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.
Malden is a densely populated city located about 5 miles north of Boston, known for its historic downtown square and diverse, working-class neighborhoods. Once a major shoe manufacturing center in the 19th century, the city has evolved into a bustling residential community with excellent public transit access via the Orange Line. Malden High School, originally founded in 1857, operates from a striking modern facility that opened in 2019 and serves as one of the largest high schools in Massachusetts.
How it compares
What stands out
+Strongest area: AP results, in the top 42% statewide. 75% 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 10% statewide.
↑Trend: The average SAT score is up 37 points since 2022 (1023 to 1060).
↓Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 46.4% in 2022 to 40.3% in 2025.
Where it stands among 335 Massachusetts high schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Averagebottom 47% · #179
SAT
Below averagebottom 29% · #242
ELA MCAS
Below averagebottom 35% · #215
Math MCAS
Averagebottom 36% · #213
AP results
Averagetop 42% · #132
Graduation
Well below averagebottom 10% · #301
College plans
Averagebottom 38% · #207
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 score1060in 2025 · MA avg 1091
31 points below the MA avg
By section (out of 800)
Reading & writingWorse than average
This school
533
MA avg
556
MathAbout average
This school
527
MA avg
535
378 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 Arts37%in 2026 · state 45%
8 points below the state
Math33%in 2026 · state 44%
11 points below the state
Biologyhigh school science, 2026Worse than average
This school
30%
State
38%
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA · Math · Science (500+ = meeting expectations)493 · 491 · 485
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)39th · 38th
Student growth percentile, ELA · Math (50 = typical growth)50 · 43
354 students took 736 AP exams. A 3 or higher can earn college credit.
Completed an advanced coursegrades 11–12Worse than average
This school
44.6%
MA avg
71.4%
9th graders passing all coursesWorse than average
This school
61.8%
MA avg
82.6%
After high school
Four-year graduation rate81%in 2024 · MA avg 92%
11 points below the MA avg
Dropped outof the four-year classWorse than average
This school
8.3%
MA avg
4.3%
4.8% of the class were still in school after four years.
Plan to attend college73%in 2025 · state 72%
About the same as the state
Graduates' plans · 464 graduates
4-year public college
37.3%
2-year public college
21.1%
Work
16.4%
4-year private college
14.4%
Other / unknown
4.7%
Other post-secondary
3.4%
Military
1.5%
Apprenticeship
0.6%
2-year private college
0.4%
Students
Who attends
Hispanic/Latino
30.5%
White
22.8%
Black/African American
22%
Asian
20.3%
Multi-Race
4.4%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.1%
49.2% female · 50.7% male · 0.1% nonbinary
Student needs
High needslow income, English learner, or disabilityHigher than average
This school
72.2%
MA avg
50.7%
Low incomeHigher than average
This school
59.7%
MA avg
39%
English learnersHigher than average
This school
21.9%
MA avg
8.6%
Teachers
Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
100%
MA avg
95.9%
Experienced teachersAbout average
This school
76.1%
MA avg
73.4%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
90.2%
MA avg
84.6%
Students per teacher
16.1MA avg 11.8
117.7 full-time-equivalent teachers
Attendance & safety
Attendance rateWorse than average
This school
87.9%
MA avg
92.3%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysWorse than average
This school
40.3%
MA avg
22.3%
20.2 days absent per student (MA avg 13.2) · Suspensions: 3.1% out-of-school, 1.3% in-school (MA high school avg 4% / 2.2%) · 0.1% referred to law enforcement
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.
Similar schools elsewhere
Schools with similar test results, demographics, and college plans.