Enrollment
643
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbia, MD
Wilde Lake Middle
Federal NCES profile for Wilde Lake Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240042000763
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wilde Lake Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Maryland schools.
- #4 of 4
- middle schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 37.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Wilde Lake Middle has class sizes smaller than 72% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wilde Lake Middle ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in Columbia, MD.
School address
District: Howard County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240042000763 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wilde Lake Middle compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wilde Lake Middle
Wilde Lake Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Columbia, Maryland, enrolling 643 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 643 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 286 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #193.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and White (30%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 322 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Columbia's middle schools, it stands alongside Lake Elkhorn Middle (569 students): Wilde Lake Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.9:1 vs 11.9:1).
Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students) and Reservoir High (1,597 students) alongside Wilde Lake 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 Wilde Lake Middle compares
Wilde Lake 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 11% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.2% | ▼ 24% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 643 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
643
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 28% in Maryland - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
39.5%
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 322 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 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 43.1%
White 29.8%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
Two or More 8.7%
Asian 5.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 43.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, Wilde Lake 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 Wilde Lake 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 Wilde Lake 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Atholton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mount Hebron High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wilde Lake 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 (~643 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wilde Lake Middle's federal record.
- Compare Wilde Lake 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 Wilde Lake Middle
How many students attend Wilde Lake Middle?
Wilde Lake Middle has 643 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbia, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wilde Lake Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Wilde Lake Middle is 12.9:1, which is 11% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 18% 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 Wilde Lake Middle?
37.2% of students at Wilde Lake Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wilde Lake Middle?
The largest demographic group at Wilde Lake Middle is African American at 43.1% of enrollment, in Columbia, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilde Lake Middle?
Wilde Lake Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Wilde Lake Middle rank among middle schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Wilde Lake Middle ranks #4 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 Wilde Lake Middle a good school?
Wilde Lake Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Wilde Lake 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.