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These are the best school districts in Greater Boston, according to Niche
The school- and college-connection website did not consider SAT and ACT scores in this year's list.
Niche — the Pittsburg-based website that bills itself as “the market leader in connecting colleges and schools with students and families” — has released this year’s list of the best school districts in the Boston metro area.
Topping the list going into 2026 is the Public Schools of Brookline.
Brookline schools earned an A+ overall Niche grade, and received individual A+ grades in academics, teachers, college prep, clubs & activities, and administration. Sports and resources & facilities each received an A grade, diversity got an A-, and food was the only category not in the “A” range, garnering a B-.
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Behind Brookline are Weston Public Schools and Lexington Public Schools in second and third place, respectively.
Rounding out the top five are Hopkinton Public Schools in fourth place and Dover-Sherborn Regional School District in fifth place.
The top 16 school districts on the list each received an overall A+ grade from Niche. The other four schools in the top 20 each got an A grade.
Other school rankings:
This year, Niche omitted SAT and ACT scores as a ranking factor as the scores become less important in the college admissions process.
The overall rankings are determined using data from the U.S. Department of Education in addition to test scores, college data, and ratings obtained through surveys. Academics make up 50% of the weighted ranking, alongside gradings of teachers, culture and diversity, resources and facilities, clubs and activities, sports, and overall experience based on parent and student surveys.
Niche’s top 20 best school districts in the Boston area:
- Public Schools of Brookline
- Weston Public Schools
- Lexington Public Schools
- Hopkinton Public Schools
- Dover-Sherborn Regional School District
- Belmont Public Schools
- Sharon Public Schools
- Winchester Public Schools
- Wayland Public Schools
- Newton Public Schools
- Westford Public Schools
- Needham Public Schools
- Westwood Public Schools
- Wellesley Public Schools
- Acton-Boxborough Regional School District
- Bedford Public Schools
- Cambridge Public Schools
- Duxbury Public Schools
- Harvard Public Schools
- Natick Public Schools
Read Niche’s full list of the best school districts here. Niche also publishes a separate list covering all of Massachusetts, here.
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