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Needham High

Public Grades 9-12

21^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 349 Massachusetts High Schools

Better than 94% of Massachusetts high schools

Summary

Needham High is a public high school in Needham, Massachusetts, serving 1,622 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the highly-ranked Needham School District, which is ranked 14th out of 348 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Needham High consistently outperforms the state average on MCAS assessments, with 86.45% of 10th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 84.66% proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to state averages of 50.66% and 44.6%, respectively. The school also maintains exceptional graduation rates above 98% and very low dropout rates below 0.4%, significantly better than nearby schools like Lyon High School, Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School, and Another Course to College.

In addition to its strong academic performance, Needham High excels in supporting the achievement of diverse student subgroups, including female, male, Asian, African American, Hispanic, White, multi-racial, special education, and low socioeconomic status students. The school's relatively low student-teacher ratio and high per-student spending may contribute to its ability to provide a high-quality, equitable education that helps all students succeed.

1,633

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,921

Per pupil spending ?

10.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

609 Webster Street
Needham, MA 02494

(781) 455-0800

District: Needham

Feeder schools for Needham High:

Elementary:	Broadmeadow
	John Eliot
	Newman Elementary
	Sunita L. Williams Elementary
	More...
	William Mitchell
Middle:	High Rock School
	Pollard Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.3%

Asian:

9.4%

Hispanic:

8.1%

See top rated Massachusetts high schools

Compare Needham High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 92nd percentile in 2015 → 94th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (79% vs 45% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% 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 (2024-2025) ?

