Best Public Schools in Massachusetts

Top 50 schools ranked by resource quality score. Based on student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs & attendance. NCES CCD 2022-23.

75/100
Top Score
Promise College and Career Academy
61/100
Avg Score (Top 50)
50
Schools Ranked
MA
State
# School Score Grade
1. Promise College and Career Academy Brockton 75 B+
2. Quincy Elementary School Boston 67 B-
3. Whately Elementary Whately 66 B-
4. Dean S Luce Canton 65 B-
5. Central Middle Quincy 64 C+
6. Salem Early Childhood Salem 64 C+
7. John F Kennedy Canton 63 C+
8. Chestnut Accelerated Middle School (Talented and Gifted) Springfield 63 C+
9. Thomas R Plympton Elementary School Waltham 62 C+
10. Pelham Elementary Pelham 62 C+
11. Dover-Sherborn Regional Middle School Dover 61 C+
12. Weston Middle Weston 61 C+
13. Ipswich High Ipswich 61 C+
14. Hanson Middle School Hanson 61 C+
15. Emergence Academy Springfield 61 C+
16. William F. Stanley Elementary School Waltham 61 C+
17. Mountain View East Longmeadow 61 C+
18. Capuano Early Childhood Center Somerville 61 C+
19. Hopkins Academy Hadley 61 C+
20. Petersham Center Petersham 61 C+
21. Johnson Natick 61 C+
22. Ma Academy for Math and Science School Worcester 61 C+
23. Wellesley Middle Wellesley 60 C+
24. Bedford High Bedford 60 C+
25. Wayland Middle School Wayland 60 C+
26. Weston High Weston 60 C+
27. Sarah W Gibbons Middle Westborough 60 C+
28. John Glenn Middle Bedford 60 C+
29. Ipswich Middle School Ipswich 60 C+
30. Field Elementary School Weston 60 C+
31. Christa Mcauliffe Charter School Framingham 60 C+
32. Rockport Middle Rockport 60 C+
33. Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High Sudbury 59 C
34. Sullivan Middle Worcester 59 C
35. Lt Eleazer Davis Bedford 59 C
36. Claypit Hill School Wayland 59 C
37. Bird Middle East Walpole 59 C
38. John D Mc Govern Elementary Medway 59 C
39. Cohasset Middle School Cohasset 59 C
40. Quarry Hill Community School Monson 59 C
41. Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School Marlborough 58 C
42. Pollard Middle Needham 58 C
43. Wayland High School Wayland 58 C
44. Nashoba Valley Technical High School Westford 58 C
45. Medfield Senior High Medfield 58 C
46. E W Thurston Middle Westwood 58 C
47. Blanchard Middle Westford 58 C
48. High Rock School Needham 58 C
49. Ambrose Elementary Winchester 58 C
50. Williams Middle Longmeadow 58 C

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best public schools in Massachusetts? ▼

The top-rated school in Massachusetts is Promise College and Career Academy in Brockton with a quality score of 75/100 (grade B+). Rankings are based on student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted programs, and attendance rates from NCES data.

How are school quality scores calculated? ▼

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data across 4 metrics: student-teacher ratio (lower is better, national avg ~16:1), counselor availability (ASCA recommends 250:1), gifted program availability, and chronic absenteeism rate (lower is better). This measures school resources, not test scores.

Explore More for Massachusetts

All Schools → Largest Schools → Absenteeism Data → Highest Spending → National Ranking →

Methodology

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 metrics: student-teacher ratio, school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates. Schools must have at least 50 students and data for one or more metrics. This measures resource quality, not test scores. Higher scores indicate smaller class sizes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.