Massachusetts Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
Massachusetts public schools enrolled 900,487 students in 2025-26 across 1,802 operating schools and 395 operating school districts. The statewide system served grades PK-12.
The latest statewide finance release covers fiscal year 2024. Massachusetts reported $22.00 billion in total public school expenditures and $23,165.11 in total expenditures per pupil.
Massachusetts Education Snapshot
Enrollment and operating counts use the 2025-26 school year. Expenditure values use FY2024.
Enrollment by Grade, 2025-26
October 1 public school enrollment reported by Massachusetts DESE.
Grade 9 had the largest reported grade enrollment at 71,173 students. The separate SP category contained 1,886 students.
Data analysis
- Grade 9 was the largest grade category with 71,173 students.
- Grades 9-12 enrolled 281,178 students, equal to 31.2% of the statewide PK-12 total.
- Kindergarten enrolled 60,871 students, 935 fewer than in 2024-25.
- Prekindergarten accounted for 30,779 students, or 3.4% of total enrollment.
- The gap between the largest standard grade and the smallest standard K-12 grade was 10,302 students.
Full Enrollment by Grade Table
All grade categories published in the Massachusetts 2025-26 enrollment profile are included.
| Order | Grade | Enrollment | Share | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prekindergarten | 30,779 | 3.42% | 2025-26 |
| 2 | Kindergarten | 60,871 | 6.76% | 2025-26 |
| 3 | Grade 1 | 62,836 | 6.98% | 2025-26 |
| 4 | Grade 2 | 64,067 | 7.11% | 2025-26 |
| 5 | Grade 3 | 65,117 | 7.23% | 2025-26 |
| 6 | Grade 4 | 67,343 | 7.48% | 2025-26 |
| 7 | Grade 5 | 65,468 | 7.27% | 2025-26 |
| 8 | Grade 6 | 66,427 | 7.38% | 2025-26 |
| 9 | Grade 7 | 67,088 | 7.45% | 2025-26 |
| 10 | Grade 8 | 67,427 | 7.49% | 2025-26 |
| 11 | Grade 9 | 71,173 | 7.90% | 2025-26 |
| 12 | Grade 10 | 69,998 | 7.77% | 2025-26 |
| 13 | Grade 11 | 69,622 | 7.73% | 2025-26 |
| 14 | Grade 12 | 70,385 | 7.82% | 2025-26 |
| 15 | SP | 1,886 | 0.21% | 2025-26 |
| 16 | Total | 900,487 | 100.00% | 2025-26 |
Data analysis
- The statewide table totals 900,487 students across PK, K-12, and SP.
- Grades 1-5 contained 324,831 students, or 36.1% of statewide enrollment.
- Grades 6-8 contained 200,942 students, or 22.3% of statewide enrollment.
- Grades 9-12 contained 281,178 students, or 31.2% of statewide enrollment.
- Grade 4 was the largest elementary grade at 67,343 students.
- Grade 8 was the largest middle-grade category at 67,427 students.
- Percentage shares are calculated from the DESE statewide total and rounded to two decimals.
Enrollment, School Structure, and Finance Trends
Supporting tables keep academic-year counts separate from fiscal-year expenditure records.
Five-Year Enrollment Trend
Statewide public school enrollment, 2021-22 through 2025-26.
Enrollment rose modestly through 2024-25, then fell by 15,445 students in 2025-26.
Total Spending Per Pupil
Nominal all-funds expenditure per total pupil FTE, FY2018-FY2024.
The reported nominal value increased from $16,506.27 in FY2018 to $23,165.11 in FY2024.
Data analysis
- Enrollment was 15,445 students lower in 2025-26 than in 2024-25, a 1.7% decline from the five-year high.
- The 2025-26 total was 11,042 below the 2021-22 count, a decrease of 1.2% across the period.
- Nominal total spending per pupil increased by $6,658.84 from FY2018 to FY2024.
- The FY2018-FY2024 nominal per-pupil increase was 40.3%; the series is not adjusted for inflation.
Statewide Enrollment Trend
| School year | Enrollment | Annual change | Annual rate | Count date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 911,529 | Not shown | Not shown | October 1 |
| 2022-23 | 913,735 | +2,206 | +0.24% | October 1 |
| 2023-24 | 914,959 | +1,224 | +0.13% | October 1 |
| 2024-25 | 915,932 | +973 | +0.11% | October 1 |
| 2025-26 | 900,487 | -15,445 | -1.69% | October 1 |
Data analysis
- 2024-25 had the highest enrollment in the five-year table at 915,932.
- The three annual increases from 2022-23 through 2024-25 totaled 4,403 students.
- The 2025-26 decrease was larger than the combined gains in the prior three years.
- The five-year net movement was -11,042 students.
Operating School Structure, 2025-26
| Measure | Category | Count | Share of schools | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating districts | All districts | 395 | Not applicable | 2025-26 |
| Operating schools | All schools | 1,802 | 100.0% | 2025-26 |
| School level | Elementary | 1,082 | 60.0% | 2025-26 |
| School level | Middle/Junior High | 304 | 16.9% | 2025-26 |
| School level | Secondary | 416 | 23.1% | 2025-26 |
| Charter schools | All charter schools | 72 | 4.0% | 2025-26 |
| Charter schools | Commonwealth | 67 | 3.7% | 2025-26 |
| Charter schools | Horace Mann | 5 | 0.3% | 2025-26 |
| Virtual schools | Commonwealth Virtual | 2 | 0.1% | 2025-26 |
Data analysis
- Elementary schools represented 60.0% of operating schools.
- Middle/Junior High and secondary schools together accounted for 720 schools.
- The 72 charter schools included 67 Commonwealth and 5 Horace Mann schools.
- Charter and virtual labels describe governance or delivery type and should not be added to the school-level counts.
