2020 Best Public Schools in 21042About this List

Marriotts Ridge High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 262 reviews

Junior: Marriotts Ridge has great environment for students to learn. The facility also guides students to fall into the right path and helps them with their future decisions on colleges. Our school is strong in science and math, so students who wanted to prove their skills were successful by joining the science club and math club. One think I would want the school to change is college readiness. I would want the school to help us more in deciding colleges because it is difficult for first timers. By more of a clear guide, students will be ready.
Read 262 Reviews

• A+

• 1,261 Students
• 17:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

River Hill High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 283 reviews

Senior: Great school! Almost everyone here is a good student, very friendly atmosphere, while still being highly competitive. Very enjoyable to be here!
Read 283 Reviews

• A+

• 1,153 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Centennial High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 298 reviews

Senior: Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved being in a library. Just being surrounded by books has always made me feel at peace. Yet not all libraries have that affect on me. Especially at my school. At every library I have ever been at, if they have a book in a series, they will have the other books in the same series, or at least will be able to find you the other books at other libraries. They will even have rows and rows of books all from a same series. Some of my favorite series are in the graphic novel section. Yet at my school, they only have half of a shelf dedicated to graphic novels and barely any books that I have been trying to find for years. Yet no matter what, the library will always be my home away from home. In fact, whenever my friends ask me where I am, I have the same response every single time, I'm in the library.
Read 298 Reviews

• A+

• 1,505 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Mount Hebron High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 397 reviews

Senior: Mount Hebron High School is a great school with lots of opportunities to excel academically and athletically. I like the fact that it has good diversity. Parents are very invested in their children and always step up to volunteer in various events and activities. The school administration is very supportive of the teachers, students and parents alike. The school has a strong athletic and marching band program. My school has a very close knit and community feel which I really cherish. My high school years was very memorable and I made life long friends there. Also, I feel that I am college ready after leaving the Mt. Hebron because of the challenging courses I was able to take along with many life long skills I have learned as well.
Read 397 Reviews

• A+

• 1,577 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Waverly Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• PK, K-5
• 3 reviews

Niche User: The teachers are very nice, but most of the people in this school, actually in Ellicott City are Korean. I think it would be better if they had more shade when going outside but everything else is great!
Read 3 Reviews

• A+

• 766 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Burleigh Manor Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 5 reviews

Middle School Student: I am a student at BMMS. The mashed potatoes there are so good. Like, Gordon Ramsy good. If you ever want your child to taste some dang good mashed potatoes, you gotta send them to BMMS. Also, the lunch lady is very nice, I would also recommend the cheeseburger which I like to put tomatoes and lettuce and onions and pickles on. However, I think that your tater-tots are overrated. I want you to fix the bathroom doors because they don't lock. So when I'm trying to pee I have to stretch my arm to hold the door in place so someone doesn't come busting in with me and my pants down. It's really not nice, but it helps stretch my muscles and prepare me for P.E class.
Read 5 Reviews

• A+

• 819 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Glenelg High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 175 reviews

Senior: Glenelg is a very good place to be if you're in the gifted/talented or AP classes, but there is a big gap between the Honors/on-grade courses and higher level classes. Honors is basically just on grade. The school is almost split in two. The advanced teachers seem to work much harder and care much more about the students. The other teachers are still good, but definitely don't try to challenge the students. Most people at Glenelg are great, people get along and accept the differences of others. There are some students though who do not respect the differences between people and voice these opinions very visibly. You definitely won't run into these problems as often in the Gifted/talented and AP courses as you would in the other courses (this is not to say that all the people in the lower classes are abrasive-most of them are lovely). If you go to Glenelg, enroll in the difficult classes. They are hard, but it'll teach you discipline and acceptance. Overall a great school.
Read 175 Reviews

• A+

• 1,205 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5
• 1 review

Parent: Most amazing school in Howard County. Staff is firm, empathetic, kind, caring and well versed in their task - educating our children!
Read 1 Review

• A+

• 560 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Centennial Lane Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5
• 4 reviews

Parent: We love CLES. We have felt welcomed since day one. The staff and administration go above and beyond. My second grader has made good friends and is doing well academically.
Read 4 Reviews

• A+

• 739 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Folly Quarter Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 1 review

