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Bigelow Middle

Public Grades 6-8

48^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 484 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 90% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

Bigelow Middle is a high-performing public middle school located in Newton, Massachusetts, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 414 students. The school consistently ranks among the top middle schools in the state, with a current ranking of 48th out of 484 Massachusetts middle schools for the 2024-2025 school year.

Bigelow Middle excels academically, consistently outperforming the Newton district and state averages on MCAS Next Generation assessments. In the 2024-2025 school year, 71.06% of Bigelow Middle students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 66.43% for the Newton district and 41.53% for the state. In Mathematics, 65.33% of Bigelow Middle students were proficient or better, compared to 69.38% for Newton and 40.74% for the state. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.4 to 10.1 students per teacher, and spends more per student than the state average.

Bigelow Middle's success extends to serving diverse student populations, with the school ranking highly for various subgroups, including female students, Hispanic students, White students, English Language Learners, and Special Education students. While the school excels in many areas, there are a few metrics where the school could potentially improve, such as the performance of Asian and multi-racial students, as well as students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Overall, Bigelow Middle is a high-performing middle school that consistently delivers strong academic outcomes for its diverse student population.

434

Students ?

9.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,379

Per pupil spending ?

16.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

42 Vernon St
Newton, MA 02458

(617) 559-6800

District: Newton

Students who attend Bigelow Middle usually attend:

High:

Newton North High

Feeder schools for Bigelow Middle:

Elementary:	John Ward
	Lincoln-Eliot
	Underwood

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.7%

Hispanic:

17.5%

Asian:

16.4%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare Bigelow Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 98th percentile in 2015 → 90th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (69% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of Massachusetts middle schools

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

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

!Near the bottom of Newton's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school69%

District avg68%

Massachusetts avg41%

48^th of 484

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Top 10%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From top 2% (2015) to top 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Middle Schools in the Newton

34^th of 348Newton 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	91.8	48 of 484	90.1%	★★★★★
2024	88.4	60 of 493	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	90.6	50 of 501	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	88.6	57 of 497	88.5%	★★★★☆
2021	89.1	48 of 501	90.4%	★★★★★
2019	87.6	53 of 498	89.4%	★★★★☆
2018	80.3	86 of 484	82.2%	★★★★☆
2017	85.5	57 of 487	88.3%	★★★★☆
2016	89.8	22 of 482	95.4%	★★★★★
2015	91.9	9 of 441	98.0%	★★★★★
2014	86.0	45 of 455	90.1%	★★★★★
2013	83.0	67 of 455	85.3%	★★★★☆
2012	87.5	32 of 455	93.0%	★★★★★
2011	85.0	51 of 449	88.6%	★★★★☆
2010	87.8	34 of 434	92.2%	★★★★★
2009	82.9	60 of 409	85.3%	★★★★☆
2008	85.5	47 of 407	88.5%	★★★★☆
2007	82.3	67 of 399	83.2%	★★★★☆
2006	83.8	65 of 399	83.7%	★★★★☆
2005	84.8	57 of 356	84.0%	★★★★☆
2004	89.0	33 of 344	90.4%	★★★★★
2003	88.5	36 of 339	89.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2023	92.8	5 of 209	97.6%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	80.0	18 of 127	85.8%	★★★★☆
2024	65.2	51 of 120	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.3	68 of 134	49.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.6	65 of 135	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.9	52 of 123	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.9	58 of 128	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.5	67 of 119	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	87.6	35 of 445	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	75.7	59 of 431	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	90.5	25 of 424	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	72.6	67 of 417	83.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	89.0	4 of 181	97.8%	★★★★★
2024	43.3	70 of 180	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.8	21 of 138	84.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	89.4	48 of 473	89.9%	★★★★★
2024	89.6	47 of 481	90.2%	★★★★★
2023	90.6	43 of 489	91.2%	★★★★★
2022	87.7	54 of 494	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	87.5	51 of 483	89.4%	★★★★☆
2019	81.8	82 of 478	82.8%	★★★★☆
2018	76.5	110 of 463	76.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	89.6	32 of 376	91.5%	★★★★★
2024	90.3	24 of 378	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	86.2	36 of 364	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	72.2	70 of 368	81.0%	★★★★☆
2021	72.4	61 of 335	81.8%	★★★★☆
2019	88.4	22 of 322	93.2%	★★★★★
2018	66.5	77 of 309	75.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	66.6	118 of 464	74.6%	★★★★☆
2024	54.5	183 of 469	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.5	62 of 481	87.1%	★★★★☆
2022	83.2	47 of 489	90.4%	★★★★★
2021	71.2	89 of 462	80.7%	★★★★☆
2019	63.0	134 of 452	70.4%	★★★★☆
2018	52.9	201 of 438	54.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	92.1	39 of 473	91.8%	★★★★★
2024	83.4	75 of 483	84.5%	★★★★☆
2023	87.2	61 of 489	87.5%	★★★★☆
2022	86.8	59 of 497	88.1%	★★★★☆
2021	88.8	48 of 485	90.1%	★★★★★
2019	90.2	35 of 478	92.7%	★★★★★
2018	80.0	86 of 466	81.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	77.3	28 of 116	75.9%	★★★★☆
2024	57.6	41 of 98	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.3	29 of 110	73.6%	★★★★☆
2022	78.3	24 of 102	76.5%	★★★★☆
2021	93.6	4 of 92	95.7%	★★★★★
2019	89.0	8 of 87	90.8%	★★★★★
2018	66.0	31 of 84	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	94.6	21 of 435	95.2%	★★★★★
2024	87.4	32 of 441	92.7%	★★★★★
2023	87.1	31 of 444	93.0%	★★★★★
2022	82.4	45 of 503	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	79.3	56 of 489	88.5%	★★★★☆
2019	78.0	56 of 484	88.4%	★★★★☆
2018	64.0	119 of 467	74.5%	★★★★☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	88.5	47 of 491	90.4%	★★★★★

