Enrollment
453
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia, MD
Cradlerock Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cradlerock Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240042001699
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cradlerock Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Maryland schools.
- #1 of 12
- schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 53.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Cradlerock Elementary has class sizes smaller than 92% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cradlerock Elementary ranks #1 of 12 schools in Columbia, MD.
School address
District: Howard County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240042001699 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.4%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cradlerock Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cradlerock Elementary
Cradlerock Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia, Maryland, enrolling 453 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.3:1, Cradlerock Elementary is leaner than roughly 92% of Maryland schools and 29% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 53.4% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 453 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 299 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #13, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 227 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Columbia's public schools, it stands alongside Phelps Luck Elementary (681 students): Cradlerock Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.3:1 vs 11.3:1).
Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students) and Reservoir High (1,597 students) alongside Cradlerock Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Cradlerock Elementary compares
Cradlerock Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.3:1 | ▼ 29% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.4% | ▲ 9% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 453 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
453
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 8% in Maryland - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,971
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 227 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 48.1%
Hispanic or Latino 21.0%
White 17.9%
Two or More 9.1%
Asian 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 48.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.3, Cradlerock Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howard County Public Schools, which includes Cradlerock Elementary.
$17,971
Per student
-12%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.7%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Cradlerock Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriotts Ridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reservoir High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Atholton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mount Hebron High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cradlerock Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,597
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,540
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,493
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,455
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Columbia
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Phelps Luck Elementary
Standard public school
681 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Waterloo Elementary
Standard public school
666 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Swansfield Elementary
Standard public school
594 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Atholton Elementary
Standard public school
516 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Talbott Springs Elementary
Standard public school
461 students 10:1 students per teacher
Longfellow Elementary
Standard public school
446 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~453 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cradlerock Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cradlerock Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Howard County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Cradlerock Elementary
How many students attend Cradlerock Elementary?
Cradlerock Elementary has 453 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cradlerock Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cradlerock Elementary is 10.3:1, which is 29% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 34% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cradlerock Elementary?
53.4% of students at Cradlerock Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cradlerock Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cradlerock Elementary is African American at 48.1% of enrollment, in Columbia, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cradlerock Elementary?
Cradlerock Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cradlerock Elementary rank among schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Cradlerock Elementary ranks #1 of 12 schools in Columbia, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Cradlerock Elementary a good school?
Cradlerock Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Maryland schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Howard County Public Schools?
Besides Cradlerock Elementary, Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students), Reservoir High (1,597 students), and Atholton High (1,540 students). See the Howard County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.