Massachusetts public high school

Salem High School

Salem school district

C+

overall grade

Ranks #226 of 335 Massachusetts high schools.

Overall rank

#226

of 335 schools

Average SAT

1014

MA average 1091

Graduation rate

88%

MA average 92%

Plan on college

66%

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.

Salem is a historic coastal city on Massachusetts' North Shore, about 16 miles northeast of Boston, famous worldwide as the site of the 1692 witch trials. Today, the city of approximately 44,000 residents blends its colonial heritage with a working waterfront, diverse neighborhoods, and a thriving tourism industry centered on its haunted history and maritime past. Salem High School, established in 1858, is one of the oldest public high schools in the United States.

How it compares

What stands out

Best of its categories: AP results, in the bottom 43% statewide. 66% of AP exams in 2025 scored 3 or higher, vs 66% at the typical MA high school.
Area to watch: SAT scores rank in the bottom 22% statewide.
Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 34.4% in 2022 to 17.4% in 2025.
Trend: Math MCAS is up 7 points since 2023 (28% to 35%), while statewide it fell 6 points.

Where it stands among 335 Massachusetts high schools

Bottom of MATop of MA

Overall

Below averagebottom 33% · #226

SAT

Below averagebottom 22% · #263

ELA MCAS

Below averagebottom 30% · #233

Math MCAS

Averagebottom 40% · #198

AP results

Averagebottom 43% · #184

Graduation

Below averagebottom 23% · #256

College plans

Below averagebottom 26% · #249

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 score1014in 2025 · MA avg 1091

77 points below the MA avg

By section (out of 800)

Reading & writingWorse than average

This school

516

MA avg

556

MathWorse than average

This school

498

MA avg

535

165 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 Arts34%in 2026 · state 45%

11 points below the state

Math35%in 2026 · state 44%

9 points below the state

Biologyhigh school science, 2026Better than average

This school

42%

State

38%

Detailed scores

Average scaled score, ELA · Math · Science (500+ = meeting expectations)490 · 492 · 493

Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)29th · 43rd

Student growth percentile, ELA · Math (50 = typical growth)58 · 72

AP & advanced courses

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

Same as the MA avg

Score breakdown

Score 5: 10%Score 4: 26%Score 3: 30%Score 2: 21%Score 1: 12%

249 students took 491 AP exams. A 3 or higher can earn college credit.

Completed an advanced coursegrades 11–12About average

This school

75.4%

MA avg

71.4%

9th graders passing all coursesWorse than average

This school

34.6%

MA avg

82.6%

After high school

Four-year graduation rate88%in 2024 · MA avg 92%

4 points below the MA avg

Dropped outof the four-year classAbout average

This school

MA avg

4.3%

2.7% of the class were still in school after four years.

Plan to attend college66%in 2025 · state 72%

6 points below the state

Graduates' plans · 234 graduates

2-year public college

31.2%

4-year public college

25.2%

Work

14.1%

Other / unknown

12.3%

4-year private college

9.4%

Students

Who attends

Hispanic/Latino

49.2%

White

36.2%

Black/African American

7.8%

Multi-Race

4.2%

Asian

2.4%

American Indian/Alaska Native

0.2%

47.7% female · 51.8% male · 0.5% nonbinary

Student needs

High needslow income, English learner, or disabilityHigher than average

This school

68.5%

MA avg

50.7%

Low incomeHigher than average

This school

57.4%

MA avg

39%

English learnersHigher than average

This school

14.8%

MA avg

8.6%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average

This school

92.2%

MA avg

95.9%

Experienced teachersWorse than average

This school

62.8%

MA avg

73.4%

Teaching in their fieldWorse than average

This school

73.5%

MA avg

84.6%

Students per teacher

9.8MA avg 11.8

97.1 full-time-equivalent teachers

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateAbout average

This school

91.6%

MA avg

92.3%

Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average

This school

17.4%

MA avg

22.3%

14.3 days absent per student (MA avg 13.2) · Suspensions: 1.3% out-of-school, 0.1% in-school (MA high school avg 4% / 2.2%)

About Salem

Essex County · North Shore & Merrimack Valley

Avg single-family home value$676KMA median $588K

Avg property tax bill$7,285MA median $6,814

Tax rate$10.80 per $1,000MA median $12.40

Income per person$41,229MA median $47,872

Local kids in public school91.1%

Town bond ratingAA

Free cash reserves7.3% of budget

Salem 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.

Similar schools elsewhere

Schools with similar test results, demographics, and college plans.

Marlborough High

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#277 in MASAT 1017Graduation 84%95% match

Greater Commonwealth Virtual School

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#240 in MASAT 1096Graduation 59%93% match

Haverhill High

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#223 in MASAT 1101Graduation 82%92% match

Center For Technical Education Innovation

Leominster

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#218 in MASAT 1168Graduation 98%91% match