How Many Winchester Graduates Attend College?

Next month, many recent high school graduates will be heading off for their freshmen year of college. So how does Winchester compare to other communities in terms of graduates attending institutions of higher education?

According to the latest figures available on the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) website, which are from the 2009-2010 school year, Winchester has the fourth-highest percentage in the region of high school graduates attending college, at 83.7 percent. The town is not far behind Lynnfield at 86.8 percent, Melrose at 84.7 percent and Reading at 86.7 percent.

However, Winchester has the highest percentage who attend private four-year colleges at 65.7, according to the DESE.

Of communities in the region, Chelsea has the lowest percentage of high school graduates attending college, at 57.6 percent. Of those, most (51.5 percent) attended public two-year colleges. Everett comes in just behind Chelsea at 58.2 percent, with 47.3 percent of those graduates attending public two-year colleges.

See the chart below for percentages by city or town.

Figures are the most recent numbers available, from the 2009-10 school year, from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, showing high school graduates attending institutions of higher education.