"More Than 7 Years Behind China": U.S. Faces Shocking Reality

An analysis has pointed out that the biggest weakness facing the United States in the tech hegemony competition with China is neither semiconductors nor artificial intelligence, but "education."

When comparing the math scores of 15-year-old students, the gap between participating regions in China and the United States widened to 149 points.

The Wall Street Journal analyzed that converting this gap into learning volume amounts to a difference of more than 7 years.

In the recently released Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025, the average math score for four participating regions in China—Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang—was 612, the highest among all participating countries and economies.

On the other hand, the United States lingered at 463 points.

The gap is on a widening trend.

Compared to 2018, the math score for China's participating regions rose 21 points from 591 to 612, while the U.S. score fell 15 points from 478 to 463.

The Wall Street Journal added that China's margin of increase is equivalent to about one year's worth of learning progress, while the U.S. decline is equivalent to about nine months' worth of regression.

The gap was even more pronounced among top-tier students.

Students falling into Levels 5 and 6, the highest tiers in math, accounted for over 50%—specifically 54%—in China's participating regions, compared to just 8% in the United States.

In science as well, China's participating regions recorded the highest average at 597 points, while the U.S. scored 502 points.

The Wall Street Journal pointed out that the reason U.S. companies look for highly skilled talent overseas is also because American schools fail to produce enough students equipped with advanced math and engineering skills.

While the U.S. has poured massive funds into cutting-edge industries such as semiconductors and batteries in response to technological competition with China, the analysis suggests that educational competitiveness in nurturing future tech talent is just as crucial as industrial policy.

South Korea's scores were lower than China's participating regions, but higher than the United States.

In math, South Korea scored 522 points, trailing China's participating regions by 90 points but leading the U.S. by 59 points.

In science, South Korea also scored 526 points—lower than the 597 points of China's participating regions, but outperforming the U.S. score of 502.

The Wall Street Journal noted that educational problems cannot be solved simply by pumping in more budgets, pointing out that the fundamental task the U.S. must address in its tech competition with China lies inside the classroom.

(Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News)

※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.