Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Needham’s public schools outscore 95% of Massachusetts districts
In Needham, 71% of tested students are proficient in math, above the Massachusetts average (41%). The grade covers the public school district serving Needham, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Massachusetts, not nationally.
From Massachusetts state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Needham’s schools, in brief
Against towns with similar incomes
Among the 80 Massachusetts towns with household incomes within a quarter of Needham’s, its schools beat 72%, lower than their 95% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓
Above the state on both counts
Reading proficiency is 70% and math 71% in spring 2022, against 44% and 41% statewide; 99–100% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 89%. Test scores ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $25,207 per student, against $26,530 across Massachusetts (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
Five elementary schools, then one middle and one high school
Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 7 the district’s path is Pollard Middle, then Needham High. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
St. Joseph School (private), St. Sebastians School (private), Walker School (private), Neeham Montessori School (private) and Riverside School (private) are in town. Every school ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Needham’s grade
A+: better than 95% of Massachusetts school districts, #11 of 283 Massachusetts towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the Massachusetts average; graduation is the stronger of the two.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Needham, with each school’s own grade.
6th grade in Needham
High Rock School
Grades 6 · 441 students · 12:1 students per teacher
7th grade in Needham
Pollard Middle
Grades 7–8 · 867 students · 11:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Needham
Pollard Middle
Grades 7–8 · 867 students · 11:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Needham
Needham High
Grades 9–12 · 1,633 students · 12:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Needham
Needham High
Grades 9–12 · 1,633 students · 12:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Needham
Needham High
Grades 9–12 · 1,633 students · 12:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Needham
Needham High
Grades 9–12 · 1,633 students · 12:1 students per teacher
Needham’s public schools are run by Needham School District. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well above the state in reading
Needham vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Massachusetts towns that share Needham’s borders.
Every school in Needham
13 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Massachusetts’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Questions about Needham’s schools
Are Needham’s schools good?
By Massachusetts’s own tests, yes: the public schools Needham children attend outscore 95% of Massachusetts’s school districts on tests and graduation, an A+ Schools grade, #11 of 283 Massachusetts towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 72%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Needham in?
Needham School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 5,493 students in 8 schools (2024–25).
Where do Needham kids go to high school?
Needham High, with 1,633 students; its own test results earn an A+.
What is Needham’s graduation rate?
99–100% of the class of 2023 in Needham School District graduated in four years, against 89% across Massachusetts.
How much does Needham spend per student?
$25,207 in Needham School District (FY2024), against $26,530 across Massachusetts. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Needham?
Yes: St. Joseph School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 419 students), St. Sebastians School (catholic · all-boys, grades 7–12, 388 students), Walker School (special education, grades K–8, 80 students), Neeham Montessori School (nonsectarian, grades PK–K, 70 students) and Riverside School (special education, grades 7–12, 4 students).
Parents talk
What Needham families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Needham → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Massachusetts. Stars are from neighbors.