U.S. PISA Gender Gaps in Math, Reading and Science 2025
PISA 2025 shows different U.S. gender patterns across the three core domains. Boys scored higher in mathematics, girls scored higher in reading, and the 8-point science difference was not statistically different.
U.S. Gender Gaps by Subject
U.S. and OECD Gender Gaps Across PISA Subjects
Score-point difference calculated as boys minus girls. Positive values indicate higher scores for boys; negative values indicate higher scores for girls.
The gap measure is boys minus girls. The U.S. science gap of 8 points should be read as a numerical difference rather than evidence of a statistical difference.
Full PISA 2025 Gender Gap Data
| Mathematics | 451 | 475 | +24 | +13 | Boys higher |
| Reading | 501 | 477 | −24 | −30 | Girls higher |
| Science | 498 | 506 | +8 | −1 | Not statistically different |
The U.S. Gender Pattern Reversed Between Mathematics and Reading
- The absolute U.S. gap was 24 points in both mathematics and reading, but the direction reversed. Boys scored higher in mathematics, while girls scored higher in reading. The equal numerical size does not mean the two domains measure the same underlying skill; PISA mathematics and reading use separate subject scales.
- The U.S. mathematics gap was numerically wider than the OECD-average gap, at 24 points compared with 13. In reading, the U.S. gap in favor of girls was numerically narrower than the OECD average, at 24 points compared with 30.
- Science followed a different pattern. Boys scored eight points above girls numerically in the United States, while the OECD average showed a one-point difference in the other direction. The U.S. science difference was not statistically different, so it should not be described as a clear performance advantage for boys.
- The three subject gaps should not be averaged into a single overall gender-gap measure. Each PISA domain is reported on its own scale, and the direction of the U.S. difference varies by subject.
Data Sources, Measurement and Comparability
PISA 2025 assessed 15-year-old students. Science was the major assessment domain in the 2025 cycle, while reading and mathematics were minor domains.
Gap values on this page are calculated as boys minus girls. A positive value indicates a higher mean score for boys; a negative value indicates a higher mean score for girls.
NCES reports that 4,625 U.S. students in 144 schools participated in PISA 2025. Of those students, 3,583 took the science assessment, 1,900 took reading and 1,831 took mathematics.
One or more PISA sampling standards were not met for the United States, so estimates require caution. NCES reports an overall weighted school response rate of 54 percent and a student response rate of 76 percent.
NCES states that 2025 results by student sex can be reported because this information was collected through the student tracking form rather than the student questionnaire. The OECD result tables use gender terminology for these comparisons.
PISA mean scores are estimates for groups of students, not individual test scores. Mathematics, reading and science are separate scales, so cross-subject score differences should not be interpreted as if the domains shared one common scale.