Cambridge vs Newton Schools
How the two districts, about 6 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Newton ranks higher, #44 to Cambridge's #69 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Newton students score higher: ELA 67% vs 59%, Math 70% vs 58% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Newton averages 118 points higher (1284 vs 1166).
- Spending: Cambridge spends $12,645 more per student ($39,212 vs $26,567).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Cambridge: single-family homes average $2.05M vs $1.76M. The average tax bill is $13,680 in Cambridge and $17,077 in Newton.
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 | Cambridge | Newton | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 59% | 67% | 41% |
| 2025 | 58% | 68% | 43% |
| 2024 | 56% | 67% | 42% |
| 2023 | 60% | 68% | 45% |
| 2022 | 55% | 67% | 44% |
| 2021 | 59% | 73% | 50% |
| Year | Cambridge | Newton | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 58% | 70% | 41% |
| 2025 | 56% | 71% | 42% |
| 2024 | 55% | 69% | 42% |
| 2023 | 54% | 70% | 42% |
| 2022 | 49% | 69% | 41% |
| 2021 | 42% | 64% | 36% |
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
| Cambridge | Newton | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 7,038 | 11,774 |
| English learners | 12.3% | 7.2% |
| Students with disabilities | 21.4% | 18% |
| White | 36.2% | 52.2% |
| Asian | 14.8% | 22% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| Black/African American | 22.5% | 4.7% |
| Multi-race | 11.7% | 9.6% |
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.