Chelmsford vs Lowell Schools
How the two districts, about 4 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Chelmsford ranks higher, #83 to Lowell's #224 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Chelmsford students score higher: ELA 55% vs 28%, Math 56% vs 32% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Chelmsford averages 99 points higher (1189 vs 1090).
- Spending: Lowell spends $3,444 more per student ($22,085 vs $18,641).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Chelmsford: single-family homes average $695K vs $515K. The average tax bill is $9,219 in Chelmsford and $5,844 in Lowell.
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 | Chelmsford | Lowell | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 55% | 28% | 41% |
| 2025 | 59% | 28% | 43% |
| 2024 | 56% | 24% | 42% |
| 2023 | 57% | 27% | 44% |
| 2022 | 58% | 27% | 43% |
| 2021 | 64% | 28% | 49% |
| Year | Chelmsford | Lowell | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 56% | 32% | 41% |
| 2025 | 52% | 30% | 41% |
| 2024 | 57% | 29% | 42% |
| 2023 | 53% | 26% | 42% |
| 2022 | 53% | 25% | 40% |
| 2021 | 46% | 20% | 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
| Chelmsford | Lowell | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,151 | 14,899 |
| English learners | 5.1% | 28.2% |
| Students with disabilities | 20.3% | 20.7% |
| White | 62% | 18% |
| Asian | 19.2% | 25.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 9.4% | 42.6% |
| Black/African American | 4.4% | 9.5% |
| Multi-race | 4.5% | 4% |
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.