Enrollment
670
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ellicott City, MD
Patapsco Middle
Federal NCES profile for Patapsco Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240042000748
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Patapsco Middle earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #3 of 6
- middle schools in Ellicott City · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 16.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Patapsco Middle has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Patapsco Middle ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Ellicott City, MD.
School address
District: Howard County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240042000748 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.8%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Patapsco Middle compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Patapsco Middle
Patapsco Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Ellicott City, Maryland, enrolling 670 students.
At 14:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Maryland median, within a few percentage points of the 14.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.8% free-meal eligibility runs 66% below the Maryland average.
Enrollment of 670 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 221 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #22, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (38%) and White (33%) (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 335 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
11.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Ellicott City's middle schools, it stands alongside Burleigh Manor Middle School (777 students): Patapsco Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 14.9:1).
Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students) and Reservoir High (1,597 students) alongside Patapsco 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 Patapsco Middle compares
Patapsco 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.8% | ▼ 66% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 670 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
670
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 44% in Maryland - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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 335 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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
Asian 37.8%
White 33.3%
African American 12.9%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
Two or More 5.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 37.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.6, Patapsco 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 Patapsco 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 Patapsco Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriotts Ridge High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reservoir High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Atholton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howard High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mount Hebron High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Patapsco 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 Ellicott City
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Burleigh Manor Middle School
Standard public school
777 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Bonnie Branch Middle
Standard public school
739 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Ellicott Mills Middle
Standard public school
698 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Folly Quarter Middle
Standard public school
682 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Dunloggin Middle
Standard public school
623 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~670 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Patapsco Middle's federal record.
- Compare Patapsco 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 Patapsco Middle
How many students attend Patapsco Middle?
Patapsco Middle has 670 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ellicott City, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Patapsco Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Patapsco Middle is 14:1, which is 3% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 11% 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 Patapsco Middle?
16.8% of students at Patapsco Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Patapsco Middle?
The largest demographic group at Patapsco Middle is Asian at 37.8% of enrollment, in Ellicott City, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Patapsco Middle?
Patapsco Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Patapsco Middle rank among middle schools in Ellicott City?
By Resource Investment Index, Patapsco Middle ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Ellicott City, 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 Ellicott City on the city page.
Is Patapsco Middle a good school?
Patapsco Middle earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. 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 Patapsco 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.