Lowell operates 27 public schools serving 14,228 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Massachusetts. The school portfolio breaks down into 16 other, 8 elementary, 3 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 14,457 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Middlesex County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $27,720 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 5.6% local, 80.4% state, and 14.0% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $128,339 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 58/100, ranked #15 of 362 in Massachusetts against a state average of 38 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 27 schools offering Advanced Placement (37 AP courses district-wide), a 434.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 45.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 42.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 21.7% White across the district's schools.
Lowell High accounts for 23.8% of all Lowell student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Lowell-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Lowell school enrollment varies 230× across entities
Lowell school enrollment ranges from 15 students (lowest) to 3,446 students (highest), a spread of 3,431 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Lowell student-counselor ratio is 434:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Lowell chronic absenteeism rate is 45.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Lowell has 27 schools, including 3 high, 8 elementary, 16 other. Total enrollment is 14,228 students.
How much does Lowell spend per student?
Lowell spends $27,720 per student. The district has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #15 in Massachusetts.
What is the average teacher salary in Lowell?
The average teacher salary in Lowell is $128,339 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Lowell?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Middlesex County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Lowell?
Lowell students are 42.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 21.7% White, 8.5% African American, averaged across 27 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Lowell?
Lowell has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #15 out of 362 districts in Massachusetts. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.