Between 2019 and 2023, the average performance of U.S. eighth graders on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) exam exhibited a 27-point decline.

Fact of the Week: Between 2019 and 2023, the Average Math Scores of US Eighth Graders Declined by 27 Points

Ensuring that students are not only capable of using technology, but also of integrating technology into their work is key to providing students with the skills they will need in the modern economy. In 2018, over 46,000 8th graders from 12 developed and developing countries participated in a study of computer and information literacy.

Fact of the Week: Ninety Percent of 8th Graders in the United States Were Judged to be Proficient in a Test of Computer and Information Literacy, Compared to an International Average of 82 Percent

Chinese students averaged 164.7, a score surpassed by only about 4 percent of U.S. test-takers.

Fact of the Week: Only About 4 Percent of US GRE Takers Exceed the Average Quantitative Reasoning Score Earned by Examinees in China

A study by the Federal Reserve Board shows that despite significantly increased costs for higher education and housing, average household income for Millennials grew 18 percent compared to Generation X.

Fact of the Week: Americans Continue To Earn Higher Household Incomes Than Previous Generations

Though inflation has remained relatively stable thus far in 2025, projections estimate that inflation in the United States will increase in 2026 from 2.7 percent to 3 percent.

Fact of the Week: Inflation Is Expected to Rise to 3 Percent in the United States in 2026

A national survey of households making $50,000 or less, all with at least some form of online connectivity, classified 36 percent of respondents as having low digital skills. 39 percent were in the high digital skills category.

Fact of the Week: 36 Percent of Online Households Making $50,000 or Less Are Classified As Having Low Digital Skills

Since 2015, the number of Chinese students enrolling in U.S. PhD programs has decreased by about 3.7 percent, while the probability a Chinese student will enroll in a PhD program in another English-speaking country, such as the UK, Australia, or Canada, has increased by 2.1 percent.

Fact of the Week: Tensions Have Led to a 3.7 Percent Decline in the Probability of Chinese Students Enrolling in a US PhD Program

Between 2011 and 2021, the number of active apprenticeships in the United States increased from 357,692 to 593,690, a 66 percent increase.

Fact of the Week: Apprenticeships in the US Increased by 66 Percent Between 2011 and 2021

A report by the tech research company Digital Science found that, in 2019, 500,000 publications or 10 percent of the world’s total, related to the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations.

Fact of the Week: NAEP Reports a 4 Point Decline in 13-Year-Old Students’ Reading Abilities and a 9 Point Drop in Math Scores

Related

Fact of the Week: Between 2019 and 2023, the Average Math Scores of US Eighth Graders Declined by 27 Points

Fact of the Week: Ninety Percent of 8th Graders in the United States Were Judged to be Proficient in a Test of Computer and Information Literacy, Compared to an International Average of 82 Percent

Fact of the Week: Only About 4 Percent of US GRE Takers Exceed the Average Quantitative Reasoning Score Earned by Examinees in China