This school79%

District avg78%

Massachusetts avg45%

21^st of 349

Massachusetts public high schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 348Needham 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
2025	94.5	21 of 349	94.0%	★★★★★
2024	93.7	17 of 348	95.1%	★★★★★
2023	89.9	41 of 347	88.2%	★★★★☆
2022	93.3	17 of 342	95.0%	★★★★★
2021	89.7	15 of 285	94.7%	★★★★★
2019	85.4	35 of 351	90.0%	★★★★★
2018	81.0	38 of 345	89.0%	★★★★☆
2017	80.8	35 of 348	89.9%	★★★★★
2016	79.9	38 of 351	89.2%	★★★★☆
2015	80.9	28 of 354	92.1%	★★★★★
2014	80.3	31 of 347	91.1%	★★★★★
2013	81.1	27 of 344	92.2%	★★★★★
2012	80.8	37 of 340	89.1%	★★★★☆
2011	83.2	26 of 340	92.4%	★★★★★
2010	80.4	56 of 335	83.3%	★★★★☆
2009	87.0	16 of 322	95.0%	★★★★★
2008	88.7	17 of 319	94.7%	★★★★★
2007	89.1	11 of 316	96.5%	★★★★★
2006	89.9	11 of 314	96.5%	★★★★★
2005	88.5	24 of 311	92.3%	★★★★★
2004	89.5	22 of 307	92.8%	★★★★★
2003	90.4	22 of 304	92.8%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	67.2	35 of 148	76.4%	★★★★☆
2024	84.5	21 of 160	86.9%	★★★★☆
2018	84.5	15 of 134	88.8%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	85.7	3 of 91	96.7%	★★★★★
2024	82.0	16 of 98	83.7%	★★★★☆
2023	83.7	4 of 96	95.8%	★★★★★
2022	79.1	18 of 93	80.6%	★★★★☆
2021	79.3	13 of 68	80.9%	★★★★☆
2019	70.5	41 of 97	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.4	16 of 91	82.4%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	96.4	13 of 295	95.6%	★★★★★
2021	94.5	9 of 202	95.5%	★★★★★
2019	92.2	22 of 299	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	88.4	34 of 299	88.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	92.2	32 of 337	90.5%	★★★★★
2024	93.5	13 of 342	96.2%	★★★★★
2023	87.4	43 of 339	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	90.3	23 of 340	93.2%	★★★★★
2021	88.7	16 of 281	94.3%	★★★★★
2019	84.6	36 of 342	89.5%	★★★★☆
2018	80.7	38 of 339	88.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	97.5	7 of 245	97.1%	★★★★★
2024	93.9	18 of 249	92.8%	★★★★★
2023	90.0	26 of 241	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	97.7	3 of 217	98.6%	★★★★★
2021	91.0	11 of 149	92.6%	★★★★★
2019	93.7	12 of 206	94.2%	★★★★★
2018	91.3	9 of 193	95.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	91.1	28 of 334	91.6%	★★★★★
2024	78.6	63 of 338	81.4%	★★★★☆
2023	64.0	114 of 338	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	88.5	28 of 332	91.6%	★★★★★
2021	79.8	29 of 253	88.5%	★★★★☆
2019	68.9	87 of 330	73.6%	★★★★☆
2018	82.6	40 of 330	87.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	95.5	12 of 339	96.5%	★★★★★
2024	93.1	21 of 342	93.9%	★★★★★
2023	90.8	34 of 343	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	94.9	12 of 339	96.5%	★★★★★
2021	89.8	16 of 281	94.3%	★★★★★
2019	86.4	29 of 346	91.6%	★★★★★
2018	81.7	43 of 343	87.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	93.2	5 of 89	94.4%	★★★★★
2024	89.9	10 of 87	88.5%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	18 of 82	78.0%	★★★★☆
2022	83.1	15 of 78	80.8%	★★★★☆
2021	89.5	1 of 33	97.0%	★★★★★
2019	82.2	13 of 58	77.6%	★★★★☆
2018	69.3	25 of 55	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	94.6	18 of 302	94.0%	★★★★★
2024	97.8	11 of 289	96.2%	★★★★★
2023	96.7	13 of 301	95.7%	★★★★★
2022	89.9	26 of 339	92.3%	★★★★★
2021	85.4	26 of 268	90.3%	★★★★★
2019	80.6	48 of 348	86.2%	★★★★☆
2018	80.3	55 of 344	84.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	91.9	25 of 298	91.6%	★★★★★
2024	92.9	16 of 302	94.7%	★★★★★
2023	85.2	48 of 301	84.1%	★★★★☆
2022	92.4	18 of 300	94.0%	★★★★★
2021	88.8	16 of 249	93.6%	★★★★★
2019	83.9	39 of 302	87.1%	★★★★☆
2018	78.1	54 of 303	82.2%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)97th percentile+3 vs school

Asian (2025)97th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)96th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)96th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)94th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)94th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)92nd percentile~ school

White (2025)92nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)91st percentile-3 vs school

African American (2025)76th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts86%+36 vs state

