Billerica vs Burlington Schools
How the two districts, about 5 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Burlington ranks higher, #53 to Billerica's #132 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Burlington students score higher: ELA 51% vs 42%, Math 56% vs 42% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Burlington averages 52 points higher (1181 vs 1129).
- Spending: Burlington spends $6,554 more per student ($27,732 vs $21,177).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Burlington: single-family homes average $820K vs $645K. The average tax bill is $7,484 in Billerica and $7,128 in Burlington.
- Class size: Smaller in Burlington: 15.9 students on average vs 19.1.
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 | Billerica | Burlington | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 42% | 51% | 41% |
| 2025 | 46% | 53% | 42% |
| 2024 | 46% | 50% | 41% |
| 2023 | 47% | 54% | 44% |
| 2022 | 44% | 52% | 43% |
| 2021 | 51% | 57% | 48% |
| Year | Billerica | Burlington | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 42% | 56% | 41% |
| 2025 | 45% | 53% | 41% |
| 2024 | 45% | 55% | 42% |
| 2023 | 42% | 56% | 42% |
| 2022 | 41% | 52% | 40% |
| 2021 | 36% | 51% | 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
| Billerica | Burlington | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,000 | 3,592 |
| English learners | 3.9% | 11.2% |
| Students with disabilities | 20.6% | 13.4% |
| White | 64.4% | 57% |
| Asian | 11.3% | 19.1% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 12.3% | 10.8% |
| Black/African American | 7.9% | 8.6% |
| Multi-race | 3.6% | 4.2% |
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.