Schools
Gloucester Public Schools compared with the state, from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Checked . DESE updates each figure once a year.
For school-by-school results, budget, and more, see the Gloucester Schools Report, a separate site built on the same public data.
Summary
- Graduation rate 84.7% Class of 2025 · State 89.3%
- Chronically absent 23.8% 2025–26 · State 17.1%
- MCAS English, grades 3–8 34% Meeting or exceeding · State 40%
- MCAS math, grades 3–8 29% Meeting or exceeding · State 41%
Graduation rate
Share of students who graduated high school within four years of starting ninth grade.
| Class of | Gloucester | State |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 84.7% | 89.3% |
| 2024 | 87.2% | 88.4% |
| 2023 | 83.0% | 89.2% |
| 2022 | 85.8% | 90.1% |
| 2021 | 81.1% | 89.8% |
| 2020 | 83.7% | 89.0% |
| 2019 | 85.5% | 88.0% |
| 2018 | 86.3% | 87.9% |
Source: DESE High School Graduation Rates (opens in new tab).
Chronic absenteeism
Share of students who missed 10% or more of the school days they were enrolled, for any reason.
| School year | Gloucester | State |
|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | 23.8% | 17.1% |
| 2024–25 | 27.5% | 18.8% |
| 2023–24 | 23.4% | 19.7% |
| 2022–23 | 27.0% | 22.2% |
| 2021–22 | 34.5% | 27.7% |
| 2020–21 | 31.8% | 17.7% |
| 2019–20 | 15.4% | 13.0% |
| 2018–19 | 17.1% | 12.9% |
Schools closed in spring 2020 and many were remote in 2020–21, which affects those years. Source: DESE Student Attendance (opens in new tab).
MCAS results
Share of students in grades 3 to 8 who met or exceeded expectations on the state MCAS tests.
English
| Spring | Gloucester | State |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 34% | 40% |
| 2025 | 34% | 42% |
| 2024 | 32% | 39% |
| 2023 | 38% | 42% |
| 2022 | 37% | 41% |
| 2021 | 44% | 46% |
| 2019 | 48% | 52% |
| 2018 | 47% | 51% |
Math
| Spring | Gloucester | State |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29% | 41% |
| 2025 | 30% | 41% |
| 2024 | 29% | 41% |
| 2023 | 34% | 41% |
| 2022 | 34% | 39% |
| 2021 | 31% | 33% |
| 2019 | 43% | 49% |
| 2018 | 44% | 48% |
No MCAS tests were given in 2020. Source: DESE MCAS Achievement Results (opens in new tab).
All figures from the state's Education-to-Career (E2C) data hub (opens in new tab), published by DESE. School-by-school figures and more are on the Gloucester Schools Report (opens in new tab).