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Massachusetts public high school

Fitchburg High School

Fitchburg school district

C
overall grade

Ranks #281 of 335 Massachusetts high schools.

Overall rank
#281
of 335 schools
Average SAT
960
MA average 1091
Graduation rate
95%
MA average 92%
Plan on college
73%
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.

Fitchburg is a mid-sized city in north-central Massachusetts, about 50 miles northwest of Boston in Worcester County. Once a thriving industrial center known for papermaking and manufacturing, the city has a diverse population and sits along the Nashua River. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University and serves as a regional hub for the surrounding North Central Massachusetts area.

How it compares

What stands out
  • Strongest area: Graduation rate, in the top 44% statewide. 95.2% of students graduate in four years, vs 91.6% at the typical MA high school.
  • Area to watch: ELA MCAS ranks in the bottom 10% statewide.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 51.5% in 2022 to 43.6% in 2025.
  • Trend: The share of graduates planning on college has risen from 66.8% in 2022 to 73.4% in 2025.
Where it stands among 335 Massachusetts high schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Below averagebottom 17% · #281
SAT
Below averagebottom 15% · #286
ELA MCAS
Well below averagebottom 10% · #299
Math MCAS
Below averagebottom 12% · #292
AP results
Below averagebottom 20% · #257
Graduation
Averagetop 44% · #145
College plans
Averagebottom 39% · #203

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 score960in 2025 · MA avg 1091
131 points below the MA avg
80011001400This school960MA avg10912017202020222025
By section (out of 800)
Reading & writingWorse than average
This school
496
MA avg
556
MathWorse than average
This school
464
MA avg
535

143 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 Arts21%in 2026 · state 45%
24 points below the state
0%50%100%This school21%State45%2019202120232026
Math18%in 2026 · state 44%
26 points below the state
0%50%100%This school18%State44%2019202120232026
Biologyhigh school science, 2026Worse than average
This school
16%
State
38%
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA · Math · Science (500+ = meeting expectations)483 · 480 · 477
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)15th · 14th
Student growth percentile, ELA · Math (50 = typical growth)40 · 46

AP & advanced courses

AP exams scored 3+49%in 2025 · MA avg 66%
17 points below the MA avg
0%50%100%This school49%MA avg66%201520172019202120232025
Score breakdown
4
3
2
1
Score 5: 7%Score 4: 16%Score 3: 26%Score 2: 24%Score 1: 27%

184 students took 384 AP exams. A 3 or higher can earn college credit.

Completed an advanced coursegrades 11–12Worse than average
This school
59.1%
MA avg
71.4%
9th graders passing all coursesWorse than average
This school
57.4%
MA avg
82.6%

After high school

Four-year graduation rate95%in 2024 · MA avg 92%
4 points above the MA avg
50%75%100%This school95%MA avg92%20152017201920212024
Dropped outof the four-year classBetter than average
This school
2.4%
MA avg
4.3%

0.8% of the class were still in school after four years.

Plan to attend college73%in 2025 · state 72%
About the same as the state
0%50%100%This school73%State72%201520172019202120232025
Graduates' plans · 240 graduates
2-year public college
36.3%
4-year public college
23.8%
Work
20.8%
4-year private college
13.3%
Other / unknown
3.3%
Other post-secondary
0.8%
Apprenticeship
0.8%
Military
0.8%

Students

Who attends
Hispanic/Latino
57.9%
White
19.3%
Black/African American
10.5%
Multi-Race
7.4%
Asian
4.8%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.1%

50.7% female · 48.9% male · 0.4% nonbinary

Student needs
High needslow income, English learner, or disabilityHigher than average
This school
76.6%
MA avg
50.7%
Low incomeHigher than average
This school
67.7%
MA avg
39%
English learnersHigher than average
This school
18%
MA avg
8.6%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
99%
MA avg
95.9%
Experienced teachersWorse than average
This school
65.9%
MA avg
73.4%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
85.4%
MA avg
84.6%
Students per teacher
11.9MA avg 11.8
102.5 full-time-equivalent teachers

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateWorse than average
This school
88.5%
MA avg
92.3%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysWorse than average
This school
43.6%
MA avg
22.3%

19.3 days absent per student (MA avg 13.2) · Suspensions: 11.5% out-of-school, 13.4% in-school (MA high school avg 4% / 2.2%) · 0.1% referred to law enforcement

About Fitchburg

Worcester County · Central Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$390KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,189MA median $6,814
Tax rate$13.30 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$25,531MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school91.7%
Town bond ratingAA-

Fitchburg 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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