U.S. Slips To Third In International Science And Math Competitions

The United States of America has dropped from second place in 2020 to third place in 2021 in a ranking of the performance of secondary school students on international science and math competitions.

The People’s Republic of China ranked first in 2021 and the Russian Federation moved up from third to second place, swapping places with the U.S.

The U.S. is followed in the rankings by Taiwan, Singapore, Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Romania, Hong Kong and Iran.

Joann P. DiGennaro, President of the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), said, “It is alarming to learn of U.S. slippage to 3rd place behind China and Russia for performance in International Academic Olympiads. Now, more than ever, our nation must prioritize rigorous high-quality STEM education to compete globally in science and technology.”

The Index of Excellence in STEM Education is published by the Center for Excellence in Education.

The index combines the rankings for 90 countries that participate in international Olympiad competitions for high school students in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Informatics and Physics.

In the last decade, the U.S. has ranked first or second in informatics six times, first or second in mathematics five times, first or second in biology five times and first or second in chemistry two times. Performance dropped this year, however, in several of the Olympiads.

Students in some countries can win scholarships based on their individual performance in the national Olympiads. Winning an Olympiad can also open doors to college admissions at top colleges.

The Center for Excellence in Education was founded by Admiral H. G. Rickover, Father of the Nuclear Navy and of civilian uses of nuclear power, and Joann P. DiGennaro, CEE’s President, in 1983 to keep U.S. leadership in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. The Center sponsors the Research Science Institute (RSI), USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) and Teacher Enrichment Program (TEP).