Canton
1 high school and 3 elementary schools in our rankings · serves Canton
Ranks #51 of 328 Massachusetts school districts — top 16%.
MCAS is the share of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2026, grades 3–10 combined. Spending is total per-pupil expenditure in FY2024.
Canton is a suburban town located about 15 miles south of Boston in Norfolk County, and its public school district serves the town's residents through Canton High School. Canton's single-family assessed values and per capita income both sit above the Massachusetts median, reflecting its established residential character. The town is known for its wooded landscape and conservation areas, including the Blue Hills Reservation along its eastern border. Canton also has a long history as a manufacturing community along the Neponset River, with its historic mills and village centers still shaping its character today.
How it compares
- Strongest area: AP results, in the top 21% of districts. 86% of AP exams at its high schools scored 3 or higher, vs 69% for the average MA district.
- Area to watch: Graduation rate ranks in the bottom 49% of districts.
- Top school: John F Kennedy, #88 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.
- Trend: MCAS results and attendance have held steady over the past three years.
A district's overall rank is the average statewide percentile of its ranked schools, with a 10% discount for single-school districts. Category standings compare the average of each district's ranked schools and count only districts with data. How we rank
Schools in Canton
We rank high schools that report SAT results and elementary schools with grade 3 MCAS results, so some of the district's schools (middle schools, for example) aren't listed. Elementary ELA and Math are 2024–2026 averages of grade 3 results.
MCAS results
Share of students meeting or exceeding expectations, compared with the state. Statewide 10th-grade results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement. There was no test in 2020.
High school results
Averages of the district's ranked high schools (Canton High). "MA avg" is the average of all Massachusetts districts with high school data.
Students & classrooms
49.8% female · 50.2% male
Spending & teachers
Spending is total per-pupil expenditure from all sources. Dollar figures aren't adjusted for inflation. "MA median" is the middle district in each year; small districts can spend far more per student, so the median is a fairer yardstick than the average. Salary is the average across 261 full-time-equivalent teachers.
Attendance
10.2 days absent per student (MA avg 11) · 3.6% missed 20% or more of school days
About Canton
What could you afford here? · All towns A–Z
Town figures are FY2026 averages for single-family homes from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Assessed values usually run below recent sale prices. "MA median" is the median of the state's 351 towns.
Compare Canton with nearby districts
Side by side: test scores, spending, class size, home values and taxes. Distance is between district centers. Compare with any district