Enrollment by Student Group, 2025-26
| Student group | Students | Share | Coverage note | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High needs | 504,443 | 55.4% | Overlapping group | 2025-26 |
| English learners | 120,784 | 13.4% | Overlapping group | 2025-26 |
| First language not English | 245,584 | 27.3% | Overlapping group | 2025-26 |
| Low income | 369,908 | 41.1% | Overlapping group | 2025-26 |
| Students with disabilities | 192,216 | 21.1% | District-level state total | 2025-26 |
Data analysis
- 504,443 students met the DESE high-needs definition; DESE reported a 55.4% share.
- Low-income students represented 41.1% of the reported population.
- Students with disabilities represented 21.1% of the district-level state total.
- English learner status and first-language status are separate measures.
- Group counts overlap and must not be summed.
Enrollment by Race and Ethnicity, 2025-26
| Race or ethnicity | Share | Measure | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.2% | Percent of state enrollment | 2025-26 |
| Asian | 7.6% | Percent of state enrollment | 2025-26 |
| Black or African American | 10.4% | Percent of state enrollment | 2025-26 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 26.2% | Percent of state enrollment | 2025-26 |
| Multi-Race, not Hispanic or Latino | 4.8% | Percent of state enrollment | 2025-26 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0.1% | Percent of state enrollment | 2025-26 |
| White | 50.8% | Percent of state enrollment | 2025-26 |
Data analysis
- White students represented 50.8% of 2025-26 enrollment.
- Hispanic or Latino students represented 26.2%.
- Black or African American and Asian students represented 10.4% and 7.6%, respectively.
- Published shares total 100.1% because DESE reports each category to one decimal place.
Massachusetts Public School Spending Trend
| FY | Total expenditure | Total pupil FTE | Total per pupil | In-district per pupil | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $16.287B | 986,707.6 | $16,506.27 | $15,956.68 | Not shown |
| 2019 | $17.697B | 1,033,015.6 | $17,131.06 | $16,583.22 | +3.79% |
| 2020 | $18.140B | 1,032,279.4 | $17,572.80 | $16,978.49 | +2.58% |
| 2021 | $18.930B | 992,857.2 | $19,066.35 | $18,527.15 | +8.50% |
| 2022 | $19.309B | 951,956.9 | $20,283.76 | $19,711.69 | +6.39% |
| 2023 | $20.739B | 947,578.4 | $21,885.91 | $21,261.38 | +7.90% |
| 2024 | $22.003B | 949,843.6 | $23,165.11 | $22,413.93 | +5.85% |
Data analysis
- FY2024 total expenditure reached $22.003 billion.
- Total expenditure increased by $5.716 billion between FY2018 and FY2024.
- Total spending per pupil increased in every year shown.
- The largest annual rise in the table was 8.50% in FY2021.
- FY2024 total spending per pupil was $751.18 above in-district spending per pupil.
- Total pupil FTE is a finance denominator and does not equal the October 1 enrollment headcount.
- Dollar values are nominal and are not adjusted for inflation or regional prices.
Spending by Source of Funds
| FY | State & local per pupil | State & local share | Federal per pupil | Federal share | Reported total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $20,541.84 | 94% | $1,387.65 | 6% | $21,929.49 |
| 2024 | $21,820.24 | 94% | $1,377.40 | 6% | $23,197.64 |
Data analysis
- State and local funds supplied 94% of the reported per-pupil amount in both years.
- Federal per-pupil spending decreased by $10.25 from FY2023 to FY2024.
- State and local per-pupil spending increased by $1,278.40.
- The source-of-funds total is a separately published DESE measure and differs slightly from the all-funds total-per-pupil series.
What the Massachusetts Data Shows
The indicators describe system scale, student composition, and reported finance. They do not measure school quality by themselves.
Enrollment movement
The statewide headcount declined 1.69% in 2025-26 after three years of small increases. A single-year movement does not establish a long-term projection.
School structure
Elementary schools formed 60.0% of the operating-school count. Level categories describe schools, while charter and virtual labels describe governance or delivery type.
Student group overlap
High-needs, low-income, English learner, first-language, and disability counts overlap. Adding these categories would double-count students.
Finance denominator
DESE expenditure-per-pupil calculations use pupil FTE, not the October 1 enrollment headcount. Enrollment and finance totals therefore should not be divided across reporting systems.
Nominal dollars
The spending trend uses dollars reported for each fiscal year. Inflation and regional price differences are not removed.
Period alignment
2025-26 enrollment is newer than FY2024 finance data. The two releases are presented together for a current state profile but are not treated as the same reporting period.
Source and Methodology
Massachusetts DESE School and District Profiles, 2025-26.
Massachusetts DESE Enrollment Data, October 1, 2025 count.
Massachusetts DESE Selected Populations Report, updated January 8, 2026.
Massachusetts DESE Per Pupil Expenditure and Net School Spending Trends, FY2018-FY2024.
U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Massachusetts public schools and charter schools included in the state reporting system. School levels span PK-12.
Enrollment is a student headcount. School and district values are operating counts. Finance uses dollars, total pupil FTE, and dollars per pupil.
Grade-table shares are rounded to two decimals. Published race and selected-population shares retain DESE precision.
Academic-year enrollment totals come from annual October 1 reporting. Finance records follow fiscal years and use DESE expenditure definitions. Annual changes are calculated from unrounded source values. The 2026 label identifies the page edition; it does not recast FY2024 finance as 2026 spending.
School counts, enrollment headcounts, pupil FTE, and expenditures have different definitions and reporting periods. Spending values are nominal. The tables do not adjust for inflation, local labor costs, student needs, grade configuration, district size, or services purchased outside a district. Expenditure levels alone do not establish educational outcomes.