Westwood Schools Ranked No. 21 in Boston Magazine's Top 50

In its annual "Best Schools" edition released this week, Boston Magazine has ranked Westwood Public Schools among the top 50 districts in greater Boston. 

Westwood was ranked No. 21 based on class size average, per-pupil spending, graduation rate, and other factors. Last year, Westwood was ranked No. 13. It is not clear from the story if the criteria changed, but it seems like some surrounding town also dropped in ranking. Nearby Medfield "dropped" from No. 18 last year to No. 37 this year. 

According to the magazine's analysis, 96 percent of Westwood students graduate from high school with 86.7 percent going on to college. The town's per pupil spending amount of $13,999 was about average. 

Boston Magazine representatives say they spent months compiling data released by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which included information on schools in 147 communities. The schools in the municipalities were ranked in 20 different categories, including average class size, student-to-teacher ratio, rates of college acceptance, as well as SAT and MCAS test scores. 

The full list of schools and other ranking criteria can be found on Boston Magazine's website.