Newton vs Wellesley Schools
How the two districts, about 4 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Wellesley ranks higher, #4 to Newton's #44 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Wellesley students score higher: ELA 76% vs 67%, Math 79% vs 70% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Wellesley averages 15 points higher (1299 vs 1284).
- Spending: Wellesley spends $3,302 more per student ($29,869 vs $26,567).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Wellesley: single-family homes average $2.02M vs $1.76M. The average tax bill is $17,077 in Newton and $20,551 in Wellesley.
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 | Newton | Wellesley | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 67% | 76% | 41% |
| 2025 | 68% | 75% | 43% |
| 2024 | 67% | 74% | 42% |
| 2023 | 68% | 77% | 45% |
| 2022 | 67% | 73% | 44% |
| 2021 | 73% | 77% | 49% |
| Year | Newton | Wellesley | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 70% | 79% | 41% |
| 2025 | 71% | 75% | 41% |
| 2024 | 69% | 77% | 42% |
| 2023 | 70% | 79% | 42% |
| 2022 | 69% | 73% | 41% |
| 2021 | 64% | 66% | 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
| Newton | Wellesley | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 11,774 | 4,030 |
| English learners | 7.2% | 2.3% |
| Students with disabilities | 18% | 15.4% |
| White | 52.2% | 61.3% |
| Asian | 22% | 19.5% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 11.3% | 8.2% |
| Black/African American | 4.7% | 3.5% |
| Multi-race | 9.6% | 7.5% |
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.