Education in Mississippi
Some have dubbed our success a miracle, but Mississippi education leaders call it a marathon because they know the state’s progress stems from strong policies, effective implementation of statewide education reforms and years of hard work from students, teachers, families and education leaders.
No. 1 in NAEP Gains
Results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress showed Mississippi 4th graders ranked 9th in the nation for reading scores and 16th in the nation for math scores. Since 2013, that same category of students ranks No. 1 nationally for gains in reading and math.
16th in Nation
Mississippi was ranked 16th in education nationally – the state’s highest ranking ever – by the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book. The state ranked 48th in 2014 and has experienced tremendous improvement. Mississippi’s top-tier ranking is based on students’ continuous academic gains.
3rd Grade Literacy Gains
Mississippi’s Literacy Based Promotion Act is a state law that helps ensure students know how to read by third-grade by passing a reading assessment to be promoted to fourth-grade. Students get up to three attempts to pass the assessment and may qualify for one of five good cause exemptions to be promoted if a passing score is not obtained. In 2025, a record-high 77.3% of third-graders passed the assessment on the first attempt.
Top 5 in Early Childhood
Mississippi is one of only five states in the country to meet all 10 of the National Institute for Early Education Research’s (NIEER) benchmarks for preschool quality. NIEER measures essential preschool quality indicators, including teacher qualifications, class sizes, early learning standards, and program assessments.
Graduation Rate
Mississippi’s most recent state graduation rate for the 2023-24 school year was 89.2%. The rate exceeds the latest national rate of 86.6% from 2021-22 reported by the National Center for Education Statistics. Historically, Mississippi’s public-school students have achieved continued improvement. The statewide graduation rate was 74.5% in 2013.
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