Needham Public Schools earned the No. 2 spot among Greater Boston school districts on Niche's 2027 Best School Districts in America list, trailing only Dover-Sherborn.

The ranking, reported Tuesday, Sept. 29, by Patch, evaluates entire PreK-12 systems rather than individual schools. Niche graded Needham A+ in academics, teachers and college prep, with an A in administration and an A- in clubs and activities. The district's lowest grade was a C+ in diversity.

The district ranking is separate from Niche's high school list, which placed Needham High School 12th among Massachusetts public high schools on Sunday, Sept. 27.

Niche analyzed roughly 11,000 school districts nationwide using federal and state data, state test scores, graduation rates, teacher quality and more than 3 million reviews from students, parents and teachers. This year's methodology dropped SAT and ACT scores to reflect the broader shift away from standardized testing in college admissions.

Brookline, Lexington and Hopkinton rounded out the top five Greater Boston districts. Weston, Belmont, Westborough, Winchester and Wayland filled spots six through 10.

Niche founder and CEO Luke Skurman said in a news release that the updated rankings aim to give families a broader view of their school options, with separate public and private rankings across new categories.

Needham's test scores and graduation rates run well above state averages. On the 2025 MCAS, 85% of Needham 10th graders met or exceeded expectations in English language arts (ELA), compared to 51% statewide. In math, 84% met or exceeded expectations versus 45% statewide.

The district's four-year graduation rate stood at 98.3% in 2024, according to Needham's fiscal year 2027 budget documents.

Needham Public Schools serves about 5,378 students across eight schools, with a combined operating budget of roughly $109 million for fiscal year 2027.

The ranking comes weeks before Needham voters face two votes on the $325.4 million Pollard Middle School rebuild. The project would replace the 65-plus-year-old building on Harris Avenue and consolidate grades 6 through 8 under one roof. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) approved the project's schematic design in August, making Needham eligible for up to $80.6 million in state reimbursement.

A Special Town Meeting vote is set for Oct. 19, followed by a debt exclusion ballot question on Nov. 3.