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: 49.4 million students enrolled in public pre-K-12 schools in fall 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 seven weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics, but other factors include culture and diversity; sports; clubs and activities; resources; and surveys of parents, teachers, and students. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.
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1 / 30#30. Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
- Location: Washington County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 332 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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2 / 30#29. Eleanor Roosevelt High School
- Location: Prince George's County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 2,420 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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3 / 30#28. Huntingtown High School
- Location: Calvert County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,358 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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4 / 30#27. Howard High School
- Location: Howard County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,792 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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5 / 30#26. Clarksburg High School
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6 / 30#25. Oakdale High School
- Location: Frederick County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,465 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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7 / 30#24. Century High School
- Location: Carroll County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,140 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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8 / 30#23. Sherwood High School
- Location: Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,769 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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9 / 30#22. Quince Orchard High School
- Location: Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 2,069 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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10 / 30#21. Reservoir High School
- Location: Howard County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,814 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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11 / 30#20. Western School of Technology & Environmental Science
- Location: Baltimore County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 937 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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12 / 30#19. Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
- Location: Baltimore City Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,601 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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13 / 30#18. Glenelg High School
- Location: Howard County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,298 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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14 / 30#17. Severna Park High School
- Location: Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,854 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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15 / 30#16. Academy of Health Sciences at PGCC
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16 / 30#15. Atholton High School
- Location: Howard County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,456 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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17 / 30#14. Urbana High School
- Location: Frederick County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,929 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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18 / 30#13. Eastern Technical High School
- Location: Baltimore County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,215 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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19 / 30#12. Mount Hebron High School
- Location: Howard County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,639 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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20 / 30#11. Northwest High School
- Location: Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 2,519 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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#10. Montgomery Blair High School
- Location: Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 3,176 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#9. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
- Location: Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 2,289 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#8. Richard Montgomery High School
- Location: Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 2,334 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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24 / 30#7. Walter Johnson High School
- Location: Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 2,870 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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25 / 30#6. Thomas S. Wootton High School
#5. Marriotts Ridge High School
- Location: Howard County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,662 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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27 / 30#4. Winston Churchill High School
- Location: Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 2,212 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#3. Walt Whitman High School
- Location: Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 2,029 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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29 / 30#2. River Hill High School
- Location: Howard County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,508 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#1. Poolesville High School
- Location: Montgomery County Public Schools, MD
- Enrollment: 1,272 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
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