Northboro-Southboro vs Shrewsbury Schools
How the two districts, about 7 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Shrewsbury ranks higher, #25 to Northboro-Southboro's #46 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Similar results: in Northboro-Southboro, 59% met expectations in ELA and 64% in Math; in Shrewsbury, 59% and 66%. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Close: Northboro-Southboro averages 1241 and Shrewsbury 1247.
- Spending: Northboro-Southboro spends $6,002 more per student ($25,043 vs $19,040).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Northboro-Southboro: single-family homes average $848K vs $761K. The average tax bill is $12,346 in Northboro-Southboro and $8,753 in Shrewsbury.
- Class size: Smaller in Northboro-Southboro: 13.7 students on average vs 20.1.
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 | Northboro-Southboro | Shrewsbury | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 59% | 59% | 41% |
| 2025 | 64% | 60% | 43% |
| 2024 | 62% | 59% | 42% |
| 2023 | 67% | 62% | 44% |
| 2022 | 62% | 64% | 44% |
| 2021 | 69% | 68% | 49% |
| Year | Northboro-Southboro | Shrewsbury | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64% | 66% | 41% |
| 2025 | 64% | 68% | 41% |
| 2024 | 65% | 66% | 42% |
| 2023 | 67% | 67% | 42% |
| 2022 | 66% | 64% | 41% |
| 2021 | 63% | 62% | 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
| Northboro-Southboro | Shrewsbury | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 1,204 | 6,008 |
| English learners | 0.8% | 6.7% |
| Students with disabilities | 15.4% | 14.9% |
| White | 66.1% | 42.9% |
| Asian | 16.9% | 34% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 9.3% | 11.5% |
| Black/African American | 1.7% | 5.1% |
| Multi-race | 4.7% | 5.9% |
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.