Rank

Worcester

39 schools · 6 high schools · 33 elementary schools · Worcester

Worcester is a mid-sized urban school district serving the state's second-largest city, located about 45 miles west of Boston. The district operates six high schools and 33 elementary schools, serving a diverse student population across the city's various neighborhoods. With a graduation rate of 89 percent, Worcester Public Schools shows solid achievement in preparing students for post-secondary success. The district reflects Worcester's character as a historic industrial and cultural hub, home to numerous colleges and universities that contribute to the city's educational landscape.

Avg MCAS ELA

27.5%

#286 of 326

Avg MCAS Math

26%

#275 of 326

Avg SAT

1,076

#208 of 290

Attendance

92%

#249 of 328

Graduation Rate

89%

#224 of 288

AP Pass Rate

48.8%

#236 of 278

Per-Pupil Spending

$22,476

#142 of 325

Avg Teacher Salary

$101,529

#73 of 325

MCAS Performance by Grade

Grade	ELA M+E%	Math M+E%	Sci M+E%	Avg Score	Students
Grade 3	25%	24%	—	483	1,801
Grade 4	24%	25%	—	483	1,544
Grade 5	21%	24%	26%	485	1,710
Grade 6	32%	26%	—	486	1,764
Grade 7	26%	21%	—	481	1,699
Grade 8	27%	22%	19%	482	1,652
Grade 10	33%	24%	27%	487	1,849
HS Science	—	—	20%	480	1,690

Showing 2025 data

Student Demographics

White: 23.9%

Asian: 6.2%

Hispanic: 45.8%

Black: 19.8%

Multi-Race: 4%

Am. Indian: 0.2%

Female: 48.3%Male: 51.6%

High Schools in Worcester

Rank

Grade

School

SAT

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Grad

221

C+

University Pk Campus School

University Pk Campus School

Doherty Memorial High

Doherty Memorial High

Worcester Technical High

Worcester Technical High

Elementary Schools in Worcester

Rank

Grade

School

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Attend.

Class Size

Worcester Arts Magnet School

Worcester Arts Magnet School

Belmont Street Community

Belmont Street Community

Chandler Elementary Community

Chandler Elementary Community

Francis J McGrath Elementary

Francis J McGrath Elementary

Worcester Dual Language Magnet School

Worcester Dual Language Magnet School

Goddard School/Science Technical

Goddard School/Science Technical

District Operations

Attendance

#249 of 328

Attendance Rate92%

Avg Days Absent14

Chronically Absent (10%+)25.3%

Chronically Absent (20%+)7.8%

Per-Pupil Expenditure

#142 of 325

In-District Per Pupil$22,221

Total Per Pupil$22,476

Total FTE Students27,606

Teacher Salaries

#73 of 325

Average Salary$101,529

Teacher FTE Count2,043

Salary vs. Town Income4.0x(above town avg)

Teacher salary is 4.0x the town's per capita income ($25,458). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.

Class Size & Populations

#79 of 327

Avg Class Size16

English Learners33.1%

Students w/ Disabilities21.5%

Total Students25,578

Staffing & Retention

#211 of 327

Teacher Retention85.5%

Principal Retention75.4%

Total Teachers2,093

Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025

Town Data

Worcester

Avg Assessed Value

$410,086

#198 of 235

Avg Tax Bill

$5,446

Income Per Capita

$25,458

#224 of 235

Tax Bill Rank

#257

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 Rate1.33%

Tax as % of Income21.39%(high burden)

Bond RatingAA-(good)

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

$418.7M+2.12% levy growth(strong)

Residential$190.2M

Commercial/Industrial$228.5M

Residential Share27.73%(diverse)

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 4.6% (2.5% base + 2.12% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (27.73%) 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

$6.4M0.7% of operating budget

Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $945.9M.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 20,919(82.3%)

Vocational: 4(0.0%)

Charter: 2,142(8.4%)

Private: 1,291(5.1%)

Home School: 282(1.1%)

Total: 25,414