U.S. PISA Proficiency Levels 2025: Low and Top Performers
PISA 2025 proficiency results show the shares of U.S. 15-year-old students performing below Level 2 and at the highest proficiency levels in science, mathematics, and reading.
U.S. Low and Top Performer Shares
PISA 2025 Proficiency Distribution
United States and OECD average by subject
Percentages are rounded to whole numbers. Levels 2–4 are calculated from the reported Level 2-or-higher share after subtracting the Level 5–6 share.
OECD PISA 2025 Results, Volume I, Tables I.B1.2a.10–12.
Full PISA 2025 Proficiency Data
| United States — Science | 22% | 65% | 13% | 78% |
| OECD average — Science | 26% | 67% | 7% | 74% |
| United States — Mathematics | 35% | 57% | 8% | 65% |
| OECD average — Mathematics | 35% | 57% | 8% | 65% |
| United States — Reading | 26% | 61% | 13% | 74% |
| OECD average — Reading | 31% | 63% | 6% | 69% |
Baseline and Top-Performer Shares Follow Different Patterns
- Mathematics had the largest U.S. share below Level 2. Its rounded proficiency distribution was also nearly identical to the OECD average, both at the baseline threshold and at Levels 5–6.
- Science and reading showed a different pattern. The U.S. had numerically smaller low-performer shares than the OECD averages while also having larger top-performer shares.
- The distribution matters beyond the mean score. A higher share reaching Level 2 describes baseline attainment, while the Level 5–6 share measures the upper end of performance. The two measures therefore describe different parts of the student performance distribution.
What the PISA Proficiency Bands Mean
PISA places student performance on proficiency scales rather than classifying results only by average score. Below Level 2 identifies students who did not reach the baseline proficiency threshold used by OECD for science, mathematics, and reading. Levels 5–6 identify top performers who can handle more demanding tasks within the assessed domain.
Science
Level 2 begins at 409.54 score points. Level 5 begins at 633.33 points, with Level 6 beginning at 707.93 points.
Mathematics
Level 2 begins at 420.07 score points. Level 5 begins at 606.99 points, with Level 6 beginning at 669.30 points.
Reading
Level 2 begins at 407.47 score points. Level 5 begins at 625.61 points, with Level 6 beginning at 698.32 points.
Data Sources, Measurement and Comparability
Assessment Cycle
The figures refer to the PISA 2025 assessment cycle. OECD released the main PISA 2025 results on September 8, 2026. Science was the major domain in 2025, while mathematics and reading were minor domains.
Population
PISA assesses 15-year-old students enrolled in school. In the United States, 4,625 students in 144 schools completed the 2025 assessment.
Reported Percentages
OECD reports the share reaching Level 2 or higher and the share reaching Levels 5–6. The below-Level-2 percentages on this page equal 100 minus the reported Level 2-or-higher percentages. Levels 2–4 equal the Level 2-or-higher share minus the Levels 5–6 share.
Rounding
Displayed shares use the whole-number percentages published in the OECD U.S. country note. Derived distribution bands therefore reflect the same rounding precision.
Official OECD data: PISA 2025 Results, Volume I: United States.
U.S. technical documentation: NCES PISA 2025 Methodology and Technical Notes.