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Melrose High

Q: Is Melrose High a good school?

Melrose High ranks 51 st of 353 Massachusetts high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

51^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 353 Massachusetts High Schools

Better than 86% of Massachusetts high schools

Summary

Melrose High is a 9–12 public high school in Melrose, Massachusetts, a suburban community north of Boston, serving 967 students as part of the Melrose district, which ranks 29th of 351 districts statewide. The school itself ranks 51st of 353 high schools in 2025–26, placing it in the 86th percentile with 4 stars, and its long-term trend shows steady improvement from the 62nd percentile (3 stars) in 2015–16 to the 80–87th percentile range in recent years, with its strongest recent showing at 46th of 349 in 2024–25.

Among nearby high schools, Melrose is the second-highest-ranked comprehensive high school, behind only Winchester High School, and it outranks Wakefield Memorial High, Stoneham High, and Medford High. Its 2025–26 10th-grade MCAS results are well above state averages in every tested subject — ELA 78.37% proficient versus 45.48% statewide, Math 67.22% versus 43.73%, and Science 60.89% versus 40.5%. Melrose also posts the best graduation and dropout profile in the local comparison group: a 98.8% graduation rate and just a 0.4% dropout rate in 2024–25, edging out Winchester and far ahead of Medford, Stoneham, and others. The main academic gap is in STEM: Melrose trails Winchester by about 6 points in ELA but by roughly 18 points in Math and Science and nearly 26 points in Biology.

Notably, Melrose achieves these results with the lowest per-student spending in the comparison set ($14,432 in 2020–21), suggesting efficient use of resources, though that figure is older than the outcome data and should be read directionally. Subgroup effectiveness is generally strong, with special education and low-income students showing high and improving rankings. Families should know that recent scores have been somewhat volatile — ELA and Science declined from 2024–25 to 2025–26 while Math improved — but all subjects remain comfortably above state averages.

967

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,221

Per pupil spending ?

19.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

360 Lynn Fells Parkway
Melrose, MA 02176

(781) 979-2200

District: Melrose

Feeder schools for Melrose High:

Elementary:	Early Childhood Center
	Herbert Clark Hoover
	Horace Mann
	Lincoln
	More...
	Roosevelt
	Winthrop
Middle:	Melrose Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.3%

African American:

7.4%

Asian:

7.4%

See top rated Massachusetts high schools

Compare Melrose High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 62nd percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (66% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Massachusetts high schools

✓99% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg64%

Massachusetts avg42%

51^st of 353

Massachusetts public high schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 24 pts since 2016

