Can I use Worcester County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Worcester County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Worcester County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Worcester County?

Start with the 252 listed public schools and 52 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Worcester County Schools & Education

Name: Worcester County, Massachusetts Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Worcester County, Massachusetts

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

75/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Higher Signal

Graduation Rate

90.9%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

90.9%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.1%

Per-Pupil Spending

$11,452

National avg $13,239

State avg $13,582

School Score

75/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 72/100

State Score Position

of 14 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Worcester County

Measured School Summary

Worcester County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 75/100 and a graduation rate of 90.9%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

Worcester County spends $11,452 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 4% above the Massachusetts average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 2.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 16% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Worcester County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

252 public schools and 52 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

75/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #7 of 14 Massachusetts counties with school score data.

Completion

90.9%

2.8 pts above the state average

Funding context

$11,452

$2,130 below the state average

School coverage

252

52 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county screens well on the combined school metrics available here. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Worcester County has 252 public schools across 52 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Worcester County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Large multi-district county

Worcester County has many school records across many districts. County averages are only the opening screen; neighborhood-level assignment and grade-band fit matter more here.

State position

of 14 Massachusetts counties with school score data. The county score is 3 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 98% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Worcester

Elementary to high school visible

24,318 students

Elementary 34Middle 4High 7Other 1

46 listed schools in this county slice.

Wachusett

Elementary to high school visible

6,739 students

Elementary 8Middle 3High 1Other 1

13 listed schools in this county slice.

Leominster

Elementary to high school visible

6,000 students

Elementary 5Middle 2High 3Other 2

12 listed schools in this county slice.

Shrewsbury

Elementary to high school visible

5,892 students

Elementary 5Middle 2High 1Other 1

9 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Worcester is the largest listed district slice, with 46 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Worcester County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Worcester County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Which schools are missing enrollment or ratio fields, and does the district publish a newer local profile than the NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data?

Education Overview

About Schools in Worcester County, Massachusetts

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Expansive Education Across Central Massachusetts

Worcester County features 252 public schools across 52 districts, educating a total of 120,874 students. The network is broad, consisting of 133 elementary, 44 middle, and 58 high schools, plus 17 schools with unique grade structures. It is one of the most geographically diverse counties, offering everything from urban centers to rural campuses.

Worcester and Wachusett Lead the Region

The Worcester district is the largest, with 46 schools serving 24,318 students, followed by Wachusett with 6,739 students. Leominster also represents a significant hub with 6,000 students across 12 schools. While traditional districts prevail, the Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School serves over 1,400 students as a major alternative.

A Diverse Mix of Suburban and Rural Schools

The county offers a unique locale mix with 134 suburban schools, 64 rural campuses, and 49 city schools. The average school size is 487 students, but institutions like Wachusett Regional High can reach nearly 2,000 students. This variety allows families to choose between large regional high schools and small-town learning environments.

School Overview

Total Schools

252

in Worcester County

Reported Enrollment

120,874

248 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

2% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary133

Middle44

High58

Other17

52 School Districts in Worcester County

Worcester

Wachusett

Leominster

Shrewsbury

Fitchburg

Milford

Westborough

Dudley-Charlton Reg

Grafton

6 schools

3,080 students

Auburn

5 schools

2,558 students

252 Public Schools in Worcester County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 22 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 252 matching schools

