Enrollment
471
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbia, MD
Harpers Choice Middle
Federal NCES profile for Harpers Choice Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240042000737
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harpers Choice Middle earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 46.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Harpers Choice Middle has class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harpers Choice Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Columbia, MD.
School address
District: Howard County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240042000737 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.3%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harpers Choice Middle compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harpers Choice Middle
Harpers Choice Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Columbia, Maryland, enrolling 471 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.7:1, Harpers Choice Middle is leaner than roughly 90% of Maryland schools and 26% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 46.3% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 471 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 286 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #79.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 236 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Columbia's middle schools, it stands alongside Wilde Lake Middle (643 students): Harpers Choice Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 12.9:1).
Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students) and Reservoir High (1,597 students) alongside Harpers Choice Middle.
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 Harpers Choice Middle compares
Harpers Choice Middle on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 26% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.3% | ▼ 6% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 471 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
471
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 10% in Maryland - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
42.9%
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 236 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.5 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 43.3%
Hispanic or Latino 23.1%
White 18.5%
Asian 8.1%
Two or More 6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 43.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.4, Harpers Choice Middle 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 Harpers Choice Middle.
$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 Harpers Choice Middle 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 Harpers Choice Middle'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 middle schools in Columbia
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~471 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harpers Choice Middle's federal record.
- Compare Harpers Choice Middle 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 Harpers Choice Middle
How many students attend Harpers Choice Middle?
Harpers Choice Middle has 471 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbia, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harpers Choice Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Harpers Choice Middle is 10.7:1, which is 26% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 32% 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 Harpers Choice Middle?
46.3% of students at Harpers Choice Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harpers Choice Middle?
The largest demographic group at Harpers Choice Middle is African American at 43.3% of enrollment, in Columbia, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harpers Choice Middle?
Harpers Choice Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical 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 Harpers Choice Middle rank among middle schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Harpers Choice Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle 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 middle schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Harpers Choice Middle a good school?
Harpers Choice Middle earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% 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 Harpers Choice Middle, 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.