The student-teacher ratio in Worcester County fell to 12.7:1 in the 2021-2022 school year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The highest student-to-teacher ratio of 35.9:1 was found at Tantasqua Regional Vocational School, 199.2% more than the State’s average of 12 to 1.
There were 119,039 students being taught by 9,361 teachers in Worcester County in 2021-2022.
In Worcester County, the student-to-teacher ratio was 13.4:1 throughout the previous academic year.
Massachusetts has roughly one teacher for every 12 students, which is better than the national average of one teacher for every 16 students.
However, the state is facing a teacher shortage, just like the rest of the country NewsNation reported that the state was offering emergency teaching licenses to educators who only had bachelor’s degrees, in an effort to get more teachers into schools.
Despite the shortage, under-representation of ethnicities among teachers was found to be a concern. The Rennie Center reported that only 9% of teachers are people of color.
Massachusetts was ranked as the eighth best state for teachers, according to a WalletHub study.
| County | Student-to-teacher ratio in 2020-2021 | Student-to-teacher ratio in 2021-2022 | Percentage difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County | 13.4:1 | 12.7:1 | -5% |
| Essex County | 12.5:1 | 11.9:1 | -5% |
| Hampden County | 11.8:1 | 11.3:1 | -4% |
| Barnstable County | 10.8:1 | 10.5:1 | -3% |
| Plymouth County | 13.3:1 | 12.9:1 | -3% |
| Bristol County | 13.2:1 | 12.9:1 | -2% |
| Norfolk County | 12.7:1 | 12.4:1 | -2% |
| Middlesex County | 12.1:1 | 11.8:1 | -2% |
| Nantucket County | 10.8:1 | 10.6:1 | -2% |
| Berkshire County | 10.4:1 | 10.3:1 | -1% |
| Suffolk County | 11.3:1 | 11.2:1 | -1% |
| Hampshire County | 10.8:1 | 10.7:1 | -1% |
| Dukes County | 8.6:1 | 8.6:1 | 0% |
| Franklin County | 10.7:1 | 10.9:1 | 1% |