Public schools in Worcester County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Wachusett Regional High	Profile	Wachusett	Holden, 01520Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,930
Shrewsbury High School	Profile	Shrewsbury	Shrewsbury, 01545Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,823
South High Community	Profile	Worcester	Worcester, 01603City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,666
Worcester Technical High	Profile	Worcester	Worcester, 01605City: Midsize	9–12	Vocational	1,469
Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School	Profile	Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public (District)	Worcester, 01606City: Midsize	KG–12	Charter	1,422
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical	Profile	Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical	Fitchburg, 01420Suburb: Midsize	9–12	Vocational	1,409
North High	Profile	Worcester	Worcester, 01604City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,377
Doherty Memorial High	Profile	Worcester	Worcester, 01602City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,344
Milford High	Profile	Milford	Milford, 01757Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,324
Fitchburg High	Profile	Fitchburg	Fitchburg, 01420Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,246
Blackstone Valley	Profile	Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical	Upton, 01568Suburb: Large	9–12	Vocational	1,230
Algonquin Regional High	Profile	Northboro-Southboro	Northborough, 01532Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,213
Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School	Profile	Southern Worcester County Regional Vocational District	Charlton, 01507Rural: Fringe	9–12	Vocational	1,185
Burncoat Senior High	Profile	Worcester	Worcester, 01606City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,179
Westborough High	Profile	Westborough	Westborough, 01581Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,178
Leominster High School	Profile	Leominster	Leominster, 01453Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,034
Stacy Middle	Profile	Milford	Milford, 01757Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,030
Gardner Elementary School	Profile	Gardner	Gardner, 01440Suburb: Midsize	PK–4	Primary	986
Northbridge Elementary School	Profile	Northbridge	Whitinsville, 01588Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	953
Sherwood Middle School	Profile	Shrewsbury	Shrewsbury, 01545Suburb: Large	5–6	Middle	948

Wachusett Regional High

Wachusett

Holden, 01520 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,930 students

Shrewsbury High School

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury, 01545 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,823 students

South High Community

Worcester

Worcester, 01603 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,666 students

Worcester Technical High

Worcester

Worcester, 01605 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12Vocational1,469 students

Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School

Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public (District)

Worcester, 01606 / City: Midsize

ProfileKG–12Charter1,422 students

Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical

Fitchburg, 01420 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12Vocational1,409 students

North High

Worcester

Worcester, 01604 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,377 students

Doherty Memorial High

Worcester

Worcester, 01602 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,344 students

Milford High

Milford

Milford, 01757 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,324 students

Fitchburg High

Fitchburg

Fitchburg, 01420 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,246 students

Blackstone Valley

Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical

Upton, 01568 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12Vocational1,230 students

Algonquin Regional High

Northboro-Southboro

Northborough, 01532 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,213 students

Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School

Southern Worcester County Regional Vocational District

Charlton, 01507 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12Vocational1,185 students

Burncoat Senior High

Worcester

Worcester, 01606 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,179 students

Westborough High

Westborough

Westborough, 01581 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,178 students

Leominster High School

Leominster

Leominster, 01453 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,034 students

Stacy Middle

Milford

Milford, 01757 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,030 students

Gardner Elementary School

Gardner

Gardner, 01440 / Suburb: Midsize

ProfilePK–4Primary986 students

Northbridge Elementary School

Northbridge

Whitinsville, 01588 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–5Primary953 students

Sherwood Middle School

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury, 01545 / Suburb: Large

Profile5–6Middle948 students

Additional School Profiles

Dedicated profile pages are generated for a subset of public schools with broad enrollment coverage. All other schools remain listed in the county table.

2 more profiles

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$11,452

State avg $13,582

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Worcester County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Massachusetts counties have the highest graduation rates?

Barnstable County (92.4%), Hampshire County (92.3%), and Middlesex County (92.1%) currently lead Massachusetts among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Massachusetts?

Across Massachusetts counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $13,582. The highest current county values are Dukes County ($21,423), Nantucket County ($16,692), and Suffolk County ($15,756). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Worcester County?

Worcester County has a school score of 75/100, which is a higher measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Worcester County?

The high school graduation rate in Worcester County is 90.9%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Worcester County spend per student?

Worcester County spends $11,452 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Worcester County, Massachusetts — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Worcester County, Massachusetts?

What are the major school districts in Worcester County, Massachusetts?

What is the school experience like in Worcester County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Bristol County

Massachusetts

-2 pts

73/100

School score

Norfolk County

Massachusetts

+3 pts

78/100

School score

Plymouth County

Massachusetts

+3 pts

78/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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