Best Public Schools in Salem, MA

Summary:

The city of Salem, Massachusetts is home to 11 schools, including 6 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 4 high schools. The data reveals a mix of high-performing and lower-performing schools in the district, with significant gaps in areas like graduation rates, test scores, and per-student spending.

The standout schools in the area include Salem Academy Charter School, which boasts the highest 4-year graduation rate at 95.5% and the lowest dropout rate at 0.0%. Additionally, Carlton Elementary School has the highest proficiency rates on MCAS tests across all grades and subjects, significantly outperforming the Salem district and state averages. In contrast, New Liberty Innovation School has the lowest 4-year graduation rate at 26.3% and the highest dropout rate at 36.8%.

The data also reveals wide variations in student-teacher ratios, ranging from 8.5 students per teacher at Salem High to 12.1 students per teacher at Carlton Elementary. Per-student spending also varies significantly, from $18,948 at Bates Elementary to $44,411 at Salem Prep High School. Addressing these resource disparities will be crucial in ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all students in the Salem school district.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2024)								MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2024)								MCAS Next Generation Science (2024)				MCAS Next Generation Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Salem Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	6-12	45 Congress St.	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem Academy Charter (District)	Yes	No	No	Yes	(978) 744-2105	488	40	12.2		144 (29.5%)	46 (9.4%)	264 (54.1%)	21 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.3%)	49.5	193^rd of 348 public high schools	44.5%		68.3	123^rd of 347 public high schools	64.6%	70				40.3	48.7	29.6	60.0	39.6				20.8	32.0	25.0	36.4	26.0		33.3	50.9	33.3	40.0	$19,262	$1,412	$17,850
Salem Early Childhood	Public	PK	25 Memorial Drive	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	No	(978) 740-1221	112	10	11.2		43 (38.4%)	10 (8.9%)	44 (39.3%)	6 (5.4%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	7 (6.3%)								(n/a)																						$35,086	$2,963	$32,124
Saltonstall School	Public	K-8	211 Lafayette Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1297	390	32	12.2		154 (39.5%)	19 (4.9%)	198 (50.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.4%)	41.2	551^st of 916 public elementary schools	39.8%		24.9	693^rd of 928 public elementary schools	25.3%	142	38.6	50.0	45.5	4.8	26.8	28.6		32.6	38.6	51.2	29.6	2.4	17.5	23.8		27.5	40.9	23.8		32.6		$19,655	$1,336	$18,319
Bates	Public	PK, KG-5	53 Liberty Hill Avenue	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1250	397	31	12.6		187 (47.1%)	29 (7.3%)	152 (38.3%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.3%)	2 (0.5%)	19 (4.8%)	38.6	568^th of 916 public elementary schools	38.0%		37.2	591^st of 928 public elementary schools	36.3%	23	18.0	30.3	34.7					27.9	37.5	46.2	38.8					41.4	39.6			39.6		$18,948	$2,268	$16,680
Carlton	Public	K-5	10 Skerry Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1280	254	26	9.7		145 (57.1%)	13 (5.1%)	79 (31.1%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.3%)	46.5	509^th of 916 public elementary schools	44.4%		48.6	487^th of 928 public elementary schools	47.5%	22	40.0	37.0	50.0					41.8	27.5	28.3	41.7					32.0	55.6			55.6		$20,385	$1,865	$18,520
Horace Mann Laboratory	Public	PK, KG-5	79 Willson Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1290	307	26	11.8		104 (33.9%)	30 (9.8%)	151 (49.2%)	12 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.3%)	12.7	827^th of 916 public elementary schools	9.7%		10.1	867^th of 928 public elementary schools	6.6%	40	18.4	14.6	19.3					17.7	10.5	14.6	15.8					14.0	24.6			24.6		$20,221	$2,177	$18,044
Salem High	Public	9-12	77 Willson Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	No	(978) 740-1123	948	100	9.4		327 (34.5%)	78 (8.2%)	470 (49.6%)	29 (3.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	38 (4.0%)	47.5	201^st of 348 public high schools	42.2%		17.9	289^th of 347 public high schools	16.7%	88							52.8								45.4				46.8		39.7	$22,540	$1,343	$21,196
Witchcraft Heights	Public	K-5	1 Frederick Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1271	446	36	12.2		198 (44.4%)	33 (7.4%)	177 (39.7%)	20 (4.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.6%)	30.1	635^th of 916 public elementary schools	30.7%		23	715^th of 928 public elementary schools	23.0%	80	35.9	17.5	31.3					27.4	39.1	29.1	23.4					30.4	40.6			40.6		$19,435	$1,622	$17,813
Collins Middle	Public	6-8	29 Highland Avenue	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1191	625	58	10.7		254 (40.6%)	48 (7.7%)	279 (44.6%)	14 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	28 (4.5%)	21.4	381^st of 493 public middle schools	22.7%		21.9	387^th of 501 public middle schools	22.8%	6				14.5	22.0	24.4		20.5				16.8	17.0	17.7		17.2		24.4		24.4		$20,031	$1,205	$18,826
Salem Prep High School	Public	8-12	2 Museum Place Mall	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	No	(978) 740-1171	17	4	4.2		9 (52.9%)	1 (5.9%)	7 (41.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																						$44,411	$3,136	$41,275
Bentley Academy Innovation School	Public	K-5	25 Memorial Drive	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1260	270	28	9.5		27 (10.0%)	26 (9.6%)	211 (78.1%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	11.6	840^th of 916 public elementary schools	8.3%		13	827^th of 928 public elementary schools	10.9%	13	14.3	17.5	13.5					15.1	16.7	25.0	13.2					18.3	18.4			18.4		$20,541	$1,565	$18,976
New Liberty Innovation School	Public	9-12	2 East India Square	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	No	(978) 825-3470	45	6	7.9		14 (31.1%)	2 (4.4%)	24 (53.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (8.9%)								(n/a)																						$28,322	$1,732	$26,590

Cities Near Salem

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Peabody	1.18 mi	11	297^th
Marblehead	2.21 mi	6	108^th
Beverly	2.45 mi	8	122^nd
Swampscott	2.8 mi	5	103^rd
Danvers	3.06 mi	7	213^th

See the top MA Massachusetts cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.