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	88.3	34 of 339	90.0%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	88.4	35 of 386	90.9%	★★★★★
2024	84.8	50 of 392	87.2%	★★★★☆
2023	89.4	30 of 403	92.6%	★★★★★
2022	86.7	42 of 404	89.6%	★★★★☆
2021	86.4	41 of 401	89.8%	★★★★★
2019	84.8	48 of 396	87.9%	★★★★☆
2018	75.9	73 of 395	81.5%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)98th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2023)98th percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2025)95th percentile+5 vs school

Disabled (2022)92nd percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)92nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)91st percentile~ school

White (2025)91st percentile~ school

Tested In Person (2021)90th percentile~ school

Tested Remotely (2021)90th percentile~ school

Female (2025)90th percentile~ school

Asian (2025)86th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)76th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)75th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2024-2025) ?

Civics75%+36 vs state

English Language Arts71%+30 vs state

Mathematics65%+25 vs state

Science64%+22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bigelow Middle

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 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 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 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
Bigelow Middle	Public	6-8	42 Vernon St	Newton	02458	Middlesex County	Newton	No	No	No	No	(617) 559-6800	434	44	9.9		220 (50.7%)	21 (4.8%)	76 (17.5%)	71 (16.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (10.4%)	91.8	48^th of 484 public middle schools	90.1%		88.4	60^th of 493 public middle schools	87.8%	12			71.6	59.4	83.2	71.1			64.8	58.4	73.6	65.3		64.0	64.0	75.2	$26,379
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
F A Day Middle	Public	6-8	21 Minot Place	Newtonville	02460	Middlesex County	Newton	No	No	No	No	(617) 559-9100	860	80	10.8		493 (57.3%)	43 (5.0%)	80 (9.3%)	137 (15.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	100 (11.6%)	93.4	31^st of 484 public middle schools	93.6%		91.6	43^rd of 493 public middle schools	91.3%	12			62.1	71.2	75.8	69.8			62.7	75.4	75.1	71.1		69.8	69.8	73.1	$24,602
Winthrop L Chenery Upper Elementary	Public	4-6	95 Washington Street	Belmont	02478	Middlesex County	Belmont	No	No	No	No	(617) 993-5800	1,023	74	13.8		579 (56.6%)	37 (3.6%)	57 (5.6%)	256 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (8.6%)								(n/a)	67.6	58.8	70.8			65.5	64.1	66.8	69.6			66.9	75.6		75.6		$17,771
Belmont Middle School	Public	7-8	225 Concord Ave	Belmont	02478	Middlesex County	Belmont	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(617) 993-2000	742	48	15.5		436 (58.8%)	26 (3.5%)	30 (4.0%)	179 (24.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	65 (8.8%)	97.1	6^th of 484 public middle schools	98.8%		97.9	4^th of 493 public middle schools	99.2%	2				71.6	79.2	75.4				74.0	80.6	77.2		84.2	84.2	83.1	$19,126
