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Massachusetts public high school

Shepherd Hill Regional High School

Dudley-Charlton Reg school district

Students from Charlton and Dudley attend Shepherd Hill Regional High School.

C+
overall grade

Ranks #194 of 335 Massachusetts high schools.

Overall rank
#194
of 335 schools
Average SAT
1088
MA average 1091
Graduation rate
91%
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.

Dudley and Charlton are neighboring rural towns in south-central Massachusetts, approximately 15 miles southwest of Worcester. The region is characterized by wooded hills, small ponds, and a mix of farmland and residential development. Shepherd Hill Regional High School serves students from both communities and takes its name from the historic Shepherd family, early settlers who were prominent in the area's agricultural heritage.

How it compares

What stands out
  • Strongest area: AP results, in the top 36% statewide. 77% of AP exams in 2025 scored 3 or higher, vs 66% at the typical MA high school.
  • Area to watch: ELA MCAS ranks in the bottom 14% statewide.
  • Trend: Math MCAS is down 22 points since 2023 (51% to 29%); statewide it fell 6 points.
  • Trend: ELA MCAS is down 26 points since 2023 (51% to 25%); statewide it fell 13 points.
Where it stands among 335 Massachusetts high schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Averagebottom 43% · #194
SAT
Averagebottom 39% · #206
ELA MCAS
Below averagebottom 14% · #284
Math MCAS
Below averagebottom 27% · #242
AP results
Averagetop 36% · #114
Graduation
Below averagebottom 34% · #222
College plans
Averagebottom 37% · #211

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 score1088in 2025 · MA avg 1091
About the same as the MA avg
By section (out of 800)
Reading & writingAbout average
This school
558
MA avg
556
MathAbout average
This school
530
MA avg
535

130 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 Arts25%in 2026 · state 45%
20 points below the state
Math29%in 2026 · state 44%
15 points below the state
Biologyhigh school science, 2026About average
This school
40%
State
38%
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA · Math · Science (500+ = meeting expectations)486 · 488 · 496
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)19th · 28th
Student growth percentile, ELA · Math (50 = typical growth)31 · 47

AP & advanced courses

AP exams scored 3+77%in 2025 · MA avg 66%
11 points above the MA avg
Score breakdown
5
4
3
2
Score 5: 16%Score 4: 31%Score 3: 30%Score 2: 14%Score 1: 9%

211 students took 397 AP exams. A 3 or higher can earn college credit.

Completed an advanced coursegrades 11–12Worse than average
This school
60.2%
MA avg
71.4%
9th graders passing all coursesWorse than average
This school
72.5%
MA avg
82.6%

After high school

Four-year graduation rate91%in 2024 · MA avg 92%
About the same as the MA avg
Dropped outof the four-year classAbout average
This school
4%
MA avg
4.3%

4% 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 · 196 graduates
4-year public college
29.6%
4-year private college
26.5%
2-year public college
16.3%
Work
13.3%
Other post-secondary
6.1%
Other / unknown
5.1%
Military
2.6%
2-year private college
0.5%

Students

Who attends
White
78.2%
Hispanic/Latino
13.5%
Black/African American
4.1%
Multi-Race
3.2%
Asian
1%

46.1% female · 53.6% male · 0.3% nonbinary

Student needs
High needslow income, English learner, or disabilityLower than average
This school
41.2%
MA avg
50.7%
Low incomeLower than average
This school
32.1%
MA avg
39%
English learnersLower than average
This school
3%
MA avg
8.6%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
100%
MA avg
95.9%
Experienced teachersBetter than average
This school
87.2%
MA avg
73.4%
Teaching in their fieldBetter than average
This school
95.8%
MA avg
84.6%
Students per teacher
14.3MA avg 11.8
65.7 full-time-equivalent teachers

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateAbout average
This school
93.1%
MA avg
92.3%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average
This school
19.9%
MA avg
22.3%

11.8 days absent per student (MA avg 13.2) · Suspensions: 2.9% out-of-school, 1.4% in-school (MA high school avg 4% / 2.2%)

About the towns in Dudley-Charlton Reg

Shepherd Hill Regional High is part of the Dudley-Charlton Reg regional district. Our data doesn't list the school's own town, so here are all of the district's member towns.

Charlton
Worcester County · Central Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$489KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,345MA median $6,814
Tax rate$10.90 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$46,950MA median $47,872
Town bond ratingAA+
Free cash reserves6.3% of budget
Dudley
Worcester County · Central Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$450KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,526MA median $6,814
Tax rate$10.10 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$36,085MA median $47,872
Town bond ratingAA
Free cash reserves4.4% of budget

Dudley-Charlton Reg 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.

Blackstone Millville RHS
Blackstone-Millville
C
#235 in MASAT 1144Graduation 96%94% match
Leicester High
Leicester
B-
#140 in MASAT 1090Graduation 91%93% match
Millbury Junior/Senior High
Millbury
B-
#163 in MASAT 1078Graduation 93%93% match
Whitman Hanson Regional
Whitman-Hanson
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#188 in MASAT 1069Graduation 91%93% match