Summary
Methuen High is a large public high school serving grades 9–12 in Methuen, Massachusetts, a Merrimack Valley community roughly 30 miles north of Boston, with 1,841 students — larger than Andover High, North Andover High, and Pentucket Regional Senior High, though smaller than Haverhill and Lawrence. In 2025–2026 it ranked 275th of 353 high schools statewide — the 22nd percentile, or 1 star — and its Methuen district ranks 278th of 351 districts.
Academically, 10th-grade MCAS proficiency rates in 2025–2026 were 25.49% in English Language Arts, 20.39% in Math, 26.5% in Science, and 25.3% in Biology. These beat the district's own averages but fall well below state averages — roughly 20 points in ELA and 23 points in Math. The gap with nearby towns is striking: Andover High, about five miles away, posts 62.37% in ELA and 73.77% in Math, while North Andover High, roughly 3.5 miles away, is also far ahead. Haverhill High is closest in profile; Lawrence High School ranks lower. Scores have also declined for four straight years — ELA dropped from 48.10% to 25.49%, Math from 34.89% to 20.39%, and Science from 38.11% to 26.50%.
Graduation is a relative strength at 91.9% in 2024–2025, above the district and above Haverhill and Lawrence, though the dropout rate rose to 5.9% — far above Andover, North Andover, and Gr Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical. Subgroup results are uneven: low-income students rank in the 19th percentile and English Language Learner effectiveness fell from the 63rd to the 24th percentile. Per-student spending was $13,805 (2020–2021), lower than most neighbors, with a 13:1 student-teacher ratio — similar to peers, so funding and class size alone don't explain the outcomes.
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