Careers - Education - U.S. Students Rank Lower Than Ever in Science and Math

U.S. Students Rank Lower Than Ever in Science and Math

Written By
Deb Perelman
Deb Perelman
Dec 5, 2007
1 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Comparing the scores of 15-year-old students in the United States to their international peers, the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) report results, released Dec. 4, are especially disheartening this year.

The average combined science literacy scale score for U.S. students was lower than the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an intergovernmental agency of 30 member countries and the sponsor of the report) average, according to the latest PISA results.

U.S. students fell to 25th place in math and 21st place in science.

The United States was joined by Spain and Italy among the 32 countries that were classified as below OECD average.

“In today’s technology-based societies, understanding fundamental scientific concepts and theories and the ability to structure and solve scientific problems are more important than ever,” the report said.

Finnish 15-year-olds took the top spot in science knowledge, South Korea came in first in reading, and Taipei students were the smartest at math.

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.