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John M Tobin

Public Grades PK, KG-5

85^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 91% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

John M Tobin is a PK–5 elementary school at 181 Vassal Lane in Cambridge, MA, serving 291 students in Cambridge Public Schools, a district that ranks 71st of 351 Massachusetts districts. The school itself outranks its district: in 2025–26 it placed 85th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools — the 91st percentile, with 5 stars — and it has been a top-decile school for most of the past decade, earning 5 stars in eight of the last ten listed school years.

In 2025–26, all-grade proficiency was 67.02% in ELA, 69.15% in math, and 60.71% in science — all above district and state averages. Math is the clearest strength: second among nearby schools behind only Maria L. Baldwin (83.13%), with a standout 3rd-grade math result of 81.25%. ELA and science are strong but more locally competitive, with Amigos School ahead in ELA and Morse in science. Results cooled from an exceptional 2024–25 (math 79.35%, science 77.42%) but remain well above district and state. The main relative soft spot is 4th-grade math at 61.76%, slightly below the district's 63.15% and still far above the state.

Among nearby schools, Tobin ranks second overall — behind Maria L. Baldwin and ahead of Amigos School, Martin Luther King Junior, Morse, Cambridgeport, Graham and Parks, King Open, Fletcher/Maynard Academy, and Somerville's Albert F. Argenziano School at Lincoln Park. Its Special Education subgroup ranked in the 100th percentile statewide in 2024–25 and 89th in 2025–26. Per-student spending was $32,016 in 2020–21, with a 10.7 student-teacher ratio in 2024–25 — moderate and mid-pack locally — yet Tobin outperforms the higher-spending, lower-ratio Fletcher/Maynard Academy. Some data are limited: free/reduced-lunch figures are blank, Amigos School and Albert F. Argenziano School at Lincoln Park include middle grades, and Capuano Early Childhood Center serves PK–1 with no MCAS results.

291

Students ?

10.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$39,088

Per pupil spending ?

39.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

181 Vassal Lane
Cambridge, MA 02138

(617) 349-6600

District: Cambridge

Students who attend John M Tobin usually attend:

Middle:	Cambridge Street Upper School
	Darby Vassall Upper School
	Putnam Avenue Upper School
	Rindge Avenue Upper School
High:	Cambridge Rindge and Latin

Racial breakdown:

White:

36.1%

African American:

26.8%

Asian:

15.8%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare John M Tobin to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 90th percentile in 2016 → 91st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (67% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 9% of Massachusetts elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Cambridge

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg57%

Massachusetts avg41%

85^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Top 9%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 11Elementary Schools in the Cambridge

71^st of 351Cambridge among Massachusetts districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	89.1	85 of 899	90.5%	★★★★★
2025	93.6	41 of 906	95.5%	★★★★★
2024	90.4	67 of 916	92.7%	★★★★★
2023	93.5	42 of 928	95.5%	★★★★★
2022	89.6	90 of 932	90.3%	★★★★★
2021	90.5	74 of 936	92.1%	★★★★★
2019	87.8	89 of 942	90.6%	★★★★★
2018	83.1	137 of 934	85.3%	★★★★☆
2017	81.5	162 of 938	82.7%	★★★★☆
2016	86.8	90 of 932	90.3%	★★★★★
2015	81.3	145 of 914	84.1%	★★★★☆
2014	67.8	310 of 926	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.5	358 of 928	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	38.9	618 of 930	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	35.0	650 of 924	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	24.4	736 of 920	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	32.3	662 of 909	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	33.7	653 of 908	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	31.9	683 of 911	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	28.5	696 of 911	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	28.3	657 of 887	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	14.5	759 of 882	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	24.0	694 of 884	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2018	94.3	4 of 174	97.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	90.8	48 of 869	94.5%	★★★★★
2025	89.8	67 of 869	92.3%	★★★★★
2024	86.3	101 of 886	88.6%	★★★★☆
2023	90.7	50 of 887	94.4%	★★★★★
2022	90.5	61 of 901	93.2%	★★★★★
2021	83.7	139 of 898	84.5%	★★★★☆
2019	85.0	101 of 902	88.8%	★★★★☆
2018	83.2	106 of 893	88.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2024	62.8	222 of 760	70.8%	★★★★☆
2021	72.5	117 of 705	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	82.1	52 of 700	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	97.0	8 of 685	98.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	84.7	112 of 879	87.3%	★★★★☆
2025	93.8	24 of 884	97.3%	★★★★★
2024	90.6	55 of 891	93.8%	★★★★★
2023	93.3	34 of 896	96.2%	★★★★★
2022	84.8	114 of 908	87.4%	★★★★☆
2021	91.4	49 of 904	94.6%	★★★★★
2019	87.4	74 of 907	91.8%	★★★★★
2018	78.6	177 of 898	80.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	81.2	76 of 709	89.3%	★★★★☆
2025	98.9	3 of 717	99.6%	★★★★★
2024	86.0	59 of 731	91.9%	★★★★★
2022	83.8	87 of 905	90.4%	★★★★★
2021	92.6	31 of 894	96.5%	★★★★★
2019	81.5	92 of 896	89.7%	★★★★☆
2018	85.4	72 of 886	91.9%	★★★★★

