Rank
6
A+
Wellesley
7 schools · 1 high school · 6 elementary schools · Wellesley
Wellesley, located about 15 miles west of Boston, is home to one of Massachusetts' most selective public school districts. With an average single-family assessed home value exceeding $2 million and per capita income among the state's highest, Wellesley's substantial investment in education is reflected in its #6 overall district ranking and a 98% graduation rate. Joseph E. Fiske Elementary ranks #2 statewide among elementary schools, while Wellesley Senior High places #12. The town has deep literary and cultural roots, home to Wellesley College and notable 19th-century poet Katharine Lee Bates, whose name graces one of the district's elementary schools.
Avg MCAS ELA
75.6%
#17 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
77.7%
#12 of 326
Avg SAT
1,299
#7 of 290
Attendance
95.1%
#23 of 328
Graduation Rate
98%
#54 of 288
AP Pass Rate
95.5%
#10 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$29,869
#26 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$109,899
#29 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 75% | 77% | — | 516 | 316 |
| Grade 4 | 67% | 70% | — | 513 | 270 |
| Grade 5 | 79% | 75% | 80% | 516 | 302 |
| Grade 6 | 75% | 77% | — | 516 | 299 |
| Grade 7 | 75% | 76% | — | 513 | 315 |
| Grade 8 | 78% | 69% | 71% | 512 | 298 |
| Grade 10 | 77% | 81% | 85% | 518 | 300 |
| HS Science | — | — | — | — | — |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 61.3%
Asian: 19.5%
Hispanic: 8.2%
Black: 3.5%
Multi-Race: 7.5%
Female: 50.1%Male: 49.9%
High Schools in Wellesley
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
12
A
Wellesley Sr High
SAT
1,299
ELA
77%
Math
81%
Grad
98%
12
A
Wellesley Sr High
1,299
77%
81%
95.5%
98%
Elementary Schools in Wellesley
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
2
A+
Joseph E Fiske
ELA
84%
Math
93%
Attend.
96%
Class
18
2
A+
Joseph E Fiske
84%
93%
96%
18
12
A+
Katharine Lee Bates
ELA
80%
Math
85%
Attend.
96.2%
Class
19
12
A+
Katharine Lee Bates
80%
85%
96.2%
19
25
A+
John D Hardy
ELA
78%
Math
80%
Attend.
96.3%
Class
18
25
A+
John D Hardy
78%
80%
96.3%
18
58
A
Schofield
ELA
72%
Math
74%
Attend.
95.9%
Class
18
58
A
Schofield
72%
74%
95.9%
18
81
A-
Sprague Elementary School
ELA
74%
Math
65%
Attend.
96%
Class
20
81
A-
Sprague Elementary School
74%
65%
96%
20
155
B+
Hunnewell
ELA
64%
Math
66%
Attend.
95.6%
Class
17
155
B+
Hunnewell
64%
66%
95.6%
17
District Operations
Attendance
#23 of 328Attendance Rate95.1%
Avg Days Absent9
Chronically Absent (10%+)9.6%
Chronically Absent (20%+)2.4%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#26 of 325In-District Per Pupil$28,369
Total Per Pupil$29,869
Total FTE Students4,158
Teacher Salaries
#29 of 325Average Salary$109,899
Teacher FTE Count392
Salary vs. Town Income0.5x(below town avg)
Teacher salary is only 0.5x the town's per capita income ($230,169). In this wealthy community, the average resident earns more than the average teacher. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#103 of 327Avg Class Size16
English Learners2.3%
Students w/ Disabilities15.4%
Total Students4,030
Staffing & Retention
#133 of 327Teacher Retention88.4%
Principal Retention80%
Total Teachers415
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Wellesley
Avg Assessed Value
$2,020,758
#7 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$20,551
Income Per Capita
$230,169
#3 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#4
of 341 towns
Avg Assessed Value is the mean assessed value of single-family homes only (MA property class 101 — excludes condos, multi-family, and apartments). MA law requires assessment at 100% of fair market value. Income Per Capita is total town income divided by population, derived from MA state income tax returns (not Census surveys). It includes wages, investment income, and capital gains, so wealthy towns can have very high figures. The MA median is about $48K. Tax bill rank orders towns by average single-family tax bill, highest to lowest.
Tax & Bond Details
Residential Tax Rate1.02%
Tax as % of Income8.93%(low burden)
Bond RatingAAA(highest)
Tax rate is the effective residential rate (tax bill ÷ assessed value). Tax as % of income measures how much of residents’ income goes to property taxes. The MA median is about 14%; below 10% is low (wealthier towns with high incomes relative to home values), above 16% is above average. Bond rating reflects the town’s creditworthiness for borrowing. AAA is the highest possible rating (strong fiscal management), meaning the town can borrow at the lowest interest rates. AA+ is excellent, AA is very good.
New Growth
$210.6M+1.32% levy growth(typical)
Residential$191.4M
Commercial/Industrial$19.2M
Residential Share90.86%(mostly homes)
New growth measures new taxable value from construction and development (not rising home prices). In Massachusetts, Proposition 2\u00BD limits annual property tax increases to 2.5% of the prior year\u2019s levy. New growth revenue is automatically added on top of this 2.5% base increase \u2014 it does not require a vote. This town’s total levy growth is about 3.8% (2.5% base + 1.32% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (90.86%) shows how much comes from homes vs. commercial/industrial. When most growth is residential, homeowners carry more of the tax burden. More commercial/industrial growth is generally better for homeowners because businesses share the cost.
Municipal Free Cash
$29.2M13.1% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $222.6M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 3,675(73.0%)
Vocational: 1(0.0%)
Private: 1,317(26.2%)
Home School: 23(0.5%)
Total: 5,034