Best Public Schools in Boston 2014 – Top 50 Ranking
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We chased down and analyzed a dizzying array of data—test scores, student-to-teacher ratios, graduation rates—to produce proprietary rankings of both public and private high schools in Greater Boston. Below is our exclusive ranking of the top 50 best public schools. (For more on how we determined the rankings, see our methodology below.)
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To see all of our 2014 Best Schools coverage—including sortable charts and rankings of area public and private schools—here.
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| School | Rank | Enrollment | Avg. Class Size | Student-Teacher Ratio | Per-Pupil Spending | Avg. MCAS, Reading | Avg. MCAS, Math | Avg. MCAS, Science | Avg. SAT, Reading | Avg. SAT, Writing | Avg. SAT, Math | Dollars Spent Per SAT Point | % Scoring 3-5 on AP Exams | College Advisors | Grad Rate (%) | % to College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover-Sherborn High School | 1 | 647 | 13 | 11.5:1 | $16,434 | 100 | 99 | 99 | 608 | 617 | 618 | $8.92 | 98.6 | 4 | 98.1 | 91 |
| Lexington High School | 2 | 2014 | 19.3 | 12.6:1 | $16,726 | 99 | 97 | 96 | 626 | 623 | 656 | $8.78 | 92.4 | 10 | 97.4 | 85.3 |
| Acton-Boxborough Regional High School | 3 | 1989 | 19.7 | 16.1:1 | $13,697 | 99 | 98 | 97 | 613 | 616 | 649 | $7.29 | 97.9 | 10 | 97.9 | 90.9 |
| Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School | 4 | 969 | 19.4 | 11.5:1 | N/A | 100 | 100 | 98 | 595 | 590 | 640 | 95.5 | 5 | 98.6 | 91.9 | |
| Newton South High School | 5 | 1759 | 16.1 | 12.4:1 | $16,400 | 99 | 96 | 89 | 606 | 615 | 636 | $8.83 | 94 | 13 | 98.1 | 84.5 |
| Wellesley High School | 6 | 1381 | 14.6 | 12.3:1 | $15,085 | 100 | 98 | 82 | 605 | 606 | 611 | $8.28 | 92.8 | 8 | 98.6 | 86.4 |
| Wayland High School | 7 | 856 | 15.6 | 12.2:1 | $15,902 | 99 | 95 | 89 | 587 | 592 | 617 | $8.85 | 90.9 | 6 | 99.1 | 89.4 |
| Sharon High School | 8 | 1199 | 16.3 | 12.9:1 | $14,527 | 99 | 97 | 93 | 589 | 590 | 610 | $8.12 | 93.8 | 6 | 97.1 | 88.7 |
| Westford Academy | 9 | 1675 | 19.8 | 13.9:1 | $11,449 | 99 | 97 | 96 | 589 | 577 | 601 | $6.48 | 93.1 | 8 | 98.6 | 92.7 |
| Winchester High School | 10 | 1156 | 16.7 | 14.0:1 | $11,954 | 99 | 96 | 95 | 579 | 585 | 609 | $6.74 | 85.7 | 6 | 98.9 | 86.6 |
| Medfield High School | 11 | 908 | 18 | 13.9:1 | $11,830 | 98 | 96 | 93 | 577 | 579 | 605 | $6.72 | 87.7 | 5 | 99.2 | 92.4 |
| Weston High School | 12 | 786 | 18.6 | 10.4:1 | $19,915 | 99 | 97 | 83 | 603 | 610 | 622 | $10.85 | 78.8 | 5 | 96.6 | 89 |
| Belmont High School | 13 | 1118 | 18.3 | 16.8:1 | $12,259 | 99 | 97 | 94 | 586 | 581 | 602 | $6.93 | 93.2 | 5 | 98.4 | 87.5 |
| Needham High School | 14 | 1545 | 18.2 | 15.1:1 | $13,742 | 99 | 97 | 92 | 585 | 580 | 595 | $7.81 | 96.3 | 8 | 97.8 | 88 |
| Concord Carlisle Regional High School | 15 | 1224 | 18.1 | 13.5:1 | $20,525 | 99 | 95 | 96 | 598 | 592 | 617 | $11.36 | 97.7 | 9 | 98 | 87.2 |
