October 17, 2026·8 min read

Top 10 MA High Schools 2026

Our 2026 rankings combine spring 2026 MCAS results with the latest SAT, AP, and college plans data to identify the ten highest-performing public high schools in Massachusetts. Four schools are new to the top 10 this year: Needham, Hopkinton, Wellesley, and Winchester.

1317
Avg SAT
98.8%
Avg Grad Rate
93.9%
Avg AP Pass
335
Schools Analyzed
Methodology: Schools are ranked on a composite score: SAT (30%, average total scaled from the 400-1600 range), MCAS (25%, average of grade 10 ELA and Math Meeting or Exceeding Expectations rates from spring 2026), AP (20%, share of exams scored 3 or higher), and college plans (25%, share of graduates who report plans to attend a two- or four-year college). SAT, AP, and college data are from 2024-25. Only schools that report SAT results are ranked. All data is from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
#1
SAT Score1459
State Rank: #1
Graduation Rate100%
AP Pass Rate (3+)82.4%

Mass Academy is again the top public high school in the state. The selective STEM school, run in partnership with WPI, posts the highest average SAT score in Massachusetts and a 100% graduation rate, and every graduate plans to attend a four-year college. Because students join after 10th grade, it doesn't report grade 10 MCAS results, so its ranking rests on SAT, AP, and college plans.

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#2
Lexington High
Lexington, Massachusetts
SAT Score1349
State Rank: #2
Graduation Rate98.1%
AP Pass Rate (3+)94.6%
MCAS ELA: #9 in state
MCAS Math: #5 in state

Lexington holds the #2 spot with the second-highest average SAT score in the state and top-10 MCAS results in both subjects. Nearly 95% of its AP exams score 3 or higher, and 94% of graduates plan to attend four-year colleges.

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#3
Dover-Sherborn Regional High
Dover-Sherborn, Massachusetts
SAT Score1283
State Rank: #15
Graduation Rate100%
AP Pass Rate (3+)95.8%
MCAS ELA: #6 in state
MCAS Math: #6 in state

Dover-Sherborn ranks sixth in the state on both the ELA (87%) and Math (88%) MCAS, with a 100% graduation rate and a 95.8% AP pass rate. Nearly 97% of graduates plan to attend four-year colleges, the highest share in the top 10 after Mass Academy.

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#4
Needham High
Needham, Massachusetts
SAT Score1270
State Rank: #20
Graduation Rate99.3%
AP Pass Rate (3+)95.5%
MCAS ELA: #4 in state
MCAS Math: #2 in state

Needham joins the top 10 on the strength of some of the best MCAS results in the state: second in Math (91%) and fourth in ELA (88%). A 99.3% graduation rate and a 95.5% AP pass rate round out its profile.

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#5
Belmont High
Belmont, Massachusetts
SAT Score1326
State Rank: #4
Graduation Rate98.2%
AP Pass Rate (3+)95.9%
MCAS ELA: #10 in state
MCAS Math: #7 in state

Belmont pairs the fourth-highest average SAT score in the state with a 95.9% AP pass rate, tied for the best in the top 10, and top-10 MCAS results in both ELA and Math.

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#6
Acton-Boxborough Regional High
Acton-Boxborough, Massachusetts
SAT Score1334
State Rank: #3
Graduation Rate98.3%
AP Pass Rate (3+)95.5%
MCAS ELA: #7 in state
MCAS Math: #15 in state

Acton-Boxborough posts the third-highest average SAT score in the state and a 95.5% AP pass rate. Its students rank seventh statewide on the ELA MCAS (86%).

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#7
Hopkinton High
Hopkinton, Massachusetts
SAT Score1272
State Rank: #18
Graduation Rate99.3%
AP Pass Rate (3+)95.7%
MCAS ELA: #5 in state
MCAS Math: #10 in state

Hopkinton enters the top 10 with the fifth-best ELA MCAS results in the state (87%) and a top-10 finish in Math. It graduates 99.3% of students, and 95.7% of its AP exams score 3 or higher.

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#8
Wayland High School
Wayland, Massachusetts
SAT Score1286
State Rank: #14
Graduation Rate100%
AP Pass Rate (3+)95.9%
MCAS ELA: #30 in state
MCAS Math: #18 in state

Wayland combines a 100% graduation rate with a 95.9% AP pass rate, tied for the best in the top 10. Its MCAS results trail the rest of the group, but strong SAT results and college plans keep it in the top 10, with 92% of graduates planning to attend four-year colleges.

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#9
Wellesley High
Wellesley, Massachusetts
SAT Score1299
State Rank: #9
Graduation Rate98%
AP Pass Rate (3+)95.5%
MCAS ELA: #22 in state
MCAS Math: #16 in state

Wellesley joins the top 10 with a top-10 average SAT score, a 95.5% AP pass rate, and nearly 95% of graduates planning to attend four-year colleges.

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#10
Winchester High School
Winchester, Massachusetts
SAT Score1295
State Rank: #11
Graduation Rate96.6%
AP Pass Rate (3+)91.8%
MCAS ELA: #11 in state
MCAS Math: #13 in state

Winchester rounds out the top 10, ranking between 11th and 13th in the state on SAT, ELA MCAS, and Math MCAS. Nearly 95% of its graduates plan to attend four-year colleges.

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Key Takeaways

  • Needham, Hopkinton, Wellesley, and Winchester join the top 10
  • Boston Latin School slips to #11 after its grade 10 ELA rate fell from 91% to 76% on the 2026 MCAS
  • The top 10 average a 98.8% graduation rate and a 93.9% AP pass rate
  • At every top-10 school, at least 89% of graduates plan to attend four-year colleges
  • Harvard's Bromfield School posts the state's highest grade 10 ELA score (93%) but ranks #12, held back by SAT and AP results outside the top 10

Explore detailed profiles for all 335 Massachusetts public high schools

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