Best School Districts in Maryland

Top 24 districts ranked by average school quality score. Based on student-teacher ratios, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. NCES CCD 2022-23.

24
Districts Ranked
889,557
Students
42/100
Avg Quality Score
MD
State
# District Avg Quality Grade
1. Garrett County Public Schools Oakland 55.4 C
2. Talbot County Public Schools Easton 48.8 D
3. Kent County Public Schools Rock Hall 48.6 D
4. Howard County Public Schools Ellicott City 47.1 D
5. Montgomery County Public Schools Rockville 46.2 D
6. Anne Arundel County Public Schools Annapolis 45.8 D
7. Frederick County Public Schools Frederick 45.7 D
8. Carroll County Public Schools Westminster 41.8 D
9. Prince George's County Public Schools Upper Marlboro 41.6 D
10. Baltimore County Public Schools Towson 41.6 D
11. Harford County Public Schools Bel Air 41 D
12. Washington County Public Schools Hagerstown 41 D
13. Allegany County Public Schools Cumberland 40.1 D
14. Dorchester County Public Schools Cambridge 39.8 F
15. St. Mary's County Public Schools Leonardtown 39.7 F
16. Wicomico County Public Schools Salisbury 39.3 F
17. Cecil County Public Schools Elkton 38.6 F
18. Queen Anne's County Public Schools Centreville 38.5 F
19. Calvert County Public Schools Prince Frederick 38.3 F
20. Charles County Public Schools La Plata 37.3 F
21. Worcester County Public Schools Newark 36.7 F
22. Caroline County Public Schools Denton 36.3 F
23. Somerset County Public Schools Westover 35.5 F
24. Baltimore City Public Schools Baltimore 35 F

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best school districts in Maryland?

The top-ranked district in Maryland is Garrett County Public Schools in Oakland with 3,500 students across 12 schools. Average quality score: 55.4/100. Rankings are based on average school quality scores from NCES data.

How are district rankings calculated?

Districts are ranked by the average quality score of their schools. Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism. Districts must have at least 500 students and 2+ schools to be ranked.

How many school districts are in Maryland?

Maryland has 24+ school districts serving 885,796 students. The statewide average student-teacher ratio is 14.4:1.

Methodology

Districts are ranked by the average quality score of their schools. Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 metrics: student-teacher ratio, school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates. Districts must have at least 500 students and 2+ schools to be included. This measures school-level resources, not test scores. Higher average scores indicate districts where schools generally have smaller classes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.