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Massachusetts public school district

Hanover

1 high school and 1 elementary school in our rankings · serves Hanover

B+
overall grade

Ranks #70 of 328 Massachusetts school districts — top 22%.

Overall rank
#70
of 328 districts
MCAS ELA
56%+15 vs MA
State 41% in the same grades
MCAS Math
56%+15 vs MA
State 41% in the same grades
Spending per student
$18,075
MA median $21,765

MCAS is the share of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2026, grades 3–10 combined. Spending is total per-pupil expenditure in FY2024.

Hanover is a suburban town in Plymouth County, located roughly 20 miles south of Boston along the South Shore. The town is primarily residential, with its public schools serving students through Hanover High School. Hanover's single-family assessed values and per capita income place it among the more affluent communities in the region. Historically, Hanover was part of the original settlement lands of the South Shore and has maintained a largely rural-to-suburban character, with conservation areas and open spaces throughout the town.

How it compares

What stands out
  • Strongest area: Graduation rate, in the top 9% of districts. 98.9% of high school students graduate in four years, vs 92.4% for the average MA district.
  • Relative weak spot: SAT scores rank in the top 40% of districts, below its other categories.
  • Top school: Hanover High, #82 of 335 Massachusetts high schools.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 13.7% in 2022 to 10% in 2025.
Where it stands among Massachusetts school districts
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Above averagetop 22% · #70
SAT
Averagetop 40% · #116
ELA MCAS
Above averagetop 33% · #107
Math MCAS
Above averagetop 24% · #78
AP results
Above averagetop 25% · #68
Graduation
Excellenttop 9% · #24
Attendance
Above averagetop 34% · #111

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 Hanover

High schools · ranked among 335
Elementary schools · ranked among 895

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.

English Language Arts, grades 3–1056%in 2026 · state 41%
15 points above the state
0%50%100%This district56%State41%2019202120232026
Math, grades 3–1056%in 2026 · state 41%
15 points above the state
0%50%100%This district56%State41%2019202120232026
By grade, 2026 · the black tick marks the state
GradeELAMath
Grade 3
53%+10 vs state
57%+15 vs state
Grade 4
58%+21 vs state
60%+17 vs state
Grade 5
45%+7 vs state
43%+4 vs state
Grade 6
60%+20 vs state
58%+15 vs state
Grade 7
61%+21 vs state
65%+28 vs state
Grade 8
58%+16 vs state
51%+9 vs state
Grade 10
55%+10 vs state
57%+13 vs state
Science, 2026
Grade 5 science
54%+11 vs state
Grade 8 science
61%+22 vs state
High school biology
59%+21 vs state

High school results

Average SATBetter than average
This district
1137
MA avg
1113
AP exams scored 3+Better than average
This district
83.8%
MA avg
69.1%
Four-year graduation rateBetter than average
This district
98.9%
MA avg
92.4%

Averages of the district's ranked high schools (Hanover High). "MA avg" is the average of all Massachusetts districts with high school data.

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students in classes2,579
Average class size19.8MA avg 17.3
Who attends
White
90.6%
Hispanic/Latino
3.7%
Multi-Race
2.4%
Asian
2%
Black/African American
1.4%

48.9% female · 51.1% male

Student needs
English learnersLower than average
This district
1.7%
MA avg
8.5%
Students with disabilitiesAbout average
This district
22.2%
MA avg
20.2%

Spending & teachers

Spending per student$18.1Kin FY2024 · MA median $21.8K
$3,690 below the MA median
$0K$13K$25KThis district$18.1KMA median$21.8K20162018202020222024
Teacher salary$104.0Kin 2023-24 · MA median $91.4K
$12,653 above the MA median
$0K$53K$105KThis district$104.0KMA median$91.4K20162018202020222024
Teachers who stayedfrom last yearAbout average
This district
82.2%
MA avg
84.7%
Principals who stayedfrom last yearWorse than average
This district
75%
MA avg
82%

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 197 full-time-equivalent teachers.

Attendance

Attendance rateBetter than average
This district
94.8%
MA avg
93.7%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average
This district
10%
MA avg
16.9%

9.2 days absent per student (MA avg 11) · 1.8% missed 20% or more of school days

About Hanover

Plymouth County · South Shore
Avg single-family home value$814KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$10,149MA median $6,814
Tax rate$12.50 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$70,508MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school94.9%
Free cash reserves4.6% of budget
Where school-age children in Hanover go to school · 2024-2025
Local public schools
89.7%
Private schools
4.4%
Vocational schools
2.9%
Charter schools
1.2%
Other public schools
1%
Home school
0.8%

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 Hanover with nearby districts

Side by side: test scores, spending, class size, home values and taxes. Distance is between district centers. Compare with any district