Enrollment
839
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bel Air, MD
Patterson Mill High School
Federal NCES profile for Patterson Mill High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240039001638
👥 S:T ratio 37
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Patterson Mill High School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Bel Air · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 21.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Patterson Mill High School has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Patterson Mill High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Bel Air, MD.
School address
District: Harford County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240039001638 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Patterson Mill High School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Patterson Mill High School
Patterson Mill High School is a mid-sized high school in Bel Air, Maryland, enrolling 839 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 839 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 223 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #144.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 52/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 420 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Harford County Public Schools spends $15,192 per pupil, 26% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Bel Air's high schools, it stands alongside Bel Air High (1,341 students): Patterson Mill High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.8:1 vs 14.7:1).
Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students) and Aberdeen High (1,396 students) alongside Patterson Mill High School.
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 Patterson Mill High School compares
Patterson Mill High School on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.9% | ▼ 55% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 839 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
839
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 67% in Maryland - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.2%
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
$15,192
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 420 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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
White 67.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
African American 8.2%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.5, Patterson Mill High School is about as mixed as the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harford County Public Schools, which includes Patterson Mill High School.
$15,192
Per student
-26%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 35.4%
Federal 12.0%
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 Patterson Mill High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgewood High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bel Air High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| C. Milton Wright High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Harford High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Patterson Mill High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,440
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,396
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,341
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,204
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools in Bel Air
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~839 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Patterson Mill High School's federal record.
- Compare Patterson Mill High School against another school. Compare schools
- Harford 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 Patterson Mill High School
How many students attend Patterson Mill High School?
Patterson Mill High School has 839 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bel Air, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Patterson Mill High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Patterson Mill High School is 15.8:1, which is 9% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Patterson Mill High School?
21.9% of students at Patterson Mill High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Patterson Mill High School?
The largest demographic group at Patterson Mill High School is White at 67.8% of enrollment, in Bel Air, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Patterson Mill High School?
Patterson Mill High School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Patterson Mill High School rank among high schools in Bel Air?
By Resource Investment Index, Patterson Mill High School ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Bel Air, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bel Air on the city page.
Is Patterson Mill High School a good school?
Patterson Mill High School 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 Harford County Public Schools?
Besides Patterson Mill High School, Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students), Aberdeen High (1,396 students), and Bel Air High (1,341 students). See the Harford 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.