Massachusetts public high school

B M C Durfee High School

Fall River school district

C-

overall grade

Ranks #285 of 335 Massachusetts high schools.

Overall rank

#285

of 335 schools

Average SAT

974

MA average 1091

Graduation rate

80%

MA average 92%

Plan on college

60%

MA average 72%

SAT is the average total score of test takers. Graduation is the four-year rate. College is the share of graduates who report plans to attend a 2- or 4-year college.

Fall River is a mid-sized city on the South Coast of Massachusetts, located along Mount Hope Bay near the Rhode Island border. Once a powerhouse of the American textile industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the city is known for its distinctive industrial architecture and its connection to the infamous Lizzie Borden case of 1892. B M C Durfee High School, named after local mill owner Bradford Matthew Chaloner Durfee, has served the community since 1886 and is one of the oldest public high schools in the state.

How it compares

What stands out

Best of its categories: AP results, in the bottom 26% statewide. 54% of AP exams in 2025 scored 3 or higher, vs 66% at the typical MA high school.
Area to watch: Graduation rate ranks in the bottom 9% statewide.
Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 56.6% in 2022 to 36.8% in 2025.
Trend: The graduation rate has fallen from 87.9% in 2021 to 79.9% in 2024.

Where it stands among 335 Massachusetts high schools

Bottom of MATop of MA

Overall

Below averagebottom 16% · #285

SAT

Below averagebottom 17% · #280

ELA MCAS

Below averagebottom 23% · #255

Math MCAS

Below averagebottom 11% · #295

AP results

Below averagebottom 26% · #238

Graduation

Well below averagebottom 9% · #303

College plans

Below averagebottom 17% · #278

The overall rank weighs SAT (30%), MCAS (25%), AP results (20%), and graduates' college plans (25%). Categories rank only the schools with data for them. How we rank

SAT

Average total score974in 2025 · MA avg 1091

117 points below the MA avg

By section (out of 800)

Reading & writingWorse than average

This school

502

MA avg

556

MathWorse than average

This school

472

MA avg

535

295 students took the SAT.

"MA avg" is the average of the 335 high schools we rank. Only students who choose to take the SAT are counted.

MCAS (10th grade)

Share of 10th graders meeting or exceeding expectations. Statewide results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement. There was no test in 2020.

English Language Arts32%in 2026 · state 45%

13 points below the state

Math17%in 2026 · state 44%

27 points below the state

Biologyhigh school science, 2026Worse than average

This school

11%

State

38%

Detailed scores

Average scaled score, ELA · Math · Science (500+ = meeting expectations)488 · 481 · 473

Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)23rd · 15th

Student growth percentile, ELA · Math (50 = typical growth)59 · 48

AP & advanced courses

AP exams scored 3+54%in 2025 · MA avg 66%

13 points below the MA avg

Score breakdown

Score 5: 6%Score 4: 15%Score 3: 33%Score 2: 28%Score 1: 18%

489 students took 930 AP exams. A 3 or higher can earn college credit.

Completed an advanced coursegrades 11–12About average

This school

65.5%

MA avg

71.4%

9th graders passing all coursesWorse than average

This school

46.6%

MA avg

82.6%

After high school

Four-year graduation rate80%in 2024 · MA avg 92%

12 points below the MA avg

Dropped outof the four-year classWorse than average

This school

MA avg

4.3%

3.5% of the class were still in school after four years.

Plan to attend college60%in 2025 · state 72%

13 points below the state

Graduates' plans · 554 graduates

2-year public college

29.8%

Work

20.2%

4-year public college

16.6%

4-year private college

12.8%

Other / unknown

8.5%

Students

Who attends

White

41.5%

Hispanic/Latino

32.7%

Black/African American

14.1%

Multi-Race

Asian

3.4%

American Indian/Alaska Native

0.2%

51.1% female · 48.7% male · 0.2% nonbinary

Student needs

High needslow income, English learner, or disabilityHigher than average

This school

82.4%

MA avg

50.7%

Low incomeHigher than average

This school

72.9%

MA avg

39%

English learnersHigher than average

This school

26.2%

MA avg

8.6%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average

This school

93.3%

MA avg

95.9%

Experienced teachersWorse than average

This school

59%

MA avg

73.4%

Teaching in their fieldWorse than average

This school

72.6%

MA avg

84.6%

Students per teacher

11.3MA avg 11.8

233.3 full-time-equivalent teachers

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateWorse than average

This school

89.5%

MA avg

92.3%

Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysWorse than average

This school

36.8%

MA avg

22.3%

17.5 days absent per student (MA avg 13.2) · Suspensions: 10.5% out-of-school, 1.3% in-school (MA high school avg 4% / 2.2%)

About Fall River

Bristol County · South Coast & Cape Cod

Avg single-family home value$405KMA median $588K

Avg property tax bill$4,651MA median $6,814

Tax rate$11.50 per $1,000MA median $12.40

Income per person$22,353MA median $47,872

Local kids in public school95.9%

Free cash reserves3.7% of budget

Fall River district profile · 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.

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