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10 School Districts Where Parents Pay $500K+ Premiums for Identical Test Scores

Under 1 min read
January 27, 2026
THE BOTTOM LINE

Ten Greater Boston school districts charge $500K-$1.4M home price premiums for outcomes that are statistically identical to value districts. Dover-Sherborn ($1.6M, 83.6% college matriculation) performs 1.2 percentage points WORSE than Hopkinton ($700K, 84.8%). Acton-Boxborough ($750K) leads all districts at 86.3% college enrollment. Prestige districts spend 31.5% more per pupil ($5,851 annually) while delivering functionally identical outcomes. The $700K 'prestige premium' is a myth—you're buying richer neighbors, not better schools.

WHO NEEDS THIS

Parents choosing school districts, homebuyers evaluating education value, families wondering if prestige districts are worth the premium, anyone comparing school quality across Greater Boston, buyers trying to understand the relationship between home prices and educational outcomes.

KEY INSIGHTS
  • Value districts (Hopkinton, Acton-Boxborough, Sharon) deliver HIGHER college matriculation than prestige districts
  • College enrollment gap: 4.5 percentage points across all districts (statistically meaningless)
  • AP pass rates: 1.9 percentage point gap between Dover-Sherborn (95.8%) and Hopkinton (93.9%)
  • Prestige districts spend 31.5% more per pupil ($5,851 annually) for identical outcomes
  • 84% of MCAS score variation explained by demographics, not instruction (MIT/UMass analysis)
  • Student Growth Percentiles prove: wealth-independent teaching quality across districts
DO THIS NEXT

Use our School Value Analysis tool to compare districts by actual outcomes, not just ratings. Research college matriculation rates and AP pass rates—not just test scores. Understand that 'excellent' schools often reflect student demographics, not instructional quality. Consider value districts like Hopkinton, Acton-Boxborough, and Sharon for identical outcomes at half the price.

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