Oak Hill Middle	Public	6-8	130 Wheeler Road	Newton	02459	Middlesex County	Newton	No	No	No	No	(617) 559-9200	649	68	9.5		305 (47.0%)	43 (6.6%)	79 (12.2%)	173 (26.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.2%)	92.2	44^th of 484 public middle schools	90.9%		91.1	47^th of 493 public middle schools	90.5%	3			68.2	56.2	70.9	64.9			68.1	73.4	72.5	71.5		69.2	69.2	72.0	$25,407
Charles E Brown Middle	Public	6-8	125 Meadowbrook Rd	Newton Centre	02459	Middlesex County	Newton	No	No	No	No	(617) 559-6900	713	68	10.4		373 (52.3%)	29 (4.1%)	55 (7.7%)	190 (26.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (7.9%)	96.9	8^th of 484 public middle schools	98.3%		94.7	23^rd of 493 public middle schools	95.3%	15			71.8	77.5	78.5	76.0			81.2	79.7	84.5	81.8		72.7	72.7	74.2	$26,911
John W. McDevitt Middle School	Public	6-8	75 Church Street	Waltham	02453	Middlesex County	Waltham	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 314-5595	618	65	9.5		145 (23.5%)	42 (6.8%)	383 (62.0%)	23 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.7%)	47.3	223^rd of 484 public middle schools	53.9%		47.4	236^th of 493 public middle schools	52.1%	13			46.0	34.5	42.3	40.7			31.0	36.9	35.2	34.5		28.5	28.5	35.9	$26,768
Putnam Avenue Upper School	Public	6-8	100 Putnam Avenue	Cambridge	02139	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 349-7780	283	32	8.9		79 (27.9%)	72 (25.4%)	29 (10.2%)	55 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (16.6%)	80.2	92^nd of 484 public middle schools	81.0%		76.3	107^th of 493 public middle schools	78.3%	15			53.4	62.6	70.4	61.9			48.3	57.8	50.6	52.3		48.8	48.8	58.0	$38,081
Rindge Avenue Upper School	Public	6-8	70 Rindge Avenue	Cambridge	02140	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	No	(617) 349-4060	292	31	9.4		145 (49.7%)	56 (19.2%)	33 (11.3%)	29 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.6%)	90.3	56^th of 484 public middle schools	88.4%		86.9	65^th of 493 public middle schools	86.8%	9			64.4	70.7	72.5	69.2			71.9	50.0	73.3	65.1		63.5	63.5	63.3	$35,443

Frequently Asked Questions about Bigelow Middle

What high school do graduates of Bigelow Middle attend?

Students who attend Bigelow Middle usually go on to attend Newton North High

How many students attend Bigelow Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 434 students attended Bigelow Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Bigelow Middle?

Students at Bigelow Middle are 51% White, 18% Hispanic, 16% Asian, 10% Two or more races, 5% African American.

Is Bigelow Middle a good school?

Yes. Bigelow Middle ranks in the top 9.9% of Massachusetts middle schools.

What district is Bigelow Middle in?

Newton

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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.