Best Public Schools in Watertown, MA

Summary:

The city of Watertown, Massachusetts is home to 5 schools, including 3 elementary schools (Hosmer, James Russell Lowell, and Cunniff), 1 middle school (Watertown Middle), and 1 high school (Watertown High). The schools in Watertown generally perform above the state average on standardized tests, with some standout performers and areas for improvement.

James Russell Lowell Elementary School and Hosmer Elementary School are the top-performing schools in the district, with consistently high proficiency rates on MCAS Next Generation tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. In contrast, Cunniff Elementary School lags behind the district and state averages in some areas, particularly in English Language Arts.

At the secondary level, Watertown High School has a graduation rate slightly below the state average and a higher-than-average dropout rate, suggesting a need for targeted interventions and support for high school students. Watertown Middle School also shows lower proficiency rates compared to the elementary schools, highlighting the importance of ensuring a smooth transition from elementary to middle school. Overall, the Watertown school district is investing in its schools, with relatively high spending per student, and has several areas of strength to build upon.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2025)								MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2025)								MCAS Next Generation Science (2025)				MCAS Next Generation Biology (2025)	MCAS Next Generation Physics (2025)	MCAS Next Generation Civics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Biology All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Physics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Civics 8th Grade	Total
Cunniff	Public	PK, KG-5	246 Warren Street	Watertown	02472	Middlesex County	Watertown	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 926-7726	320	40	8.0		181 (56.6%)	8 (2.5%)	76 (23.8%)	21 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.3%)	65.2	327^th of 906 public elementary schools	63.9%		60.9	357^th of 916 public elementary schools	61.0%	30	51.0	45.7	42.0					46.3	54.9	54.4	52.0					53.7	52.0			52.0				$28,636
Hosmer	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Concord Rd	Watertown	02472	Middlesex County	Watertown	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 926-7740	758	71	10.7		393 (51.8%)	54 (7.1%)	158 (20.8%)	67 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	84 (11.1%)	66.7	312^th of 906 public elementary schools	65.6%		72.6	263^rd of 916 public elementary schools	71.3%	49	49.0	47.1	53.2					49.6	47.5	51.8	53.2					50.6	59.5			59.5				$23,811
James Russell Lowell	Public	PK, KG-5	123 Lowell Ave.	Watertown	02472	Middlesex County	Watertown	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 926-7770	422	43	9.7		230 (54.5%)	11 (2.6%)	92 (21.8%)	54 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.3%)	78.1	201^st of 906 public elementary schools	77.8%		79.2	191^st of 916 public elementary schools	79.1%	10	55.9	65.4	55.1					58.2	54.4	57.7	60.3					57.5	61.8			61.8				$28,031
Watertown High	Public	9-12	27 Westminster Ave.	Watertown	02472	Middlesex County	Watertown	No	No	No	No	(617) 926-7760	761	69	11.0		426 (56.0%)	34 (4.5%)	183 (24.0%)	61 (8.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (6.8%)	64.3	127^th of 349 public high schools	63.6%		51.5	188^th of 348 public high schools	46.0%	61							52.4								58.5				47.4		0.0	41.3		$24,396
Watertown Middle	Public	6-8	68 Waverley Avenue	Watertown	02472	Middlesex County	Watertown	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 926-7783	583	54	10.8		317 (54.4%)	24 (4.1%)	145 (24.9%)	47 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.9%)	64.4	160^th of 484 public middle schools	66.9%		62.9	167^th of 493 public middle schools	66.1%	7				40.8	39.7	59.2		46.5				43.4	47.5	44.8		45.2		47.5		47.5			45.1	$25,768

Cities Near Watertown

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Newton	1.11 mi	5	50^th
Belmont	1.14 mi	7	2^nd
Cambridge	1.28 mi	20	107^th
Brighton	1.42 mi	7	348^th
Newtonville	1.85 mi	4	44^th

See the top MA Massachusetts cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.