Mathematics85%+40 vs state

Science73%+27 vs state

Biology72%+33 vs state

5.0

2 ratings

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Schools Near Needham High

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 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 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
Needham High	Public	9-12	609 Webster Street	Needham	02494	Norfolk County	Needham	No	No	No	No	(781) 455-0800	1,633	137	11.8		1,214 (74.3%)	42 (2.6%)	133 (8.1%)	154 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	80 (4.9%)	94.5	21^st of 349 public high schools	94.0%		93.7	17^th of 348 public high schools	95.1%	4					86.5						84.7				72.7		72.3			$22,921
Wellesley Senior High	Public	9-12	50 Rice Street	Wellesley	02481	Norfolk County	Wellesley	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 446-6290	1,262	117	10.7		795 (63.0%)	59 (4.7%)	80 (6.3%)	235 (18.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (7.2%)	94.6	19^th of 349 public high schools	94.6%		94	16^th of 348 public high schools	95.4%	3					77.1						81.0				85.5			82.0		$26,941
Newton South High	Public	9-12	140 Brandeis Road	Newton Centre	02459	Middlesex County	Newton	No	No	No	No	(617) 559-6700	1,898	163	11.6		1,050 (55.3%)	72 (3.8%)	170 (9.0%)	476 (25.1%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	116 (6.1%)	95.3	12^th of 349 public high schools	96.6%		94.8	10^th of 348 public high schools	97.1%	2					78.7						83.7				85.8			76.0		$24,845
Newton North High	Public	9-12	457 Walnut Street	Newtonville	02460	Middlesex County	Newton	No	No	No	No	(617) 559-6200	2,096	194	10.7		1,199 (57.2%)	104 (5.0%)	249 (11.9%)	366 (17.5%)	1 (0.0%)	6 (0.3%)	155 (7.4%)	93.1	26^th of 349 public high schools	92.6%		90.2	36^th of 348 public high schools	89.7%	10					76.5						76.8				80.7			75.5		$25,126
Dedham High	Public	9-12	140 Whiting Avenue	Dedham	02026	Norfolk County	Dedham	No	No	No	No	(781) 310-1100	719	69	10.3		444 (61.8%)	85 (11.8%)	141 (19.6%)	19 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.6%)	56.7	156^th of 349 public high schools	55.3%		70.1	111^th of 348 public high schools	68.1%	45					40.7						56.4				48.4		40.7			$24,123
Westwood High	Public	9-12	200 Nahatan Street	Westwood	02090	Norfolk County	Westwood	No	No	No	No	(781) 326-7500	837	75	11.0		614 (73.4%)	16 (1.9%)	66 (7.9%)	107 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (3.7%)	93	27^th of 349 public high schools	92.3%		87.3	47^th of 348 public high schools	86.5%	20					77.6						77.1				78.0		70.5			$24,167
Weston High	Public	9-12	444 Wellesley Street	Weston	02493	Middlesex County	Weston	No	No	No	No	(781) 786-5800	658	60	10.8		364 (55.3%)	36 (5.5%)	45 (6.8%)	164 (24.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.4%)	94.8	17^th of 349 public high schools	95.1%		94.2	14^th of 348 public high schools	96.0%	3					82.1						83.1				77.9			75.3		$30,897
Lyon High School	Public	9-12	95 Beechcroft Street	Brighton	02135	Suffolk County	Boston	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 635-8351	95	14	6.7		10 (10.5%)	20 (21.1%)	49 (51.6%)	8 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (8.4%)	5	340^th of 349 public high schools	2.6%		7.5	326^th of 348 public high schools	6.3%	14					4.8						4.8				11.1					$57,890
Academy Of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School	Public, Charter	5-12	1 Westinghouse Plaza	Hyde Park	02136	Suffolk County	Academy Of the Pacific Rim Charter Public	Yes	No	No	Yes	(617) 361-0050	509	55	9.2		11 (2.2%)	320 (62.9%)	162 (31.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.4%)	13.4	310^th of 349 public high schools	11.2%		18.8	287^th of 348 public high schools	17.5%	23	19.1	21.7	6.5	11.4	28.8	13.7	11.9	26.7	7.8	11.6	17.0	14.1	23.8	2.9	4.6	10.7		11.4	20.3	$29,998
Another Course To College	Public	9-12	612 Metropolitan Av	Hyde Park	02136	Suffolk County	Boston	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 635-8865	253	23	11.2		4 (1.6%)	126 (49.8%)	110 (43.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.6%)	6.1	337^th of 349 public high schools	3.4%		7.5	325^th of 348 public high schools	6.6%	12					14.9						8.5				2.9			5.1		$35,065

Frequently Asked Questions about Needham High

How many students attend Needham High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,633 students attended Needham High.

What schools feed into Needham High?

Needham High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Broadmeadow
Elementary : John Eliot
Elementary : Newman Elementary
Elementary : Sunita L. Williams Elementary
Elementary : William Mitchell
Middle : High Rock School
Middle : Pollard Middle

What is the racial makeup of Needham High?

Students at Needham High are 74% White, 9% Asian, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

Is Needham High a good school?

Yes. Needham High ranks in the top 6.0% of Massachusetts high schools.

What district is Needham High in?

Needham

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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.