Needham
1 high school and 5 elementary schools in our rankings · serves Needham
Ranks #17 of 328 Massachusetts school districts — top 6%.
MCAS is the share of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2026, grades 3–10 combined. Spending is total per-pupil expenditure in FY2024.
Needham is a suburban town located about 12 miles west of Boston in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The town's public school district serves Needham through Needham High School and is known for its high average single-family assessed value and per capita income, which place it among the more affluent communities in the state. Needham is bordered by Wellesley, Dedham, Newton, and Westwood, and its residential character is complemented by open spaces such as Ridge Hill Reservation. The town was incorporated in 1711 and is named for its historic settlement area, which played a role in early colonial development along the Charles River.
How it compares
- Strongest area: AP results, in the top 3% of districts. 96% of AP exams at its high schools scored 3 or higher, vs 69% for the average MA district.
- Top school: Needham High, #4 of 335 Massachusetts high schools.
- Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 16.2% in 2022 to 6.7% in 2025.
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 Needham
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 (Needham High). "MA avg" is the average of all Massachusetts districts with high school data.
Students & classrooms
49.3% female · 50.5% male · 0.2% nonbinary
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 450 full-time-equivalent teachers.
Attendance
7.7 days absent per student (MA avg 11) · 1.3% missed 20% or more of school days
About Needham
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 Needham with nearby districts
Side by side: test scores, spending, class size, home values and taxes. Distance is between district centers. Compare with any district