Maryland’s public school districts compare very favorably with those of the rest of the nation, ranking 16th overall in Pre-K education by U.S. News & World Report. As one of the thirteen original colonies, the state has had a long time to develop its standard of excellent public education.

The #1 ranked district in Maryland is the Howard County Public School System, based in Columbia, Maryland and serving the communities of the county that lends it its name. The large district of 76 schools boasts an impressive graduation rate of 93.2%.

Worcester County Public Schools, a district of 14 schools in Worcester County, MD, places second in the ranking. Along with the academic achievements of its students, the faculty and staff of its schools have also earned recognition, including Pocomoke High School Principal Annette Wallace, who was named Maryland’s 2016 High School Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Third on the list is Calvert County Public Schools, a district of 23 schools based in the system’s namesake county consistently ranking among the best in the state in academic achievement.

Maryland’s #4 district is Montgomery County Public Schools, the largest in the state and 14th largest in the U.S., with over 205 schools. MCPS’s excellence was recognized in 2010, when it was the recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Closing out Maryland’s top five is Carroll County Public Schools, another very large district with over 26,500 students. CCPS’s schools consistently achieve test scores comfortably above nation and statewide averages.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?