Oxford vs Southbridge Schools
How the two districts, about 10 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Oxford ranks higher, #187 to Southbridge's #326 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Oxford students score higher: ELA 33% vs 16%, Math 30% vs 15% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Oxford averages 303 points higher (1095 vs 792).
- Spending: Southbridge spends $4,683 more per student ($23,769 vs $19,086).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Oxford: single-family homes average $425K vs $340K. The average tax bill is $5,192 in Oxford and $5,070 in Southbridge.
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 | Oxford | Southbridge | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33% | 16% | 41% |
| 2025 | 33% | 13% | 43% |
| 2024 | 28% | 12% | 41% |
| 2023 | 35% | 13% | 44% |
| 2022 | 34% | 13% | 43% |
| 2021 | 39% | 17% | 48% |
| Year | Oxford | Southbridge | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 30% | 15% | 41% |
| 2025 | 26% | 10% | 41% |
| 2024 | 31% | 11% | 41% |
| 2023 | 29% | 10% | 42% |
| 2022 | 29% | 10% | 40% |
| 2021 | 26% | 5% | 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
| Oxford | Southbridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 1,476 | 1,836 |
| English learners | 5.1% | 19.8% |
| Students with disabilities | 23.2% | 28.1% |
| White | 69.6% | 24.3% |
| Asian | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 19.7% | 66.4% |
| Black/African American | 3.9% | 6.3% |
| Multi-race | 5.4% | 1.5% |
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.