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Nelson Place

Q: Is Nelson Place a good school?

Nelson Place ranks 507 th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

507^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 44% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Nelson Place is a PK–6 elementary school in Worcester, MA, serving 621 students — the largest enrollment among the nearby Worcester elementary schools in this comparison — and is part of Worcester Public Schools, a district ranked 304th of 351 Massachusetts districts (13th percentile, 1 star). Nelson Place itself ranked 507th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools in 2025–2026, placing it in the 44th percentile with 2 stars — just below the statewide median.

On the 2025–2026 MCAS Next Generation tests, 36.36% of students were proficient in ELA, 38.67% in math, and 38.89% in science. That is roughly 12–15 percentage points above the Worcester district average in every subject, but still 2–4 points below the state average. Among the nearby Worcester elementary schools, Nelson Place ranks third by percentile, behind Flagg Street (83rd percentile, 4 stars) and Midland Street (53rd percentile, 3 stars), and ahead of Francis J McGrath Elementary, Thorndyke Road, May Street, Wawecus Road School, Tatnuck, Worcester Dual Language Magnet School, and Elm Park Community. Results vary by grade: 6th grade ELA is a strength at 50.67%, above both district and state, while 5th grade ELA is a weak point at 22.97%, essentially at the district average and well below the state. Math and science proficiency have also slipped over the past few years.

Some student groups are served particularly well here: female students and English Language Learner students consistently rank in the upper half or top quartile statewide, while male students, special education students, and low-income students rank below the state median. Nelson Place spent $19,681 per student in 2020–2021, more than most nearby schools, and had a moderate student–teacher ratio of 13.4. Notably, Flagg Street spends less ($16,220) and has larger classes (18.2) yet scores far higher, so spending and class size alone do not explain the difference. Overall, Nelson Place is a relative bright spot within a very low-performing district, but it remains below state averages and has room to grow.

621

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,581

Per pupil spending ?

35.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

35 Nelson Pl
Worcester, MA 01605

(508) 799-3506

District: Worcester

Students who attend Nelson Place usually attend:

Middle:	Forest Grove Middle
High:	University Pk Campus School

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.1%

Hispanic:

25.4%

African American:

17.6%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Nelson Place to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 49th percentile in 2023 → 44th in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Worcester

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 49th-percentile peak (2023) to 44th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg25%

Massachusetts avg41%

507^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Bottom 44%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 38% (2016) to bottom 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 33Elementary Schools in the Worcester

304^th of 351Worcester 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	43.5	507 of 899	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.3	522 of 906	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.6	487 of 916	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.0	472 of 928	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.6	548 of 932	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.3	634 of 936	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.0	570 of 942	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.2	564 of 934	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	44.5	559 of 938	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.9	581 of 932	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	49.9	500 of 914	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.9	507 of 926	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	60.5	402 of 928	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	74.4	244 of 930	73.8%	★★★★☆
2011	80.3	168 of 924	81.8%	★★★★☆
2010	74.0	248 of 920	73.0%	★★★★☆
2009	49.3	506 of 909	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	36.5	630 of 908	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	36.6	648 of 911	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	34.7	644 of 911	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	41.4	549 of 887	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	42.2	546 of 882	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2003	39.2	589 of 884	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	55.5	65 of 188	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.5	46 of 169	72.8%	★★★★☆
2024	49.3	66 of 167	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.7	95 of 167	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.6	118 of 173	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	23.6	126 of 149	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	30.8	458 of 672	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.0	434 of 632	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.6	384 of 665	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.8	484 of 656	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	50.2	102 of 291	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.6	53 of 281	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	55.0	69 of 282	75.5%	★★★★☆
2023	50.2	83 of 264	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.4	186 of 267	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.9	190 of 258	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	63.3	316 of 869	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.6	273 of 869	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.2	249 of 886	71.9%	★★★★☆
2023	64.9	318 of 887	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.0	457 of 901	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.5	560 of 898	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.7	454 of 902	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.0	387 of 893	56.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	49.6	192 of 475	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.9	253 of 458	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.5	163 of 446	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.6	99 of 420	76.4%	★★★★☆
2022	48.7	157 of 401	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.5	93 of 379	75.5%	★★★★☆
2019	48.5	196 of 398	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.9	207 of 379	45.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	44.7	408 of 742	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.4	465 of 736	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.6	375 of 760	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.0	483 of 757	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.0	477 of 772	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.3	473 of 705	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.0	419 of 700	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.6	564 of 685	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	32.0	609 of 879	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.3	645 of 884	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.6	606 of 891	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.6	562 of 896	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.4	599 of 908	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.0	627 of 904	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.6	614 of 907	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.1	657 of 898	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	477 of 709	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.7	494 of 717	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.9	444 of 731	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.2	423 of 703	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.1	525 of 905	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.1	592 of 894	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.5	537 of 896	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.8	443 of 886	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	40.7	560 of 925	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	51.1	368 of 734	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.0	365 of 737	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.4	345 of 753	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.8	345 of 762	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.3	445 of 764	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.2	626 of 765	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.8	582 of 780	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.9	541 of 772	29.9%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2026)65th percentile+22 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)65th percentile+21 vs school

Female (2026)64th percentile+20 vs school

Hispanic (2026)60th percentile+16 vs school

White (2026)50th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)45th percentile~ school

Tested In Person (2021)39th percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2026)33rd percentile-11 vs school

