June 9, 2015

US Stands at 28th in International Educational Rankings

US Stands at 28th in International Educational Rankings

According to the latest comprehensive global education rankings, the United States is falling behind in education.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report compares standards in math and science between 76 different countries. Through the OECD’s global Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the group was able to test students from around the world in basic skills such as math and science.

The report includes an assessment of the levels of basic skills among 15-year-old students in the two subjects as well as measures of national economic performance, and concludes that increasing skill levels would significantly contribute to improving economic growth in every country surveyed.

Leading the pack are Asian countries with Singapore leading the world and Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan rounding out the top five.  European countries followed suit with Finland coming it at sixth place followed by Estonia, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Surprisingly, global powerhouses such as the UK (20th) and the US (28th) are dropping in international education ranking. The US spends more money annually on education than other developed countries. In 2010, the US government spent $11,000 per elementary student and more than $12,000 per high school student, according to CBS News.

Despite the low rankings, in basic math and science skills compared to other industrialized countries, US students have the means and resources to improve in international standing. The US education system will need to address some pitfalls in order to stay competitive as the world moves towards defining universal education skills and standards.

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