Belmont vs Brookline Schools
How the two districts, about 5 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Belmont ranks higher, #3 to Brookline's #19 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Similar results: in Belmont, 71% met expectations in ELA and 74% in Math; in Brookline, 69% and 74%. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Belmont averages 25 points higher (1326 vs 1301).
- Spending: Brookline spends $6,913 more per student ($27,765 vs $20,852).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Brookline: single-family homes average $2.56M vs $1.70M. The average tax bill is $19,579 in Belmont and $26,237 in Brookline.
- Class size: Smaller in Brookline: 16.7 students on average vs 21.2.
MCAS results, 2026
Share of students meeting or exceeding expectations, all tested grades combined. Both districts test grades 3–10; "State" is the statewide figure for the same grades.
| Year | Belmont | Brookline | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 71% | 69% | 41% |
| 2025 | 71% | 72% | 43% |
| 2024 | 71% | 69% | 42% |
| 2023 | 73% | 72% | 45% |
| 2022 | 75% | 72% | 44% |
| 2021 | 77% | 73% | 49% |
| Year | Belmont | Brookline | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 74% | 74% | 41% |
| 2025 | 72% | 73% | 41% |
| 2024 | 77% | 72% | 42% |
| 2023 | 77% | 72% | 42% |
| 2022 | 78% | 71% | 40% |
| 2021 | 69% | 66% | 35% |
No test in 2020. Statewide 10th-grade results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement.
High school results
Averages of each district's ranked high schools. "MA avg" is the average of all districts with high school data.
Classrooms, teachers & spending
Spending is total per-pupil expenditure from all sources in FY2024. Class size is the average across all classes in the district.
Students
| Belmont | Brookline | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 4,492 | 7,082 |
| English learners | 9.5% | 12.7% |
| Students with disabilities | 13.9% | 18.3% |
| White | 56.1% | 47.4% |
| Asian | 25.3% | 22.5% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 5.9% | 12.5% |
| Black/African American | 4.2% | 6.1% |
| Multi-race | 8.4% | 11.3% |
Homes & taxes
What could you afford in either town?
FY2026 averages for single-family homes from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue; for a district with several towns, the comparison uses the average of its towns. Assessed values usually run below recent sale prices.