Maria L. Baldwin vs Morse

Maria L. Baldwin and Morse are both public elementary schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts serving grades PK–05, but their overall ratings tell a clear story: Maria L. Baldwin scores 9.9/10 against Morse's 9.2/10, a 0.7-point gap that translates to a significant difference in state standing. Maria L. Baldwin ranks #1 of 1,791 schools in Massachusetts, while Morse ranks #28 of 1,791 — both exceptional placements, but Baldwin holds the top position in the state.

Academically, the gap is most pronounced in raw proficiency. Maria L. Baldwin earns a 9.8/10 academic score compared to Morse's 8.0/10 — a 1.8-point difference that reflects meaningfully higher tested achievement at Baldwin. Growth scores are closer: Maria L. Baldwin at 9.9/10 versus Morse at 9.7/10, a difference of just 0.2 points. Both schools are pushing students forward at a strong pace, but Baldwin's combination of high baseline performance and near-perfect growth is what places it at the top of the Massachusetts ranking.

Morse operates with a notably lower student-teacher ratio — 9.2 students per teacher versus Maria L. Baldwin's 11.0:1 — meaning Morse students get more individual adult attention on average. Maria L. Baldwin enrolls 352 students compared to Morse's 302, making Baldwin the larger school by 50 students. Families who prioritize smaller class sizes and higher per-pupil adult contact will find Morse's ratio more attractive, even if Baldwin's outcomes are higher overall.

Both schools cover the same grade span, PK through 5th grade, and sit just 1.8 miles apart within Cambridge, so families choosing between them are typically weighing outcome data against classroom environment rather than geography or grade access. There are no program-level distinctions available in the current data that differentiate curriculum or specialty offerings between the two campuses.