Scroll down to find a searchable Worcester County school districts database of graduates attending higher education institutions.
Across Central Massachusetts, 10 school districts saw more than 80% of their graduates attend colleges or universities in 2024, according to the most recent data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Worcester County saw an average of 64% of graduating students attending higher education institutions, aligning with the state average of 64%, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The Massachusetts Academy for Math and Science in Worcester reported the highest share of graduates continuing to higher education, with 94% of its graduates enrolling in a college or university. Hopedale followed, at 87%, with Sutton at 86% and Shrewsbury at 84%.
The Worcester school district fell below the county average, seeing 49% of its nearly 1,800 students go on to higher education after high school. Of those students, 38% went on to public four-year institutions, 35% went on to public two-year institutions and 28% went on to private four-year institutions.
Winchendon, Southbridge and Webster had the fewest students in the county move on to higher ed, all at 40% or fewer graduates continuing their education beyond high school.
The Massachusetts Academy for Math and Science also led in private four-year college attendance, with 71% of graduates enrolling in private institutions. Spencer-East Brookfield saw 50%, followed by Westborough at 48%.
Enrollment in private two-year institutions was limited across most districts. Winchendon saw the highest share at 5% attending, while Clinton posted 1%. Nearly all other districts in the county saw little to no enrollment in this category.
Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School in Worcester reported the highest share of graduates attending public four-year institutions at 66%. Mendon-Upton followed at 59%, with Lunenburg at 58%.
Public two-year institutions saw the largest share of graduates in Gardner, from which 51% enrolled. Fitchburg and Webster followed at 46%. Those same districts saw the highest enrollment in Massachusetts community colleges, with Gardner at 51%, followed by Webster at 46% and Fitchburg at 45%.
Leominster reported the highest percentage of students enrolling in the Massachusetts state university system, at 35%. North Brookfield followed at 33%, with Oxford at 31%.
Those schools are: Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University, according to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.
Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School saw the highest percentage of graduates attending the flagship University of Massachusetts system across the state at 34%. Harvard followed at 26%, with Westborough at 23%. The University of Massachusetts system includes campuses in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell and the UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester.
Below is a full list of the most recent figures from DESE of students from school districts across Worcester County attending higher education institutions after graduation.
