Dover-Sherborn vs Needham Schools
How the two districts, about 6 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Dover-Sherborn ranks #12 and Needham #17 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Similar results: in Dover-Sherborn, 73% met expectations in ELA and 76% in Math; in Needham, 72% and 76%. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Close: Dover-Sherborn averages 1283 and Needham 1270.
- Spending: Similar: $26,167 per student in Dover-Sherborn and $24,928 in Needham.
- Homes: Similar: single-family homes average $1.49M in Dover-Sherborn and $1.54M in Needham. The average tax bill is $19,553 in Dover-Sherborn and $16,690 in Needham.
- Class size: Smaller in Dover-Sherborn: 15.5 students on average vs 17.5.
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 | Dover-Sherborn | Needham | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 73% | 72% | 41% |
| 2025 | 72% | 74% | 43% |
| 2024 | 68% | 70% | 42% |
| 2023 | 70% | 70% | 45% |
| 2022 | 71% | 70% | 44% |
| 2021 | 77% | 74% | 49% |
| Year | Dover-Sherborn | Needham | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 76% | 76% | 41% |
| 2025 | 73% | 75% | 41% |
| 2024 | 74% | 74% | 42% |
| 2023 | 72% | 71% | 42% |
| 2022 | 72% | 71% | 41% |
| 2021 | 76% | 65% | 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
| Dover-Sherborn | Needham | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 1,086 | 5,509 |
| English learners | 0.6% | 2.9% |
| Students with disabilities | 11.8% | 18.9% |
| White | 68.9% | 70.7% |
| Asian | 14.4% | 12.4% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 5.9% | 7.1% |
| Black/African American | 3.7% | 3.2% |
| Multi-race | 7% | 6.5% |
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.