Lowell vs Methuen Schools
How the two districts, about 10 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Methuen ranks higher, #216 to Lowell's #224 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Mixed: Methuen leads in ELA (29% vs 28%), Lowell in Math (32% vs 25%). Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Close: Lowell averages 1090 and Methuen 1098.
- Spending: Lowell spends $1,676 more per student ($22,085 vs $20,409).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Methuen: single-family homes average $580K vs $515K. The average tax bill is $5,844 in Lowell and $6,037 in Methuen.
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 | Lowell | Methuen | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 28% | 29% | 41% |
| 2025 | 28% | 30% | 42% |
| 2024 | 24% | 29% | 41% |
| 2023 | 27% | 34% | 44% |
| 2022 | 27% | 33% | 43% |
| 2021 | 28% | 40% | 48% |
| Year | Lowell | Methuen | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 32% | 25% | 41% |
| 2025 | 30% | 27% | 41% |
| 2024 | 29% | 27% | 42% |
| 2023 | 26% | 28% | 42% |
| 2022 | 25% | 27% | 40% |
| 2021 | 20% | 25% | 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
| Lowell | Methuen | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 14,899 | 6,603 |
| English learners | 28.2% | 20.4% |
| Students with disabilities | 20.7% | 19.5% |
| White | 18% | 31.4% |
| Asian | 25.6% | 3.3% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 42.6% | 55.5% |
| Black/African American | 9.5% | 7.4% |
| Multi-race | 4% | 2.3% |
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.