This public high school in Worcester was just named third-best in the country

WORCESTER ― A high school in Worcester has been named the third-best public high school in America, according to a report that was conducted by Niche, a website that provides reports on rankings on colleges and K-12 schools.

The Massachusetts Academy for Math and Sciences School, a public magnet school that is funded by the state Legislature, was named the third-best public high school in Niche's 2025 national rankings, which were published last week.

"The 2025 Best Public High Schools ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, teacher quality, and high school ratings. SAT/ACT scores have been removed from this year's rankings to reflect a general de-emphasis on test scores in the college admissions process," Niche stated about its criteria.

The only schools to place higher than Massachusetts Academy for Math and Sciences School were the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, in Durham, North Carolina, and The Davidson Academy in Reno, Nevada.

The next highest-ranked school in Massachusetts was Weston High School, which was 66th in the country. The next closest school in Worcester County was Westborough High School, which came in 295th. In total, 20,733 schools across the country were ranked by Niche.

Massachusetts Academy for Math and Sciences offers only junior and senior years of high school and attracts students from around the state. During their junior year, students work in project-based learning initiatives that are emphasized over traditional honors or AP-level high school courses. During their senior year, students attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute full time, earning college credit that is transferable to any other institute of higher learning.

Students who attend Massachusetts Academy for Math and Sciences are typically students from other school districts who accelerated through other public programs and were recommended to attend the school. The school is located on Prescott Street and has a close relationship with Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

"We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn and work in a collaborative and innovative environment like Mass Academy. The dedicated faculty work tirelessly to provide meaningful and engaging problem- and project-based learning experiences for the students," Massachusetts Academy for Math and Sciences Director Anne Ludes said. "The students themselves bring their energy, curiosity and passion to school every day. Through their projects, students learn the power of working as part of a team, see the relevance of what they are learning, and recognize the impact they can make by putting their skills to good use."

As part of its report, Niche gives out grades in various categories. Massachusetts Academy for Math and Sciences scored an "A+" grade in academics, teachers, resources and facilities, college prep and administration. The school scored an "A" grade in clubs and activities, diversity and food. The only category where the school did not receive an "A" grade was sports. It received no grade in that category because the school, which has an enrollment of 100 students, has no athletic teams.

"We are honored by Niche.com's recognition of Mass. Academy. We are a small school, so to receive this kind of acknowledgement is truly special," Ludes said. "We are profoundly grateful to Worcester Polytechnic Institute and our state legislators for continuing to support Mass. Academy each year. It is through this commitment that Mass. Academy has been able to provide high-quality programming to more than 1,500 students from across the commonwealth during the past 32 years.”