Disabled (2022)32nd percentile-9 vs school

Male (2026)31st percentile-13 vs school

Asian (2026)15th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science39%~ state avg

Mathematics39%~ state avg

English Language Arts36%-4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Nelson Place

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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)		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 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 All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	Total
Nelson Place	Public	PK, KG-6	35 Nelson Pl	Worcester	01605	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3506	621	46	13.4	35.6%	274 (44.1%)	109 (17.6%)	158 (25.4%)	46 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.5%)	43.5	507^th of 899 public elementary schools	43.6%		43.3	522^nd of 906 public elementary schools	42.4%	15	34.7	36.8	23.0	50.7	36.4	36.5	36.4	41.9	40.0	38.7	38.9	38.9	$23,581
Francis J McGrath Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	493 Grove Street	Worcester	01605	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3584	200	18	11.3	73.9%	55 (27.5%)	30 (15.0%)	98 (49.0%)	8 (4.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.5%)	37.6	563^rd of 899 public elementary schools	37.4%		16.1	779^th of 906 public elementary schools	14.0%	216	41.4	31.6	35.3	38.5	37.4	44.8	26.3	17.7	38.5	34.1	11.8	11.8	$22,763
Flagg Street	Public	K-6	115 Flagg Street	Worcester	01602	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3522	412	23	18.2	25.7%	285 (69.2%)	22 (5.3%)	55 (13.3%)	20 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.8%)	81.9	153^rd of 899 public elementary schools	83.0%		78.9	194^th of 906 public elementary schools	78.6%	41	65.5	57.6	43.4	53.2	55.2	56.4	72.7	59.6	83.0	67.7	59.6	59.6	$20,092
Worcester Academic Center for Transition (ACT)	Public	K-6	14 New Bond Street	Worcester	01609	Worcester County	Worcester	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 538-9106	49	13	3.8		15 (30.6%)	7 (14.3%)	23 (46.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.1%)								(n/a)				0.0	0.0				0.0	0.0
Midland Street	Public	K-6	18 Midland Street	Worcester	01602	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3548	249	18	13.5	45.5%	130 (52.2%)	21 (8.4%)	56 (22.5%)	23 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.2%)	52.5	426^th of 899 public elementary schools	52.6%		33.6	605^th of 906 public elementary schools	33.2%	179	53.6	29.0	51.4	25.0	40.0	46.4	39.5	54.3	29.2	43.2	48.6	48.6	$19,159
Wawecus Road School	Public	K-6	20 Wawecus Rd	Worcester	01605	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3527	155	13	11.5	80.3%	52 (33.5%)	23 (14.8%)	55 (35.5%)	12 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (8.4%)	23.5	696^th of 899 public elementary schools	22.6%		17.1	772^nd of 906 public elementary schools	14.8%	76	20.8	25.0	20.0	40.7	27.2	8.3	35.3	24.0	33.3	24.7	12.0	12.0	$22,466
Thorndyke Road	Public	K-6	30 Thorndyke Rd	Worcester	01606	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3550	319	21	14.8	47.8%	108 (33.9%)	51 (16.0%)	139 (43.6%)	13 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	37.3	567^th of 899 public elementary schools	36.9%		32.3	615^th of 906 public elementary schools	32.1%	48	28.3	32.8	37.5	45.7	35.3	21.7	31.0	37.5	43.5	32.4	37.5	37.5	$19,433
Tatnuck	Public	PK, KG-6	1083 Pleasant Street	Worcester	01602	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3554	376	28	13.5	66.8%	153 (40.7%)	71 (18.9%)	115 (30.6%)	15 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.6%)	20	726^th of 899 public elementary schools	19.2%		20	735^th of 906 public elementary schools	18.9%	9	25.0	19.6	19.2	35.4	24.7	7.5	25.5	19.2	33.3	22.0	17.0	17.0	$20,525
Elm Park Community	Public	K-6	23 North Ashland Street	Worcester	01609	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3568	478	32	14.9	91.6%	78 (16.3%)	81 (16.9%)	278 (58.2%)	28 (5.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.3%)	12.7	811^th of 899 public elementary schools	9.8%		13.5	804^th of 906 public elementary schools	11.3%	7	13.8	10.5	10.2	26.1	14.6	22.4	24.6	10.0	28.3	20.8	11.7	11.7	$21,146
Worcester Dual Language Magnet School	Public	PK, KG-6	525 Chandler Street	Worcester	01602	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3452	519	45	11.5	88.4%	78 (15.0%)	23 (4.4%)	398 (76.7%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.9%)	13.1	807^th of 899 public elementary schools	10.2%		9.7	854^th of 906 public elementary schools	5.7%	47	23.2	19.1	24.6	16.4	21.0	15.9	12.9	18.0	16.4	15.8	16.4	16.4	$23,515

Frequently Asked Questions about Nelson Place

What district is Nelson Place in?

Worcester

What schools do graduates of Nelson Place attend?

Students who attend Nelson Place usually go on to attend:

Middle : Forest Grove Middle
High : University Pk Campus School

Is Nelson Place a good school?

Nelson Place ranks 507^th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Nelson Place?

In the 2024-25 school year, 621 students attended Nelson Place.

What is the racial makeup of Nelson Place?

Students at Nelson Place are 44% White, 25% Hispanic, 18% African American, 7% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

Rate Nelson Place!

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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.