Needham High School students heading back to class Wednesday, Sept. 2, will attend one of the top public high schools in the country, according to the 2026-27 U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings released Monday, Aug. 17.
The school placed No. 505 nationally out of nearly 18,000 ranked schools and No. 22 in Massachusetts, putting it in the top 3% of public high schools evaluated across the United States.
U.S. News, working with research firm RTI International, graded schools on six weighted indicators: College Readiness (30%), State Assessment Proficiency (20%), State Assessment Performance (20%), College Curriculum Breadth (10%), Underserved Student Performance (10%) and Graduation Rate (10%). The data comes from the 2023-2024 school year.
College Readiness, the heaviest factor, measures the share of seniors who scored 3 or higher on at least one AP exam or 4 or higher on an IB exam. State Assessment Performance compares a school's results against what U.S. News predicted given its demographics. Underserved Student Performance tracks outcomes specifically for Black, Hispanic and low-income students relative to non-underserved peers statewide.
The school, led by Principal Aaron Sicotte, enrolls about 1,633 students in grades 9 through 12 and maintains a 93% regular attendance rate, well above the 81% state average. Needham High has earned six College Success Awards from GreatSchools since 2018-19, most recently for the 2024-25 year.
Massachusetts led all states with 47% of its high schools landing in the national top quarter, according to Patch, followed by New Jersey at 44% and Maryland at 43%. Boston Latin School topped the state list at No. 44 nationally.
Needham High landed just behind Concord-Carlisle High School (No. 503) and just ahead of Medfield Senior High School (No. 530) in the state's top 25.
Dedham High School
Dedham High School, with an AP participation rate of 57%, ranked 120th in Massachusetts. Its exact national rank could not be independently confirmed from available data.
What's next
The first day of school for grades 1 through 12 in Needham is Wednesday, Sept. 2. Preschool and kindergarten students start Thursday, Sept. 3.
The Needham School Committee meets next on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 1 p.m. at the Emery Grover School Administration and Operations Building, 1330 Highland Ave., Room 302. The meeting is also available via Zoom for public comment.
