Marlborough vs Worcester Schools
How the two districts, about 14 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Marlborough ranks higher, #232 to Worcester's #249 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Marlborough students score higher: ELA 28% vs 25%, Math 24% vs 24% met expectations. Statewide: 40% and 41%.
- SAT: Worcester averages 59 points higher (1076 vs 1017).
- Spending: Worcester spends $2,131 more per student ($22,476 vs $20,346).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Marlborough: single-family homes average $611K vs $410K. The average tax bill is $6,441 in Marlborough and $5,446 in Worcester.
- Class size: Smaller in Worcester: 15.8 students on average vs 18.
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 | Marlborough | Worcester | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 28% | 25% | 40% |
| 2025 | 27% | 27% | 42% |
| 2024 | 26% | 25% | 41% |
| 2023 | 27% | 28% | 44% |
| 2022 | 29% | 29% | 43% |
| 2021 | 34% | 30% | 48% |
| Year | Marlborough | Worcester | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 24% | 24% | 41% |
| 2025 | 24% | 24% | 41% |
| 2024 | 26% | 24% | 42% |
| 2023 | 25% | 24% | 42% |
| 2022 | 27% | 23% | 40% |
| 2021 | 23% | 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
| Marlborough | Worcester | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 4,995 | 25,578 |
| English learners | 35.3% | 33.1% |
| Students with disabilities | 17% | 21.5% |
| White | 30.2% | 23.9% |
| Asian | 1.7% | 6.2% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 58.3% | 45.8% |
| Black/African American | 6.3% | 19.8% |
| Multi-race | 3.2% | 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.