METCO is America's largest voluntary school integration program.
#WorthTheRide
Applications for School Year 2025-26 Are Now Open:
Are you a Boston resident interested in pursuing an excellent k-12 public education in the suburbs? Learn how our program works and start your application now!
Since its founding during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, the METCO program has enrolled tens of thousands of Boston students of color in predominantly white school districts, allowing students to experience the advantages of learning and working in a racially and ethnically diverse setting.
3,100
Families
190
Suburban Public Schools
96%
4-Year High School Graduation Rate
33
Participating Districts
METCO Alumni
METCO is a great program and it has made me feel welcome. My high school experience has been way better than I could ever imagine just because I was in the program with these teachers and peers.
— METCO Student
I would definitely recommend METCO to any parent who has a child in Boston because METCO truly prepares children for the world because the world is a diverse place especially once you become more successful in it.
— METCO Parent
We’re all a product of the METCO program. What this says to me is that the METCO program actually works: METCO works… It was an automatic decision for me that I wanted my son to be in the METCO program.
— METCO Alumnus, Parent & Board Member
I am the mom of a suburban senior and I can tell you that having a strong METCO program for the last 12 years has been an enormous benefit to her and to her peers. I’m incredibly proud that our community has stuck with it and continues to support it because it’s just absolutely critical for all of us.
— Suburban Parent
Our district is special for so many reasons: the proximity is a thing people love, the fact that we’re so close to Boston. But also our schools are warm and caring with a great deal of programs to offer every kid.
— METCO Director
METCO has been beneficial to me in many ways but mostly it has provided me with the opportunity to think outside of the box and be around people different from me. Because of that, I believe it has made me well rounded and has pushed me to strive to always be better.
— METCO Student
METCO has impacted the way in which I view and interact with the world around me. METCO gave me great opportunities for growth both personally, and professionally.
— METCO Alumnus
I have a child in elementary school and a child in middle school and they are both thriving. I could not be happier.
— METCO Parent
I think all of this—from the family, to the sports, to the community, to leveraging access—my experience was unique but overall, I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.
— METCO Alumna
The help I got during the application process was amazing. Also the application was easy for me to understand. I like how easy it is to navigate the site and the application process is smooth.
— METCO Parent
From a parent perspective, I think that the METCO program successfully expands educational opportunities for Boston residents and definitely does bring more diversity to our town which has actually helped me learn a lot as an adult.
— Suburban Parent
I have learned that sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone to connect with others and build relationships. I have also learned how to maintain my sense of self no matter what social circles I am a part of.
— METCO Student
METCO allows children in urban communities to have an experience in a suburban area that holds opportunities and areas of success that many children in urban communities have never even seen.
— METCO Student
