Cohasset vs Norwell Schools
How the two districts, about 7 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Cohasset ranks #15 and Norwell #20 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Cohasset students score higher: ELA 70% vs 67%, Math 70% vs 67% met expectations. Statewide: 40% and 41%.
- SAT: Cohasset averages 20 points higher (1164 vs 1144).
- Spending: Cohasset spends $2,965 more per student ($24,119 vs $21,154).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Cohasset: single-family homes average $1.48M vs $1.07M. The average tax bill is $16,814 in Cohasset and $13,675 in Norwell.
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 | Cohasset | Norwell | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 70% | 67% | 40% |
| 2025 | 74% | 68% | 43% |
| 2024 | 72% | 65% | 42% |
| 2023 | 73% | 68% | 45% |
| 2022 | 68% | 65% | 44% |
| 2021 | 73% | 70% | 49% |
| Year | Cohasset | Norwell | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 70% | 67% | 41% |
| 2025 | 70% | 69% | 42% |
| 2024 | 68% | 73% | 42% |
| 2023 | 72% | 69% | 42% |
| 2022 | 60% | 67% | 40% |
| 2021 | 50% | 61% | 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
| Cohasset | Norwell | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 1,395 | 2,199 |
| English learners | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Students with disabilities | 17.8% | 15.1% |
| White | 90% | 89.5% |
| Asian | 0.9% | 2.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 3% | 2% |
| Black/African American | 2.4% | 0.6% |
| Multi-race | 3.5% | 5% |
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.