Best Public Schools in Maryland

Top 50 schools ranked by resource quality score. Based on student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs & attendance. NCES CCD 2022-23.

68/100
Top Score
Darlington Elementary
60/100
Avg Score (Top 50)
50
Schools Ranked
MD
State
# School Score Grade
1. Darlington Elementary Darlington 68 B-
2. Centerville Elementary Frederick 66 B-
3. Friendsville Elementary Friendsville 66 B-
4. Deale Elementary Deale 65 B-
5. Swan Meadow School Oakland 65 B-
6. Academy of Health Sciences at Pgcc Largo 64 C+
7. Monocacy Elementary Dickerson 64 C+
8. Tilghman Elementary Tilghman 64 C+
9. Dallas F. Nicholas Sr. Elementary Baltimore 63 C+
10. Homewood School Ellicott City 63 C+
11. Aacps Virtual Academy Arnold 62 C+
12. City Neighbors Hamilton Baltimore 62 C+
13. Norrisville Elementary White Hall 62 C+
14. Thomas W. Pyle Middle Bethesda 61 C+
15. Cabin John Middle Potomac 61 C+
16. Ellicott Mills Middle Ellicott City 61 C+
17. Dufief Elementary Gaithersburg 61 C+
18. West Annapolis Elementary Annapolis 61 C+
19. Herbert Hoover Middle Potomac 60 C+
20. Silver Creek Middle Kensington 60 C+
21. Harriet R. Tubman Elementary Gaithersburg 60 C+
22. Deer Crossing Elementary New Market 60 C+
23. North Chevy Chase Elementary Chevy Chase 60 C+
24. The Crossroads School Baltimore 60 C+
25. Route 40 Elementary Frostburg 60 C+
26. Gateway School Westminster 60 C+
27. Catonsville Center for Alternative Studies Baltimore 60 C+
28. Takoma Park Middle Silver Spring 59 C
29. Sligo Middle Silver Spring 59 C
30. Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle Frederick 59 C
31. Excel Academy Public Charter Landover 59 C
32. Carderock Springs Elementary Bethesda 59 C
33. Center for Educational Opportunity Aberdeen 59 C
34. Rock Terrace School Rockville 59 C
35. Burleigh Manor Middle School Ellicott City 58 C
36. Wiley H. Bates Middle Annapolis 58 C
37. Spring Ridge Elementary Frederick 58 C
38. Southern Middle School Oakland 58 C
39. Capitol Heights Elementary Capitol Heights 58 C
40. Sabillasville Environmental School Sabillasville 58 C
41. Walt Whitman High Bethesda 57 C
42. Julius West Middle Rockville 57 C
43. North Bethesda Middle Bethesda 57 C
44. Eastern Middle Silver Spring 57 C
45. Hallie Wells Middle Clarksburg 57 C
46. William H. Farquhar Middle Olney 57 C
47. Glenwood Middle Glenwood 57 C
48. West Friendship Elementary West Friendship 57 C
49. Shipley'S Choice Elementary Millersville 57 C
50. Belmont Elementary Olney 57 C

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best public schools in Maryland? ▼

The top-rated school in Maryland is Darlington Elementary in Darlington with a quality score of 68/100 (grade B-). Rankings are based on student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted programs, and attendance rates from NCES data.

How are school quality scores calculated? ▼

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data across 4 metrics: student-teacher ratio (lower is better, national avg ~16:1), counselor availability (ASCA recommends 250:1), gifted program availability, and chronic absenteeism rate (lower is better). This measures school resources, not test scores.

Explore More for Maryland

All Schools → Largest Schools → Absenteeism Data → Highest Spending → National Ranking →

Methodology

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. Schools must have at least 50 students and data for one or more metrics. This measures resource quality, not test scores. Higher scores indicate smaller class sizes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.