From top 38% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

29^th of 351Melrose 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	87.1	51 of 353	85.6%	★★★★☆
2025	89.3	46 of 349	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	82.9	67 of 348	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	81.8	65 of 347	81.3%	★★★★☆
2022	80.1	70 of 342	79.5%	★★★★☆
2021	72.6	90 of 285	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.1	79 of 351	77.5%	★★★★☆
2018	73.4	99 of 345	71.3%	★★★★☆
2017	72.0	102 of 348	70.7%	★★★★☆
2016	66.7	134 of 351	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	69.2	129 of 354	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	71.4	110 of 347	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	59.3	180 of 344	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	54.0	206 of 340	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	57.1	186 of 340	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	59.2	178 of 335	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	66.4	135 of 322	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	66.4	124 of 319	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.7	95 of 316	69.9%	★★★★☆
2006	66.2	135 of 314	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	57.4	163 of 311	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	65.4	122 of 307	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2003	74.5	92 of 304	69.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	60.9	49 of 157	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.1	68 of 148	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	22.1	128 of 160	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.0	88 of 142	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	64.2	33 of 133	75.2%	★★★★☆
2021	50.9	39 of 94	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.4	65 of 137	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.5	61 of 134	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	57.1	50 of 94	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	70.4	39 of 91	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.3	47 of 98	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.4	66 of 96	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.3	66 of 97	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.5	54 of 91	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	74.2	57 of 295	80.7%	★★★★☆
2021	68.3	49 of 202	75.7%	★★★★☆
2019	79.5	48 of 299	83.9%	★★★★☆
2018	65.1	92 of 299	69.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	47 of 340	86.2%	★★★★☆
2025	88.4	45 of 337	86.6%	★★★★☆
2024	78.5	86 of 342	74.9%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	78 of 339	77.0%	★★★★☆
2022	82.4	57 of 340	83.2%	★★★★☆
2021	75.3	79 of 281	71.9%	★★★★☆
2019	75.3	90 of 342	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	71.4	112 of 339	67.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	82.0	41 of 260	84.2%	★★★★☆
2025	84.1	37 of 245	84.9%	★★★★☆
2024	82.2	42 of 249	83.1%	★★★★☆
2023	91.4	21 of 241	91.3%	★★★★★
2022	65.3	71 of 217	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.5	71 of 193	63.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	83.0	42 of 340	87.6%	★★★★☆
2025	76.6	65 of 334	80.5%	★★★★☆
2024	61.7	119 of 338	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.5	169 of 338	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.4	88 of 332	73.5%	★★★★☆
2021	52.5	111 of 253	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.4	139 of 330	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.1	164 of 330	50.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	84.6	58 of 344	83.1%	★★★★☆
2025	88.2	47 of 339	86.1%	★★★★☆
2024	84.7	51 of 342	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	82.2	63 of 343	81.6%	★★★★☆
2022	75.0	91 of 339	73.2%	★★★★☆
2021	67.6	101 of 281	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.0	79 of 346	77.2%	★★★★☆
2018	73.4	94 of 343	72.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	82.4	19 of 100	81.0%	★★★★☆
2025	69.9	32 of 89	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.2	25 of 82	69.5%	★★★★☆
2018	62.5	29 of 55	47.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	90.2	27 of 298	90.9%	★★★★★
2025	85.5	39 of 302	87.1%	★★★★☆
2024	69.4	71 of 289	75.4%	★★★★☆
2023	88.6	33 of 301	89.0%	★★★★☆
2022	60.3	125 of 339	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.3	105 of 268	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.1	98 of 348	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	59.0	138 of 344	59.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	83.8	49 of 302	83.8%	★★★★☆
2025	90.5	33 of 298	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	81.4	57 of 302	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	80.4	58 of 301	80.7%	★★★★☆
2022	83.2	45 of 300	85.0%	★★★★☆
2021	71.2	74 of 249	70.3%	★★★★☆
2019	77.2	67 of 302	77.8%	★★★★☆
2018	71.9	75 of 303	75.2%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2026)91st percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)88th percentile~ school

Female (2026)86th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)84th percentile~ school

White (2026)84th percentile~ school

Male (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)81st percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2022)81st percentile~ school

African American (2026)69th percentile-17 vs school

Asian (2026)47th percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts78%+33 vs state

Mathematics67%+23 vs state

Science61%+20 vs state

Biology56%+18 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Melrose High School is a terrible school and an embarassment to the city of Melrose. If you live in Melrose and are considering sending your son or daughter to this, your local public high school, don't!!! The principal thinks his primary focus is to work on public relations, not on education. The faculty are, for the most part, lazy and incompetent, counting the days until retirement. The morale is down the drain. Please send your child to a private school, or move to a better school district, if at all possible. With the current administration, there really is no hope for improvement in the short term. If you are considering buying a house in Melrose - which is, apart from the high school, a nice suburb with decent school system - I would strongly urge you to look elsewhere. I wish I did. Close Quote

