Best public high schools in Maryland

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April 21, 2023
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Best public high schools in Maryland

As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a '96 commencement address at Wellesley College, "Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead." If that's the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.

It's a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 49.5 million students enrolled in public PreK-12 schools in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, about a third were in high school, enrolled across about 23,500 public secondary schools nationwide.

For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.

Stacker compiled a list of the 30 best public high schools in Maryland using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, clubs and activities, resources, and surveys of parents, teachers and students. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.

Editor's note: The original article had inaccuracies when multiple schools in Maryland had the same name. In most of these instances, the wrong data was displayed in the ranking. Stacker sincerely apologizes for the errors.

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#30. Eleanor Roosevelt High School

- District: Prince George's County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 2,546 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#29. George W. Carver Center for Arts & Technology

- District: Baltimore County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 997 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#28. Clarksburg High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 2,365 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#27. Damascus High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,404 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#26. Severna Park High School

- District: Anne Arundel County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,880 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#25. Oakdale High School

- District: Frederick County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,362 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#24. Reservoir High School

- District: Howard County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,788 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#23. Sherwood High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,912 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#22. Century High School

- District: Carroll County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,135 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#21. Howard High School

- District: Howard County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,828 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#20. Western School of Technology & Environmental Science

- District: Baltimore County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 920 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#19. Dulaney High School

- District: Baltimore County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,930 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#18. Quince Orchard High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 2,091 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#17. Glenelg High School

- District: Howard County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,263 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#16. Northwest High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 2,598 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#15. Atholton High School

- District: Howard County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,472 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#14. Eastern Technical High School

- District: Baltimore County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,207 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#13. Mount Hebron High School

- District: Howard County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,635 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#12. Urbana High School

- District: Frederick County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,908 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#11. Montgomery Blair High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 3,220 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#10. Centennial High School

- District: Howard County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,467 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#9. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 2,270 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#8. Walter Johnson High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 2,820 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#7. Thomas S. Wootton High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 2,037 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#6. Richard Montgomery High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 2,410 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. River Hill High School

- District: Howard County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,470 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. Winston Churchill High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 2,245 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. Marriotts Ridge High School

- District: Howard County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,597 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. Walt Whitman High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,991 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. Poolesville High School

- District: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,236 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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