Public + private high schools, every state.
590
high schools (public + private)
414
public (306 districts)
176
private (NCES PSS)
71,010
public grade‑12 students (seniors, latest year)

MA public HS enrollment trend

Across the 284,263 students enrolled in MA brick-and-mortar public high schools in 2021, the state contracted -0.1% by 2024 (283,870 students, -393 net). That's the demographic tide every individual school is fighting or riding.

Charter share of public HS enrollment (latest year): 5.0% (14,111 of 283,870 students). Virtual / nonclassroom-based schools excluded.

🗺️ State context · NAEP 2024

How does MA compare nationally?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only test given the same way to students in every state — making it the benchmark for state-to-state academic comparison. Below, this state's 8th-grade averages and where it sits on the 50-state distribution.

8th-grade math
287
+14 vs national avg (273)
8th-grade reading
273
+13 vs national avg (260)
national avg MA Math → Reading → 260 290 245 275

Each dot is one state's 2024 NAEP 8th-grade averages. MA is highlighted in gold. Dashed lines mark national averages — being upper-right of both = above national in both subjects. Source: NAEP State Snapshot Reports. NAEP doesn't produce per-school scores — this is state-level context.

Where the students are

Top 10 cities by public-HS enrollment

Worcester 9 HS 8,039
Springfield 16 HS 7,705
Lynn 5 HS 5,599
New Bedford 5 HS 5,421
Fall River 6 HS 4,787
Boston 9 HS 4,453
Dorchester 11 HS 4,403
Brockton 5 HS 4,345
Roxbury 8 HS 3,981
Lowell 5 HS 3,960

School-size distribution

Public, classroom-based · grades 9–12, latest year

Fastest-growing high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
Collegiate Charter School of Lowell
Collegiate Charter School of Lowell
157→281 +79.0%
Hampden Charter School of Science
Hampden Charter School of Science
297→494 +66.3%
Brighton High School
Boston
345→558 +61.7%
Map Academy Charter School
Map Academy Charter School
223→301 +35.0%
Randolph High
Randolph
592→764 +29.1%
Bristol County Agricultural High
Bristol County Agricultural
499→631 +26.5%
Westport Middle-High School
Westport
316→387 +22.5%
Narragansett Regional High
Narragansett
299→366 +22.4%
New Mission High School
Boston
436→533 +22.2%
English High School
Boston
510→615 +20.6%
Fastest-shrinking high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
City on a Hill Charter Public School
City on a Hill Charter Public School
229→78 -65.9%
Community Charter School of Cambridge
Community Charter School of Cambridge
182→118 -35.2%
Excel High School
Boston
436→300 -31.2%
Pioneer Valley Regional
Pioneer Valley
153→112 -26.8%
High School Of Commerce
Springfield
1,282→966 -24.6%
Roxbury Preparatory Charter School
Roxbury Preparatory Charter
680→520 -23.5%
Baystate Academy Charter Public School
Baystate Academy Charter Public School
243→186 -23.5%
Prospect Hill Academy Charter School
Prospect Hill Academy Charter
311→241 -22.5%
Palmer High
Palmer
274→214 -21.9%
Monson High School
Monson
181→142 -21.5%

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