Schools Near Melrose High

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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 Biology (2026)	MCAS Next Generation Physics (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 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Biology End of Course	MCAS Next Generation Physics End of Course	Total
Melrose High	Public	9-12	360 Lynn Fells Parkway	Melrose	02176	Middlesex County	Melrose	No	No	No	No	(781) 979-2200	967	75	12.8	19.2%	699 (72.3%)	72 (7.4%)	72 (7.4%)	72 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (4.8%)	87.1	51^st of 353 public high schools	85.6%		89.3	46^th of 349 public high schools	86.8%	5	78.4	67.2	60.9	56.0		$16,221
Stoneham High	Public	9-12	149 Franklin Street	Stoneham	02180	Middlesex County	Stoneham	No	No	No	No	(781) 279-3810	599	56	10.7	23.4%	454 (75.8%)	23 (3.8%)	64 (10.7%)	34 (5.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.5%)	65.6	119^th of 353 public high schools	66.3%		71.6	100^th of 349 public high schools	71.3%	19	50.4	47.5	43.2	50.0		$23,111
Saugus High	Public	9-12	1 Pearce Drive	Saugus	01906	Essex County	Saugus	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 231-5027	744	48	15.4	29.2%	328 (44.1%)	60 (8.1%)	289 (38.8%)	48 (6.5%)	5 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	11 (1.5%)	30.2	244^th of 353 public high schools	30.9%		33.9	237^th of 349 public high schools	32.1%	7	28.2	30.3	23.2	51.3		$17,851
Wakefield Memorial High	Public	9-12	60 Farm Street	Wakefield	01880	Middlesex County	Wakefield	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 246-6440	854	81	10.5	12.8%	676 (79.2%)	31 (3.6%)	81 (9.5%)	33 (3.9%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	26 (3.0%)	85.3	56^th of 353 public high schools	84.1%		73.3	97^th of 349 public high schools	72.2%	41	62.8	62.0	59.6	71.1		$22,264
Northeast Metro Regional Vocational	Public	9-12	100 Hemlock Rd	Wakefield	01880	Middlesex County	Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 246-0810	1,381	129	10.7	50.2%	577 (41.8%)	72 (5.2%)	665 (48.2%)	18 (1.3%)	9 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (2.2%)	36.2	222^nd of 353 public high schools	37.1%		48.9	189^th of 349 public high schools	45.8%	33	37.5	34.8	29.7		27.5	$27,370
Malden High	Public	9-12	77 Salem Street	Malden	02148	Middlesex County	Malden	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 397-6000	1,890	118	16.0	61.4%	429 (22.7%)	415 (22.0%)	575 (30.4%)	384 (20.3%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (4.4%)	37.5	217^th of 353 public high schools	38.5%		38.2	224^th of 349 public high schools	35.8%	7	36.9	33.3	32.0	30.3		$18,593
Winchester High School	Public	9-12	80 Skillings Road	Winchester	01890	Middlesex County	Winchester	No	No	No	No	(781) 721-7020	1,404	95	14.8	9.2%	902 (64.2%)	33 (2.4%)	73 (5.2%)	298 (21.2%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (6.7%)	97.3	8^th of 353 public high schools	97.7%		95	16^th of 349 public high schools	95.4%	8	84.5	85.1	78.4	81.8		$17,678
Everett High	Public	9-12	100 Elm Street	Everett	02149	Middlesex County	Everett	No	No	No	No	(617) 394-2490	2,307	191	12.1	75.7%	298 (12.9%)	357 (15.5%)	1,511 (65.5%)	107 (4.6%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	29 (1.3%)	20.9	290^th of 353 public high schools	17.8%		21.5	276^th of 349 public high schools	20.9%	14	31.0	22.4	15.5	16.0	47.1	$20,445
Medford High	Public	9-12	489 Winthrop Street	Medford	02155	Middlesex County	Medford	No	No	No	No	(781) 393-2301	1,195	130	9.1	32.7%	644 (53.9%)	182 (15.2%)	189 (15.8%)	113 (9.5%)	7 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	51 (4.3%)	49.3	178^th of 353 public high schools	49.6%		54	163^rd of 349 public high schools	53.3%	15	40.7	35.2	36.5	45.4		$24,402
Classical High	Public	9-12	235 O Callaghan Way	Lynn	01905	Essex County	Lynn	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 477-7404	1,795	125	14.3	79.1%	200 (11.1%)	142 (7.9%)	1,276 (71.1%)	135 (7.5%)	8 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (1.8%)	16.5	302^nd of 353 public high schools	14.4%		14.7	305^th of 349 public high schools	12.6%	3	20.9	16.2	19.0	19.5		$19,988

Frequently Asked Questions about Melrose High

What schools feed into Melrose High?

Melrose High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Early Childhood Center
Elementary : Herbert Clark Hoover
Elementary : Horace Mann
Elementary : Lincoln
Elementary : Roosevelt
Elementary : Winthrop
Middle : Melrose Middle

How many students attend Melrose High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 967 students attended Melrose High.

Is Melrose High a good school?

Melrose High ranks 51^st of 353 Massachusetts high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Melrose High?

Students at Melrose High are 72% White, 7% African American, 7% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Melrose High in?

Melrose

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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.