| Boston Latin School | 16 | 2332 | 24.9 | 20.2:1 | $17,283 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 626 | 611 | 632 | $9.25 | 80.5 | 7 | 98.6 | 90.6 |
| Westwood High School | 17 | 909 | 15.6 | 13.7:1 | $14,197 | 98 | 96 | 93 | 570 | 565 | 592 | $8.22 | 91.1 | 5 | 98.2 | 87.7 |
| Hingham High School | 18 | 1130 | 15.6 | 14.0:1 | $11,415 | 100 | 95 | 94 | 553 | 560 | 569 | $6.79 | 92.5 | 6 | 96.7 | 87.9 |
| Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School | 19 | 1590 | 19.9 | 13.5:1 | $17,340 | 98 | 93 | 81 | 589 | 594 | 620 | $9.62 | 93.5 | 8 | 98.7 | 86.6 |
| Brookline High School | 20 | 1819 | 14 | 12.6:1 | $16,626 | 98 | 93 | 87 | 591 | 590 | 609 | $9.29 | 94.3 | 14 | 93.5 | 82.1 |
| Bedford High School | 21 | 915 | 13.7 | 12.0:1 | $16,600 | 100 | 94 | 87 | 567 | 565 | 579 | $9.70 | 95 | 6 | 95.7 | 86.1 |
| Andover High School | 22 | 1794 | 16 | 15.0:1 | $13,836 | 99 | 98 | 88 | 564 | 567 | 588 | $8.05 | 80.7 | 8.5 | 96.6 | 91.2 |
| Duxbury High School | 23 | 1037 | 19.1 | 13.5:1 | $11,825 | 99 | 97 | 94 | 551 | 557 | 574 | $7.03 | 81.5 | 6 | 98.8 | 88 |
| Hopkinton High School | 24 | 1124 | 17.5 | 14.5:1 | $12,472 | 98 | 95 | 93 | 558 | 555 | 575 | $7.39 | 81.6 | 6 | 99.2 | 89.5 |
| Georgetown High School | 25 | 410 | 13 | 11.9:1 | $10,511 | 99 | 91 | 93 | 540 | 534 | 550 | $6.47 | 97.4 | 2 | 96.9 | 89.2 |
| Newton North High School | 26 | 1948 | 16.6 | 12.0:1 | $16,400 | 97 | 92 | 88 | 573 | 579 | 602 | $9.35 | 91.8 | 15 | 95.4 | 82 |
| Manchester Essex Regional High School | 27 | 477 | 15.5 | 12.1:1 | $13,479 | 98 | 96 | 96 | 554 | 553 | 570 | $8.04 | 87 | 3 | 93 | 85.8 |
| Masconomet Regional High School | 28 | 1345 | 16.3 | 17.2:1 | $13,094 | 98 | 98 | 95 | 553 | 550 | 570 | $7.83 | 80.3 | 8 | 98.7 | 91.9 |
| Norwell High School | 29 | 615 | 14.5 | 12.8:1 | $12,074 | 99 | 94 | 91 | 532 | 541 | 546 | $7.46 | 75.9 | 4 | 98.9 | 90.7 |
| Reading Memorial High School | 30 | 1281 | 16.8 | 14.3:1 | $11,051 | 98 | 94 | 90 | 548 | 543 | 562 | $6.69 | 81.6 | 6 | 96.6 | 92.6 |
| Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School | 31 | 697 | 18.1 | 12.6:1 | $14,759 | 99 | 95 | 94 | 556 | 554 | 553 | $8.87 | 69.1 | 4 | 95.3 | 86.9 |
| Holliston High School | 32 | 828 | 15.9 | 12.3:1 | $12,198 | 97 | 91 | 90 | 535 | 534 | 556 | $7.51 | 92.8 | 4 | 96.2 | 88.5 |
| Arlington High School | 33 | 1226 | 15.4 | 17.1:1 | $12,603 | 98 | 92 | 89 | 577 | 576 | 573 | $7.30 | 83.2 | 6 | 92.9 | 86.6 |
| Ashland High School | 34 | 725 | 14.7 | 15.1:1 | $12,183 | 99 | 95 | 88 | 530 | 520 | 569 | $7.53 | 84.6 | 4 | 94.9 | 90.5 |
| Nashoba Regional High School | 35 | 1010 | 16.4 | $12,686 | 95 | 92 | 87 | 555 | 546 | 579 | $7.55 | 89.2 | 6 | 95.1 | 88.9 | |
| Lynnfield High School | 36 | 626 | 15.9 | 12.5:1 | $12,215 | 99 | 92 | 93 | 513 | 516 | 553 | $7.72 | 87.7 | 3 | 99.4 | 85 |
| Marblehead High School | 37 | 989 | 14 | 13.2:1 | $12,998 | 96 | 92 | 88 | 548 | 552 | 553 | $7.86 | 86.4 | 4 | 96.7 | 88.7 |
