NCES CCD 2024-25 273 schools MD

Best-Resourced Schools in Baltimore, MD

273 public K-12 schools in Baltimore from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.

273
Schools
152,502
Students
38.8/100
Avg Resource Index
15:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

National city placement

Large, fragmented school market

According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Baltimore has more public-school enrollment than 99% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Baltimore is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 4 districts. That combination matters: citywide averages blend separate budgets, staffing policies, attendance boundaries, and program rules. For a family comparing schools here, the district column is as important as the city average; two nearby campuses may answer to different boards and draw on different F-33 funding pools.

Combined-grade campuses shape the local portfolio

177 of Baltimore's 273 listed schools use NCES's combined or “other” grade-level classification. Citywide averages therefore blend campuses serving unusually broad or nonstandard grade spans with conventional elementary, middle, and high schools. Grade configuration is a first-order comparison here, not a minor label.

Campus spread matters more than the city mean

The 65-point gap between Crossroads Center and Highlandtown Elementary/Middle #237 shows the range hidden by Baltimore's average Resource Investment Index. The city figure is useful for national placement, but families ultimately choose among campuses with different grade spans, enrollment, district affiliations, and reported support fields. Start with schools serving the relevant grade level, then compare the index components rather than assuming the city average describes any one classroom.

City enrollment
Top 1%
School count
Top 1%
Resource Index average
40th percentile
Teacher staffing
54th percentile

Baltimore school enrollment varies 91× across entities

Baltimore school enrollment ranges from 23 students (lowest) to 2,087 students (highest), a spread of 2,064 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing and program breadth can differ sharply at opposite ends of that enrollment range, so the city average should not be treated as a typical campus.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Baltimore reports 62.3% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Baltimore student-teacher ratio is 15.0:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — citywide staffing is neither unusually lean nor unusually crowded by this measure

student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Variation between sub-units within Baltimore is typically wider than the Baltimore-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

31 of Baltimore's 273 listed schools are charters

11% of the city's listed public-school campuses are reported as charter schools in NCES CCD. Charter status identifies a different governance arrangement; it does not establish admissions availability, academic quality, or the share of city students enrolled in those campuses. Open each school record to compare enrollment and staffing directly.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

# School Score
1. Crossroads Center 87
2. Meadowood Education Center 84
3. Joseph C. Briscoe Academy 83
4. Catonsville Center for Alternative Studies 79
5. Rosedale Center 70
6. Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High 67
7. Bluford Drew Jemison Stem Academy West 65
8. Dallas F. Nicholas Sr. Elementary 64
9. Belmont Elementary 63
10. Frederick Douglass High 61
11. Achievement Academy at Harbor City High 60
12. City Neighbors Hamilton 60
13. The Crossroads School 60
14. Reginald F. Lewis High 57
15. Wolfe Street Academy 57
16. Parkville High 56
17. Renaissance Academy 56
18. The Green School of Baltimore 56
19. Oliver Beach Elementary 56
20. Fort Garrison Elementary 55
21. Westchester Elementary 54
22. Stadium School 54
23. Collington Square Elementary/Middle 54
24. Steuart Hill Academic Academy 54
25. Eager Street Academy 54
26. Eastern Technical High School 53
27. Western School of Technology 53
28. Stoneleigh Elementary 53
29. Lakewood Elementary 53
30. Lois T. Murray Elementary/Middle 53
31. Sharp-Leadenhall Elementary/Middle 53
32. Rodgers Forge Elementary 52
33. Sudbrook Magnet Middle 51
34. New Era Academy 51
35. Hillcrest Elementary 50
36. City Neighbors Charter School 50
37. Claremont School 50
38. Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High 49
39. Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle 49
40. Cromwell Valley Elementary Regional Magnet 49
41. Dundalk High 48
42. Digital Harbor High School 48
43. Lansdowne Middle 48
44. Dundalk Middle 48
45. Johnnycake Elementary 47
46. West Towson Elementary 47
47. Chesapeake Terrace Elementary 47
48. Middleborough Elementary 47
49. Woodlawn High 46
50. Deep Creek Middle 46

Showing top 50 of 273 schools.

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Baltimore

Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.

  1. 1 Sussex Elementary 74.6/100
  2. 2 Joppa View Elementary 74.5/100
  3. 3 Perry Hall Elementary 74.4/100
  4. 4 Relay Elementary 73.1/100
  5. 5 Orems Elementary 73.1/100

What do families ask about schools in Baltimore?

Which Baltimore school has the highest Resource Investment Index?

Crossroads Center has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Baltimore schools in this federal-data comparison at 87/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.

How many schools are in Baltimore, MD?

Baltimore has 273 public schools with a total enrollment of 152,502 students. 31 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 15:1.

Other Cities in Maryland

Side-by-side: Compare any two schools or districts in Maryland →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. The Resource Investment Index uses reported student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance; it is not an academic rating. Cities must include at least five schools to be listed. This public-data comparison is for informational purposes: verify current enrollment, attendance boundaries, and programs with the school district before acting. See the guide to understanding NCES data.