (13 rows)
| Period | Idaho (scale score) | National public (scale score) |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | n/a | 268.8 |
| 2000 | 277.2 | 271.8 |
| 2003 | 279.9 | 276.1 |
| 2005 | 281.0 | 277.5 |
| 2007 | 283.5 | 280.2 |
| 2009 | 287.3 | 281.7 |
| 2011 | 286.7 | 282.7 |
| 2013 | 286.4 | 283.6 |
| 2015 | 283.7 | 281.3 |
| 2017 | 284.4 | 282.0 |
| 2019 | 285.9 | 281.0 |
| 2022 | 281.8 | 273.1 |
| 2024 | 278.1 | 272.2 |
Data behind this post
- NAEP state assessment results · National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) State Mathematics and Reading Assessments
- Public school per-pupil spending · Annual Survey of School System Finances
- Regional price parities (RPP) · Regional Price Parities (SARPP)
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