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	89.9	70 of 925	92.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	90.8	33 of 734	95.5%	★★★★★
2025	96.5	5 of 737	99.3%	★★★★★
2024	95.0	7 of 753	99.1%	★★★★★
2023	96.2	2 of 762	99.7%	★★★★★
2022	96.6	6 of 764	99.2%	★★★★★
2021	97.1	1 of 765	99.9%	★★★★★
2019	94.1	9 of 780	98.8%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2018)98th percentile+12 vs school

White (2026)96th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)94th percentile+4 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)92nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)89th percentile~ school

Male (2026)87th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)71st percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics69%+28 vs state

English Language Arts67%+27 vs state

Science61%+20 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, November 2, 2010

My kids (7 and 5 years old) are attending Tobin in the English Special Immersion program and the experience is being very positive. The ratio teacher/student is about 1/5 and the ambient is wonderful! Teacher are excellent and very devoted to their task. All the teachers, staff and the principal are very involved in improving the school and there is a special interest in promoting family participation in the school activities. All the parents I have met at the school are very happy with the setting (specially those with kids in the Montesori program). I would recomend this school for expatriates comming to Cambridge only for a year. Close Quote

Schools Near John M Tobin

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2026)							MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2026)							MCAS Next Generation Science (2026)			MCAS Next Generation Civics (2026)	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 (2015)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 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 All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Civics 8th Grade	Total
John M Tobin	Public	PK, KG-5	181 Vassal Lane	Cambridge	02138	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	No	(617) 349-6600	291	27	10.7	39.7%	105 (36.1%)	78 (26.8%)	27 (9.3%)	46 (15.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (12.0%)	89.1	85^th of 899 public elementary schools	90.5%		93.6	41^st of 906 public elementary schools	95.5%	44	71.9	64.7	64.3				67.0	81.3	61.8	64.3				69.2	60.7		60.7		$39,088
Cambridgeport	Public	PK, KG-5	89 Elm Street	Cambridge	02139	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	No	(617) 349-6587	263	27	9.7	43.4%	106 (40.3%)	49 (18.6%)	40 (15.2%)	38 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (11.0%)	80.1	167^th of 899 public elementary schools	81.4%		84.4	134^th of 906 public elementary schools	85.2%	33	64.5	65.9	54.8				61.5	71.0	61.4	48.8				59.5	51.2		51.2		$35,048
Fletcher/Maynard Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	225 Windsor Street	Cambridge	02139	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 349-6588	249	34	7.3	67.7%	21 (8.4%)	123 (49.4%)	56 (22.5%)	23 (9.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (10.0%)	50.7	450^th of 899 public elementary schools	49.9%		35.8	587^th of 906 public elementary schools	35.2%	137	44.8	38.7	35.3				39.4	48.3	43.3	41.2				44.1	41.2		41.2		$47,805
Martin Luther King Junior	Public	PK, KG-5	102 Putnam Avenue	Cambridge	02139	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	No	(617) 349-6562	340	33	10.2	44.8%	70 (20.6%)	39 (11.5%)	10 (2.9%)	127 (37.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	93 (27.4%)	87	113^th of 899 public elementary schools	87.4%		96.4	10^th of 906 public elementary schools	98.9%	103	71.4	74.1	56.5				66.9	66.1	75.9	61.3				67.4	55.7		55.7		$36,532