Parent: Teachers, curriculum and diversity is excellent but not many clubs and after school activities to keep kids involved and no sports that needs to be changed.
Read 1 Review

• A+

• 615 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Mount View Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 5 reviews

Middle School Student: Mount View was a great time for me. I had multiple teachers who were my best friends! But they weren’t as focused teaching well- more just being a good support system for students which I found was better for middle school students. I participated in like eight clubs because there were so many extracurriculars available to its students. Food isn’t great, but what do you expect from a public middle school... overall I was happy at this school.
Read 5 Reviews

• A+

• 792 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Dunloggin Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 7 reviews

Middle School Student: Great teachers, great environment, great diversity, bullying is extremely rare and all conflicts that arise are handled professionally. Would highly recommend attending. School lunched aren't that bad either.
Read 7 Reviews

• A+

• 617 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

West Friendship Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5
• 3 reviews

Parent: We were pleasantly surprised by WFES when we moved to HOCO. Our child is happy here. The teachers are excellent, they along with the staff and admin are very approachable and responsive. Class sizes are generally small, so the teachers can give individual attention to the kids based on their respective ability. PTA does quite a few events to build a community throughout the year. Our child has made several good friends here. Overall, we have had a very positive Elementary School experience at WFES!
Read 3 Reviews

• A

• 326 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Patapsco Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8
• 2 reviews

• A

• 684 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Northfield Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5

• A

• 710 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

St. Johns Lane Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5

• A

• 701 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Dayton Oaks Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• PK, K-5
• 1 review

Parent: The teachers are enthusiastic and hands-on. They know all of the student families. The principal is the sweetest, most energetic and creative principal. She knows everyone and genuinely cares about each student and teacher. It is a real community. There is a lot of hard work for all levels, and there might be a bit too much stress, especially for younger kids. But, on the other hand, this accelerated pace means the kids can take on complex subjects and excel.
Read 1 Review

• A

• 677 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Manor Woods Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• K-5
• 2 reviews

Parent: We moved from NJ last fall, and this school has been fantastic with all aspects of kids development. Very courteous admin staff and very competitive teaching staff . Orchestra is awesome too....lots of good, after school clubs. The kids felt right at home and the parenting volunteers are also in abundance. Could not have asked for a better school....
Read 2 Reviews

• A

• 759 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Hollifield Station Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• PK, K-5
• 2 reviews

Parent: Love the teachers at this school! They not only teach but support the children emotionally too! I will be staying in this school district.
Read 2 Reviews

• A

• 796 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Wilde Lake High School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 9-12
• 279 reviews

Alum: My experience at Wilde Lake High School was good. I adjusted very well in high school from making new friends, playing sports, and developing close relationships with my teachers. Wilde Lake High School offered a Computer Science Class that ignited my passion for Information Technology. I was exposed to both computer programming and computer technology. With the programming component, I wrote programs that led to robot’s execution of moving forward and backward, turning, and adjusting to different speeds. I enjoyed the technology component because it explained how different types of computers and phones operate and function. I am now interested in pursing a career in Computer Science.

I developed an appreciation for diversity. I learned to interact with different races and learned that we had more in common than I originally expected.

Changes I would like to see at Wilde Lake High School is the level of security.
Read 279 Reviews

• A-

• 1,225 Students
• 12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Longfellow Elementary School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• PK, K-5
• 2 reviews

Parent: A hidden gem! My two kids attended this school and both loved the school. Longfellow has a strong sense of community as one of the smaller schools in the county. My children thrived both academically and socially. It is a diverse school (racially and socioeconomically) but many who chose to reside in Columbia and surrounding areas, moved to this region for just that reason. If this is a concern to you, LoES probably would be a blessing for your kids, but not right for you.
Read 2 Reviews

• A-

• 457 Students
• 12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Harpers Choice Middle School

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-8

• A-

• 564 Students
• 12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

The Homewood Center

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• 6-12
• 1 review

Senior: Amazing place for kids with Emotional and Physical disabilities like me! Staff is amazingly supportive and they give us every chance to be normal kids.
Read 1 Review

• B

• 131 Students
• 3:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Cedar Lane Special Center

• Howard County Public Schools, MD
• PK, K-12

• NG

• 110 Students
• 4:1 Student-Teacher Ratio