American 15-year-olds recorded reading scores near their lowest point in 25 years on the latest Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, according to results released Tuesday.

The reading score for U.S. students fell 14 points from 2022 to 490, matching the OECD average decline and placing performance at levels last seen around the early 2000s. Math scores remained among the lowest since the test began in 2000, holding roughly flat near 463 points. Science results stayed steady at 502.

The U.S. still outperformed the OECD average in reading and science while matching it in math. Relative rankings improved slightly because many other countries experienced steeper drops. Only a handful of systems, including Singapore and select Chinese provinces, led across subjects.

Just 8 percent of American students reached the highest math proficiency levels, compared with much larger shares in top-performing nations. The share of U.S. students failing to reach basic proficiency in reading and math rose over the past decade.

More than 760,000 students from 91 countries and economies participated in the 2025 assessment. Experts linked widespread score declines to increased screen time, social media, and artificial intelligence tools that encourage hasty rather than reflective reading habits.

U.S. math performance has shown long-term weakness relative to peers, while reading and science have exhibited greater stability until the recent drop. The results come amid ongoing debates over education policy, technology in classrooms, and post-pandemic recovery efforts.

OECD officials noted that a 20-point decline roughly equals one year of learning, underscoring the scale of recent setbacks across developed nations.