How equitable is school funding in Maryland?

The average funding equity score for Maryland school districts is 53 out of 100, compared to the national average of 49. This score considers per-pupil spending, need-adjusted spending, funding source diversity, and student-teacher ratios.

What does the equity score measure?

The equity score (0-100) measures four dimensions: per-pupil spending level, need-adjusted spending (rewarding districts that spend more where poverty is higher), funding diversity (less reliance on local property taxes), and resource access (lower student-teacher ratios).

Maryland · NCES F-33 finance data

School Funding Equity in Maryland

24 districts ranked by how equitably school funding is distributed, scored from NCES F-33 school finance data covering districts in all 50 states.

Compiled by PlainSchools, Education-data publisher · August 26, 2026

The equity picture in one line

Somerset County Public Schools ranks first in Maryland for funding equity at 97/100, in a state whose districts average 53 against a national average of 49.

97/100
top score (Somerset County Public Schools): $24,750
per-pupil spending in the top district: 5
districts scoring 70 or higher: 4
districts below 30

#	District	Enrollment	$/Pupil	Free Lunch	Local Rev %	Score
1	Somerset County Public Schools	2,773	$24,750	69.9%	16.7%	97
2	Kent County Public Schools	1,751	$22,237	69.9%	20.2%	90
3	Dorchester County Public Schools	4,523	$21,340	100.0%	19.8%	79
4	Wicomico County Public Schools	14,900	$18,486	53.8%	19.7%	76
5	Allegany County Public Schools	8,181	$18,290	59.1%	22.8%	71
6	Worcester County Public Schools	6,841	$22,643	53.2%	67.9%	69
7	Baltimore City Public Schools	75,995	$22,977	73.8%	33.3%	67
8	Prince George's County Public Schools	131,133	$19,789	64.0%	36.8%	66
9	Caroline County Public Schools	5,667	$17,385	64.0%	19.1%	66
10	Garrett County Public Schools	3,500	$19,520	38.7%	29.0%	65
11	Montgomery County Public Schools	160,554	$19,456	41.6%	66.0%	52
12	Howard County Public Schools	57,676	$19,256	27.2%	62.7%	49
13	Baltimore County Public Schools	111,082	$18,666	49.2%	47.3%	48
14	Washington County Public Schools	22,297	$17,937	50.7%	31.0%	47
15	Queen Anne's County Public Schools	7,387	$17,540	32.7%	28.4%	45
16	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	84,452	$17,624	40.5%	56.4%	43
17	Cecil County Public Schools	15,047	$16,748	50.4%	37.4%	42
18	Harford County Public Schools	38,037	$17,493	38.2%	52.6%	35
19	Talbot County Public Schools	4,523	$16,056	51.9%	62.0%	33
20	Charles County Public Schools	27,598	$17,415	42.6%	45.0%	32
21	Carroll County Public Schools	25,787	$16,548	26.5%	54.2%	26
22	St. Mary's County Public Schools	17,493	$17,088	39.0%	45.1%	25
23	Calvert County Public Schools	15,461	$14,606	25.0%	39.7%	21
24	Frederick County Public Schools	46,899	$16,233	31.4%	50.4%	16

How the Equity Score Works

The equity score (0-100) evaluates four dimensions of school funding fairness. According to the National Center for Education Statistics F-33 Finance Survey (FY 2022-23), which covers more than 17,000 districts nationwide, local property wealth drives most of the spending differences the score captures; our methodology documents each weight:

Per-Pupil Spending (0-25)

Higher spending relative to peers

Need-Adjusted Spending (0-25)

Spending weighted by poverty level, rewards districts that spend more where need is greatest

Funding Diversity (0-25)

Less reliance on local property taxes, more state/federal support

Resource Access (0-25)

Lower student-teacher ratios = more individualized attention

National Equity Rankings → ← Back to Maryland

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