Worcester & Shrewsbury

Comparing Worcester & Shrewsbury schools and student bodies

Massachusetts’ second-largest city, Worcester, is the most diverse of the school districts featured in this report. Shrewsbury is also the most diverse suburb. Even here, though, we see stark divides. White and Asian students are Shrewsbury’s largest racial groups, while Hispanic students are the largest group in Worcester more than 40%. 

As in many of our pairs, one key inequity is the number of underperforming schools. Worcester has 13 such schools, serving nearly a third of its students, while Shrewsbury has none. Only narrow Lake Quinsigamond separates these communities physically, but their indicators of educational quality suggests greater distance.