| Natick High School | 38 | 1511 | 18 | 14.7:1 | $13,146 | 98 | 93 | 91 | 550 | 537 | 557 | $8.00 | 86.9 | 7 | 95.3 | 88 |
| Cohasset High School | 39 | 390 | 18.1 | 13.1:1 | $13,524 | 100 | 95 | 81 | 547 | 544 | 567 | $8.16 | 94.4 | 2 | 95.6 | 90.5 |
| Newburyport High School | 40 | 729 | 16.7 | 12.2:1 | $13,622 | 97 | 94 | 87 | 536 | 535 | 551 | $8.40 | 83.1 | 4 | 95.2 | 90.4 |
| Foxborough High School | 41 | 849 | 13.4 | 12.9:1 | $13,635 | 95 | 88 | 90 | 543 | 540 | 556 | $8.32 | 86.7 | 5 | 97.2 | 80.9 |
| Mansfield High School | 42 | 1396 | 15 | 14.6:1 | $11,166 | 98 | 93 | 85 | 529 | 521 | 552 | $6.97 | 79.9 | 7 | 93.8 | 86.9 |
| Scituate High School | 43 | 927 | 16.6 | 15.1:1 | $12,311 | 99 | 96 | 86 | 533 | 545 | 547 | $7.58 | 74.7 | 3 | 93.4 | 89.5 |
| Chelmsford High School | 44 | 1594 | 16.5 | 14.3:1 | $11,751 | 98 | 93 | 74 | 537 | 539 | 562 | $7.17 | 82.6 | 7 | 95.7 | 88.8 |
| Medway High School | 45 | 805 | 16.1 | 15.5:1 | $11,775 | 97 | 94 | 83 | 527 | 526 | 546 | $7.36 | 72.5 | 3 | 98.2 | 89.4 |
| North Reading High School | 46 | 723 | 20.4 | 12.3:1 | $12,498 | 98 | 91 | 91 | 547 | 546 | 577 | $7.48 | 56.2 | 3 | 92.4 | 87.3 |
| North Attleboro High School | 47 | 1236 | 14.7 | 16.0:1 | $10,139 | 97 | 92 | 94 | 531 | 516 | 538 | $6.40 | 88.6 | 5 | 95.2 | 82 |
| Pentucket Regional High School | 48 | 774 | 15.5 | 13.5:1 | $11,821 | 97 | 88 | 83 | 548 | 536 | 554 | $7.22 | 70.4 | 5 | 92.7 | 83.9 |
| Pioneer Charter School of Science | 49 | 353 | 17.9 | 11.2:1 | $14,178 | 100 | 95 | 98 | 514 | 509 | 566 | $8.92 | 50.4 | 1 | 95.7 | 82.4 |
| Rockport High School | 50 | 301 | 14.1 | 11.5:1 | $15,484 | 99 | 95 | 87 | 528 | 514 | 526 | $9.88 | 69.6 | 2 | 90.4 | 85.5 |
Correction, September 2, 11:30 a.m.: A previous version of this chart excluded Chelmsford High School. We regret the error.
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Correction, September 10, 5:30 p.m.: A previous version of this chart listed the incorrect enrollment for Cohasset High School. Their enrollment is 390. We regret the error.
Methodology:
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We gathered the most recent available data at press time on public schools from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (doe.mass.edu). Private school information was provided by those schools. We also consulted town and school websites if necessary. Statistician George Recck, the director of the Math Resource Center at Babson College, calculated the mean scores for each category, and then ranked the schools based on a weighted average of each school data point’s difference from the mean, using mean values when data was unavailable. Only public schools within the Greater Boston I-495 boundary were included.
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Additional research by Victoria Baena, Ariana Igneri, Megan Moore, Shina Neo, Katie Reilly, and Alex Stoller.