Leicester vs Worcester Schools
How the two districts, about 6 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Leicester ranks higher, #183 to Worcester's #249 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Leicester students score higher: ELA 28% vs 25%, Math 26% vs 24% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Close: Leicester averages 1090 and Worcester 1076.
- Spending: Worcester spends $2,012 more per student ($22,476 vs $20,465).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Leicester: single-family homes average $453K vs $410K. The average tax bill is $5,026 in Leicester and $5,446 in Worcester.
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 | Leicester | Worcester | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 28% | 25% | 41% |
| 2025 | 30% | 27% | 42% |
| 2024 | 30% | 25% | 42% |
| 2023 | 34% | 28% | 44% |
| 2022 | 36% | 29% | 44% |
| 2021 | 40% | 30% | 48% |
| Year | Leicester | Worcester | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26% | 24% | 41% |
| 2025 | 26% | 24% | 41% |
| 2024 | 30% | 24% | 42% |
| 2023 | 33% | 24% | 42% |
| 2022 | 33% | 23% | 41% |
| 2021 | 27% | 17% | 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
| Leicester | Worcester | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 1,310 | 25,578 |
| English learners | 7.4% | 33.1% |
| Students with disabilities | 20% | 21.5% |
| White | 65.2% | 23.9% |
| Asian | 3.4% | 6.2% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 19.1% | 45.8% |
| Black/African American | 7.6% | 19.8% |
| Multi-race | 4.2% | 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.