Amigos School	Public	PK, KG-8	15 Upton Street	Cambridge	02139	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	No	(617) 349-6567	413	38	10.9	25.6%	131 (31.7%)	24 (5.8%)	210 (50.8%)	14 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.2%)	88.5	94^th of 899 public elementary schools	89.5%		88.7	89^th of 906 public elementary schools	90.2%	5	62.5	66.7	74.4	65.8	81.0	71.8	70.4	55.0	77.1	62.8	71.1	73.8	69.2	68.4	62.8	48.7	56.1	53.9	$32,666
Albert F. Argenziano School at Lincoln Park	Public	PK, KG-8	290 Washington Street	Somerville	02143	Middlesex County	Somerville	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 629-5460	553	41	13.4	67.7%	243 (43.9%)	21 (3.8%)	194 (35.1%)	40 (7.2%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	49 (8.9%)	56.1	393^rd of 899 public elementary schools	56.3%		46.6	488^th of 906 public elementary schools	46.1%	95	47.5	41.5	45.0	47.8	46.6	43.9	45.5	43.6	45.3	34.4	43.5	43.1	30.0	40.3	49.2	34.2	43.1	41.5	$24,256
King Open	Public	PK, KG-5	850 Cambridge Street	Cambridge	02139	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 349-6540	391	37	10.4	47.5%	128 (32.7%)	92 (23.5%)	68 (17.4%)	44 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (15.1%)	61.7	341^st of 899 public elementary schools	62.1%		48.9	467^th of 906 public elementary schools	48.5%	126	62.3	43.9	42.3				50.0	45.9	48.2	46.2				46.8	42.3		42.3		$37,388
Maria L. Baldwin	Public	PK, KG-5	85 Oxford Street	Cambridge	02138	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	No	(617) 349-6525	360	33	10.9	37.9%	207 (57.5%)	33 (9.2%)	27 (7.5%)	37 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (15.6%)	97.1	5^th of 899 public elementary schools	99.4%		96.6	8^th of 906 public elementary schools	99.1%	3	87.0	74.6	74.5				78.8	83.3	81.4	85.1				83.1	74.5		74.5		$35,468
Morse	Public	PK, KG-5	40 Granite Street	Cambridge	02139	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 349-6575	328	32	10.1	48.0%	134 (40.9%)	70 (21.3%)	34 (10.4%)	53 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (11.0%)	86.3	117^th of 899 public elementary schools	87.0%		82.4	153^rd of 906 public elementary schools	83.1%	36	68.9	56.1	71.4				65.9	64.4	57.1	63.3				61.8	65.3		65.3		$38,648
Capuano Early Childhood Center	Public	PK, KG-1	150 Glen Street	Somerville	02145	Middlesex County	Somerville	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 629-5480	250	23	10.9	59.1%	78 (31.2%)	21 (8.4%)	89 (35.6%)	35 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.4%)								(n/a)																			$37,340

Frequently Asked Questions about John M Tobin

What schools do graduates of John M Tobin attend?

Students who attend John M Tobin usually go on to attend:

Middle : Cambridge Street Upper School
Middle : Darby Vassall Upper School
Middle : Putnam Avenue Upper School
Middle : Rindge Avenue Upper School
High : Cambridge Rindge and Latin

Is John M Tobin a good school?

Yes. John M Tobin ranks in the top 9.5% of Massachusetts elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of John M Tobin?

Students at John M Tobin are 36% White, 27% African American, 16% Asian, 12% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic.

How many students attend John M Tobin?

In the 2024-25 school year, 291 students attended John M Tobin.

What district is John M Tobin in?

Cambridge

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Latest Massachusetts data All new data »

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 MCAS Next Generation test scoresSep 29, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataMay 8, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 1, 2025

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.