Maryland · NCES CCD 2024-25

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.

24
Districts ranked
889,557
Students enrolled
42/100
Avg quality score
C
Top grade

The ranking in one line

Garrett County Public Schools in Oakland leads Maryland's districts with an average school quality score of 55.4/100 across 12 schools.

55.4/100
top district score (grade C)
12
schools in Garrett County Public Schools
3,500
students in the top district
42/100
average across the top 24
# District GradeAvg Quality
1 Garrett County Public Schools Oakland C 55.4
2 Talbot County Public Schools Easton D 48.8
3 Kent County Public Schools Rock Hall D 48.6
4 Howard County Public Schools Ellicott City D 47.1
5 Montgomery County Public Schools Rockville D 46.2
6 Anne Arundel County Public Schools Annapolis D 45.8
7 Frederick County Public Schools Frederick D 45.7
8 Carroll County Public Schools Westminster D 41.8
9 Prince George's County Public Schools Upper Marlboro D 41.6
10 Baltimore County Public Schools Towson D 41.6
11 Harford County Public Schools Bel Air D 41
12 Washington County Public Schools Hagerstown D 41
13 Allegany County Public Schools Cumberland D 40.1
14 Dorchester County Public Schools Cambridge F 39.8
15 St. Mary's County Public Schools Leonardtown F 39.7
16 Wicomico County Public Schools Salisbury F 39.3
17 Cecil County Public Schools Elkton F 38.6
18 Queen Anne's County Public Schools Centreville F 38.5
19 Calvert County Public Schools Prince Frederick F 38.3
20 Charles County Public Schools La Plata F 37.3
21 Worcester County Public Schools Newark F 36.7
22 Caroline County Public Schools Denton F 36.3
23 Somerset County Public Schools Westover F 35.5
24 Baltimore City Public Schools Baltimore F 35

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) 2024-25 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.